Page 67 of Jerk

“Rye,” she starts, her breath still shaky. “That was?—”

“What you deserved.” Shrugging off my robe, I place it over her shoulders.

“Why do you get off on letting them see me like that?” she whispers against my chest, like she’s too ashamed to look around her.

“It’s not just me. You know that.” My finger falls under her chin, lifting it. “Do you see the look in their eyes?” My eyes scan the room, and Chloe isn’t the only one looking at us like we have something they can’t have. “It’s what you want. You want people to wish they could be in your place and, once again, they do. Don’t act like you don’t relish in this.”

She huffs out her words, still breathless. “You humiliate me.”

“You haven’t used the safe word. Tell me why.”

“You think I wanted this?” She looks up at me, those sparkly eyes redder under the light.

“You always do.” Just as fucking bad as I do. “Tell me why you let me control your body. I want to hear it.”

“Aren’t we just having fun?” Her brows furrow. “This felt different.”

“It was. Why didn’t you use the safe word, Hannah?”

“It's not like you hurt me."

“And you trust that I won’t. You think disappearing on me and ignoring me makes you stronger here? You don’t get to do that and come back when it suits you. Not when we’re working together. Not with me. So whatever’s going on in your head, get the fuck over it. I need—” I choke on my own words, her eyes narrowing into mine. “Krystal needed you."

Her shoulders sink. “I was trying to get my footing. It slipped because of you.”

“No,youdid that.” My voice is firm. I didn’t intend on having this conversation here, but a glimpse into her mind is… fascinating. “You came after me first. Then the minute we had a plan to work together, you left.”

Her brows knit. “I get it, I haven’t been around?—”

“And?”

She stalls before she lets the words fall. “I’m sorry. I just?—”

“Good. Don’t make me drag it out of you next time.” I don’t overthink it, I just lift her chin and press my lips into hers. It’s like I’ve forgotten who's around us, those lips dangling in my face for far too long. She sighs against my mouth, her hand coming to my cheek. It’s a tender touch. One that makes the spin in my stomach return.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers against my lips, the room slowly coming back.

“What changed your mind?" I ask questions that didn’t matter months ago. Questions thatshouldn’tmatter. “You ignored me, but you still came. What changed?”

“Last night, when I went home…” She stalls, her hand coming to her lips. She chokes back tears I’m tempted to kiss away. “My mom looked worse than I ever saw her. I tried to get her to leave. I thought I could have everything with her by my side, but instead—” More tears stifle her words.

My chest dampens with her tears as I pull her closer, hiding her from nosy guests. It’s one thing for everyone to see her respond to me. It’s another for them to see her cry.

“Did I ruin everything?” she asks, swiping at her eyes. “With your father?”

“Krystal’s with him.” Pulling out my phone, the party continues around us while we sit in the middle like this isnormal. “We put up a camera so I can keep an eye on her. But this was your plan. You needed to be here.”

Hannah sits up, pulling my phone close to her rosy face. “Where’s the camera?”

Looking at my screen, something’s different.

I thought I had the feed, but the screen is white.

“It was working before you got here.” Tapping around, my jaw tightens. “I can’t get it back.”

“Well, restart it,” Hannah says, sounding closer to her usual demanding self.

A loud scream fills the air, coming from the other end of the room. Loud and curdling. It's enough to pull my attention from Hannah.