finally looked at her.
“What?” I pulled my hands out of her grasp, not at all noticing the heat that pulsed in my blood from her touch. Was she flirting with me? Touching me like we were familiar with each other as opposed to the strangers we were?
“Ecstasy?” She said it like a question. Like she was asking if I had any on me. I instinctively touched the pocket in which my baggie was tucked. There were two hits of E left, but I didn’t offer them to her. I didn’t push for the sale I knew Devlin would want me to. The thought of this girl abusing the little white pills that ate holes through the brain had my stomach plummeting. Shit, how could I care about someone I’d just met?
“That’s my piece of darkness,” she continued when I hadn’t said anything.
I nodded, realization clicking through my brain. “How long?”
She turned her green eyes upward like she was mentally counting. “Started when I was sixteen.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, I’m that girl.”
I smiled despite trying not to. “The kind who went to raves? Danced to trance music?”
She chuckled. “Glow sticks and all, bitch.” She threw her hands up, twisting them in a swirling motion and swaying her hips at the same time. The move should’ve looked ridiculous in the bright fluorescent light of the hallway, but it didn’t—it was sexy as hell—as was her laughing at herself as she shook her head.
“How long are you here for?” I asked, suddenly aware I wanted it to be for months, long enough for me to stay as close to her as possible.
Something crossed over her eyes, something playful. “As long as it takes.”
“You sound committed.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” A piece of her hair fell in front of her face, and I had to resist the urge to tuck it back behind her ear.
What the fuck was wrong with me? What was it about her that had me flicking off every asshole switch I’d had firmly in place since that night with Blake? Since before her, if I was being honest, but fuck, I hadn’t realized until it was too late. I would never do that again. It didn’t mean I knew how to fix myself, fuck no, but I wouldn’t ever let another person get burned from the fire I always started wherever I went.
So why wasn’t I pushing her away? Why wasn’t I doing every dick thing I could to keep her safe?
The silence was full and heavy and suddenly the weight of emotions—wanting her, wanting to know her, caring about her addiction and wanting her to overcome it—became too much. I’d known her for a blink of time. This was ridiculous. I opened my mouth to offer up an excuse to leave, but she stopped me by craning her neck around my shoulder, peering down the hallway behind me.
“Justin?” She asked.
“Yeah?” I swear the girl had me hanging by the tip of her tongue. I would do whatever she asked. I knew that, without knowing what she wanted.
“Two things you need to know,” she said. “One, full disclosure? I hate liars more than I hate anything else in this world. I’d rather you be straight with me and tell me you killed kittens for funsies than lie about it and I find out later, understand?” She tilted her head, and I shook mine.
“Okay?” I said, but it sounded like a question.
She smiled. “Good. No lies. Ever. Or this can never work.”
I stood there gaping at her, having no clue what to say.
“And two,” she said and tapped the pocket of my jeans—the same pocket I had a baggie of pills nestled in. “They’re doing a surprise room check today. You might want to run.”
My eyes widened as her words sunk in. Fuck. Devlin’s most recent delivery was hidden in several different places in my room, and not all of them were brilliant spots. If I was caught, it’d be straight back to prison, and right back into Devlin’s control.
Fuck that. “How---“
“Don’t ask,” she cut me off. “Just hurry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now.
“Thank you,” I said and took off in the opposite
“What?” I pulled my hands out of her grasp, not at all noticing the heat that pulsed in my blood from her touch. Was she flirting with me? Touching me like we were familiar with each other as opposed to the strangers we were?
“Ecstasy?” She said it like a question. Like she was asking if I had any on me. I instinctively touched the pocket in which my baggie was tucked. There were two hits of E left, but I didn’t offer them to her. I didn’t push for the sale I knew Devlin would want me to. The thought of this girl abusing the little white pills that ate holes through the brain had my stomach plummeting. Shit, how could I care about someone I’d just met?
“That’s my piece of darkness,” she continued when I hadn’t said anything.
I nodded, realization clicking through my brain. “How long?”
She turned her green eyes upward like she was mentally counting. “Started when I was sixteen.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, I’m that girl.”
I smiled despite trying not to. “The kind who went to raves? Danced to trance music?”
She chuckled. “Glow sticks and all, bitch.” She threw her hands up, twisting them in a swirling motion and swaying her hips at the same time. The move should’ve looked ridiculous in the bright fluorescent light of the hallway, but it didn’t—it was sexy as hell—as was her laughing at herself as she shook her head.
“How long are you here for?” I asked, suddenly aware I wanted it to be for months, long enough for me to stay as close to her as possible.
Something crossed over her eyes, something playful. “As long as it takes.”
“You sound committed.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” A piece of her hair fell in front of her face, and I had to resist the urge to tuck it back behind her ear.
What the fuck was wrong with me? What was it about her that had me flicking off every asshole switch I’d had firmly in place since that night with Blake? Since before her, if I was being honest, but fuck, I hadn’t realized until it was too late. I would never do that again. It didn’t mean I knew how to fix myself, fuck no, but I wouldn’t ever let another person get burned from the fire I always started wherever I went.
So why wasn’t I pushing her away? Why wasn’t I doing every dick thing I could to keep her safe?
The silence was full and heavy and suddenly the weight of emotions—wanting her, wanting to know her, caring about her addiction and wanting her to overcome it—became too much. I’d known her for a blink of time. This was ridiculous. I opened my mouth to offer up an excuse to leave, but she stopped me by craning her neck around my shoulder, peering down the hallway behind me.
“Justin?” She asked.
“Yeah?” I swear the girl had me hanging by the tip of her tongue. I would do whatever she asked. I knew that, without knowing what she wanted.
“Two things you need to know,” she said. “One, full disclosure? I hate liars more than I hate anything else in this world. I’d rather you be straight with me and tell me you killed kittens for funsies than lie about it and I find out later, understand?” She tilted her head, and I shook mine.
“Okay?” I said, but it sounded like a question.
She smiled. “Good. No lies. Ever. Or this can never work.”
I stood there gaping at her, having no clue what to say.
“And two,” she said and tapped the pocket of my jeans—the same pocket I had a baggie of pills nestled in. “They’re doing a surprise room check today. You might want to run.”
My eyes widened as her words sunk in. Fuck. Devlin’s most recent delivery was hidden in several different places in my room, and not all of them were brilliant spots. If I was caught, it’d be straight back to prison, and right back into Devlin’s control.
Fuck that. “How---“
“Don’t ask,” she cut me off. “Just hurry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now.
“Thank you,” I said and took off in the opposite
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