Page 56 of Lust

It takes me hours to cut all the pieces of fabric so when I see the letter that someone has put under my door, I have no idea when it was slipped under. It could have been minutes or hours ago.

I open the door, not expecting to see anyone there, and I’m not surprised when I see the sweeping donut shaped balcony empty. I pick the letter up and shut the door behind me. My chest tightens as I see that there’s no name on the envelope. Quinn received letters like this. I try to reason away the dread. Anyone could have sent me this letter. It could be a note from Juliette. But as I rip it open and see the red ink, I already know it isn’t before I even read it. Not that it takes me long to read. It’s only five words long.

FELIX WILL NEVER LOVE YOU

I stare at the words that are obviously meant to hurt me, but the more I read it, the more bizarre it seems. I don’t care what Felix’s opinion of me is. It must be a joke, but it’s not remotely funny. Whoever wrote this doesn’t know me at all. Quinn’s letters were much more macabre. Still, just receiving one is making me feel uneasy. I pop the letter back into the envelope and grab my portal that I’d piled a load of fabric on top of.

I type out a quick message.

QUINN, YOU FREE? CAN WE MEET IN THE RESTAURANT? I HAVE A QUESTION

Then, because I know Juliette would hate missing out on a possible mystery, I message her too.

When they both message back, I tuck the letter into my pocket. get dressed, and head downstairs.

It’s a little early for dinner, so the restaurant is mercifully quiet. I find a spot in a far corner and wait. A waiter appears almost out of thin air as they do and asks for my order.

“Just a coffee. Actually, make it three, all with cream, one with enough sugar to sink a ship and a plate of donuts too.”

I’m not hungry, but I’ve never known Juliette to have coffee without consuming some kind of confectionery and I don’t want a waiter interrupting us. Quinn and Juliette both appear as the waiter is leaving our order. I push the sugary coffee and the plate of donuts toward Juliette.

She gives me a wide grin in thanks.

I pull out the envelope and set it on the table between us. Quinn’s reaction to it tells me everything I need to know. “This is like the letters you got in Purgatory, right?”

She visibly pales as she reaches for it. “Can I read it?”

I nod in acceptance.

Her fingers tremble as she pulls the letter through the ragged rip I’d made earlier. “Where did you get this?”

“It was slipped under my door earlier. Dade didn’t write this.”

Juliette takes it from Quinn’s fingers and scrunches up her nose. “This is hardly news. Felix is a moron. He only loves himself. I agree that Dade didn’t write it though. She actually stops eating and raises her eyebrows, giving me a glance before turning her eyes to Quinn. “Quinn honey, is there something you want to tell us?”

Quinn leans forward and rests her head in her hands. Juliette put the half eaten donut back on the plate and rubs Quinn’s back, leaving white sugary marks on her cardigan.

When she finally looks up, her eyes are dark and almost haunted. “I’m supposed to be dating Remy. I had a plan. I mean, he’s hot, right?”

“He’s an asshole, but he’s hot,” I agree.

Juliette nods her head. “He’s Brad Pitt hot. Actually, he has a bit of a Brad Pitt look to him. How have I never realized that before?”

I roll my eyes as Quinn speaks again. “Exactly. He’s probably the hottest man in this whole place.”

Juliette grabs a donut and licks it. “So you’re dating Remy and we can all agree he’s like the hottest of hot. A Vesuvius of men, if you will. I’m really not seeing a problem here.”

“I don’t even like Dade,” Quinn moans. “He’s fucked up and scary and terrifying.”

I furrow my eyebrows at the disgusting way Juliette is eating her donut. “I’m pretty sure scary and terrifying are synonyms, but I sense that you are telling us that despite Remy’s perfection, it’s Dade’s pecker you’re thirsting for?”

Juliette’s mouth falls open in ill-concealed glee. “You like the mighty, murderous, mesmerizing, mysterious mister.”

“The guy would rather chain himself to a wall than have sex with me.” Quinn cries, throwing her hands up in the air. “He’s so far from perfect. The exact antithesis of Remy and yet my panties are like Niagara Falls whenever I’m near him. When I danced with him at the Earthery earlier, it was the sexiest moment of my life and we were both fully clothed… well, half clothed. We were wearing dance outfits.”

“Woah! Back it up, sister,” Juliette exclaims, dropping what’s left of her donut on the table in her exuberance. “You were dancing with Dade in the Earthery?”

“Voluntarily?” I add.

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