Page 49 of Boys Who Taint

Haven’t felt like myself.

Because all I can think of is the paper burning a hole in my bag, begging me to take his invitation.

I stare at my bag as I sit here with a half-eaten plate, wondering who gave it to me. Who was brazen enough to enter my room uninvited and leave that on my desk like some sort of gift. An invitation.

A wish to fulfill by a killer.

I swallow away the lump in my throat.

Who is this man, and what could he possibly gain by making Levi Torres … disappear?

THWACK!

The tray is slammed down so hard that it nearly cracks the table, making me jolt up and down.

“You looked lonely. Now you’re not.” Apollo winks.

“What the—” I frown. “I’mnotlonely. I didn’t ask for you to sit down.”

“Oh, you don’t have to ask me anything, Freckles. I make this sacrifice out of my own free will.” His smug grin makes me want to throw my food at his face.

My brow twitches. “Sacrifice?”

The audacity.

And to think I couldn’t take my eyes off him and those pumped-up muscles just weeks ago.

He spins his spaghetti around his fork. “You don’t look exactly inviting, you know?”

“No shit, maybe it’s because I wanna be left alone.”

So I can plot a murder on his cousin.

“Same. Let’s be alone together.” He brings the fork to his mouth and actually eats the whole plate, the whole goddamn spaghetti mound, in one bite.

Jesus Christ.

I take a sip of my ice water to cleanse my eyes. I mean stomach. I mean body.

When he swallows, he asks, “Where’s your boyfriend?”

I nearly choke on a piece of ice. “Boyfriend?”

“I’ve seen you hanging around with that skinny white-haired dude … so who is he?”

“None of your business.” I fold my arms. “Where’s your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” he quips, that same smirk still on his face.

I lean back in my seat. “Oh, I’m sorry, I meanharem.”

He takes a sip of his bubble tea and points over his shoulder without even looking. I follow his finger only to find twelve or more girls gossiping in the corner of the cafeteria, while staring at me like they want to poke my eyes out for even daring to look at their man.

“Wow,” I mutter, unimpressed.

“What can I say? I’m a lady’s man. And ladies flock to muscle.” He shrugs and then winks again. “Comes with the territory of being as handsome as me.”

My eyes nearly roll into the back of my skull. “Oh my God.”