Page 91 of Deceptive Games

“It’s getting dark, so be careful,” he murmured against my lips. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

“Promise to leave me alone?”

“I promise. Call if you need me though,” he answered as he let me go, taking my empty coffee cup.

I headed up to my bedroom to grab a hoodie and my keys before walking outside to the Corvette.

It was a really nice evening for a drive, so I put my music on and rolled the window down a fraction. I didn’t have much of a plan on where I was going, other than the Heights, but I found myself parking at Hawthorne Heights High.

The fire escape stairs never locked properly, and the alarm hadn’t worked in years, so I let myself inside and made my way through the familiar corridors and up to the flat roof.

I’d spent many nights sitting up here lost in thought, and I sat on the edge like I always did, looking out across the school yard.

It felt like forever since I’d been here, but in reality, it had only been a little over four months since I’d walked these halls as a Junior while trying to blend in with the other students.

I fucking hated this place and always wished someone would burn it down.

I lit a cigarette and sighed, blowing the smoke into the night air. My head was a mess, my feelings about Slash conflicted, and my emotions tied to my mom suffocating me slightly.

What if I was wrong and she was suffering somewhere while I was cozy at the Holloways’?

I went in circles with my silent questions, knowing I’d been too distracted when someone sat beside me and I hadn’t even heard them walk out onto the roof.

“You’re lucky I was keeping an eye out. Anyone could’ve snuck up on you,” Hunter warned, a seriousness to his tone.

“What do you want? Are you stalking me now?” I scoffed as I shuffled over slightly to put more distance between us, earning a smirk.

“I’ve been stalking you for a while, don’t you think? I heard it was your birthday yesterday. Where was my invitation?”

“Don’t play games with me. I’m not in the mood. What do you want?” I repeated, and he took out a cigarette of his own to light before replying, his gaze running over the school yard.

“Why the long face? Eighteen not what you thought it would be?”

“I’m too hungover for your bullshit, dude,” I muttered, side-eyeing him. “How did you find me?”

“Saw you driving alone and followed you.”

“You don’t live around here, do you? What were you doing here?”

“You doing your research on me?” he teased, not looking at me. “I had business at Wet Dreams.”

“The Reapers’ strip club in Ashburn?” I asked dryly, and he turned to me with amusement.

“My friend works there. She’s been having problems and I wanted to talk to her about it while the boss wasn’t around. He doesn’t like me much.”

“A rival crew doesn’t like you? Shocker,” I deadpanned, making him laugh.

“I think it has more to do with the fact that she’s his girl, and I fuck her occasionally.”

My nose scrunched, and I gave him a dirty look. “If she has a boyfriend, why is she screwing you?”

“Take me for a ride and find out,” he said with a wink.

“Pass.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on. But Lex and Archer are always breaking up then getting back together. So when she’s lonely, I’m only doing my best friend duties by keeping her entertained,” he shrugged, eyeing me for a second before continuing. “You’d probably like her. She doesn’t take anyone’s shit either.”

“She obviously toleratesyourbullshit.”