Page 93 of Deceptive Games

“What Ineedis for people to butt out of my business and let me have alone time like I asked for,” I threw back, intending on getting up to leave, but pausing as he pulled a joint out and offered it to me.

“You want to sit here in silence and smoke weed? I don’t want to leave you here alone. The Heights is dangerous at night, but I’ll shut up so you can pretend I’m not here if it helps,” he said seriously. “Or you can complain about your dad some more. We can plot his murder together.”

I snickered at that, taking the joint and inspecting it. “How do I know you didn't lace this with something?”

He plucked it from my fingers and put it between his lips, lighting it and taking a deep drag before offering it to me again.

“I didn’t say you weren’t sharing it with me,” he answered, motioning for me to have a drag.

He thankfully shut up like he promised, and we sat there in silence just passing the joint between us for a while, the aches in my muscles easing.

“Tell me something about you,” I randomly asked, his mouth kicking up into an amused smirk.

“I go to the theater alone sometimes. I like to sit in the back in the dark and watch random movies so I’m not alone but no one is bothering me. I started doing it when I was younger so I could cry without anyone knowing, but it became a comfort that I continued as I got older. You?”

“That’s why I come here. To just sit in the dark by myself with only my thoughts for company,” I replied, putting my hands behind my head to lean back and look up at the stars. “Why are you still following me around? You know I can’t help you about Max.”

“Maybe I like spending time with you.”

“I’d bet money on you doing it to piss off Skeet.”

“If that was the case, why doesn’t he know about it?” he asked and raised an eyebrow. “Why haven’tyoutold him about it?”

“And have him lock me up somewhere to keep me safe? Doubt it. If you and Marco are going to hurt me?—”

“We’re not,” he said a little sharply, holding my gaze. “If you run into trouble, you can come to me. We’re not here to hurt you.”

The weed was relaxing me too damn much, and I found myself opening up a little more.

“Can I tell you a secret? You can’t tell anyone though.”

“Of course. Who am I going to tell? Skeet? He’d shoot me before I even opened my mouth,” he joked, and I swallowed before answering.

“The person who assaulted me that I have conflicting feelings about isn’t Tristan Holloway.”

I felt the shift in the air as he processed my words, and I kept my eyes on the sky to avoid looking at him.

“Someone else touched you? Who? I can handle them for you.”

“I need to go,” I said as I realized I’d opened a dangerous door, sitting up with the intention of standing, but he took my wrist to stop me.

“Don’t. Secret’s safe with me,” he promised, his thumb brushing back and forth across the back of my hand in silent comfort.

I pulled away but didn’t leave, blowing out a breath. “I kind of like the guy, that’s all. But he’s an asshole and I definitely didn’t want it. Until I kind of did and my feelings got confused half-way through.”

“If you didn’t want it to begin with, then he’s a real piece of shit and you can do better. Are you safe now? Are you avoiding the house because?—”

“It’s not Caden or his friends. I won’t tell you who, I have it handled, but I can’t tell the others or they’ll flip out. I got way too drunk and high last night to the point I was throwing up all damn night and morning, so they know something’s up, but I can’t tell them. Not this.”

“When did it happen?” he asked gently, reaching out to touch me but stopping himself at the last second.

“Yesterday,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Jesus. Do you need a doctor to check you out? I have a guy who’s discreet,” he offered, and I shook my head. “Are you sure? If there’s tearing, you could get an infection. Was he rough?”

Tears burned my eyes at the memory of me giving into it, the pain turning to pleasure and my mouth colliding with his.

“Shit, hang on,” Hunter murmured as he stood and pulled me back onto the roof more, squatting beside me and taking my face in both hands. They were warm, his brown eyes staring into mine. “You’re okay.”