Page 29 of Make Me Scream (Visceral #2)

PERIS

One week.

It’s been a whole goddamn week since he’s looked me in the eye. Since he’s touched me, kissed me, fucked me.

And I’m losing my fucking mind.

My eyes follow him as he walks across the commons room, baggy jeans and chains swishing, eyes never straying this way, and I’ve fucking had it.

“Abel!” I snap loud enough, several heads turn in my direction. I don’t pay them any mind. I only ever have eyes for my runt.

His footsteps slow until, eventually, they stop, but he doesn’t turn, doesn’t look my way. I clench my jaw, hands balling between my spread legs. I feel Gabe’s eyes on the side of my face like a knife, prodding and slicing, desperate to know but refusing to ask.

“Come here,” I tell Abel, my voice low, but his full body shiver tells me he heard me just fine.

He hesitates, and I watch his hands tighten on the straps of his shitty backpack. “No,” he whispers eventually, and then, he’s gone, rushing through the room and down the hall. I balk at him for a few seconds, the heated stares of dozens on me before I take off, following Abel.

By the time I make it down the same hall, he’s gone, but I know where he went. I follow him up the stairs to the roof, where the blistering cold washes over my skin and sobers me instantly.

No longer am I boiling in anger but simmering in hurt—and I’m not sure I like it any better.

Anger is easier, more familiar.

This… this feeling , I don’t fucking like.

Abel sighs loudly, and that grates on my nerves.

“What do you want, Peris?” he says, his teeth chattering against the wind.

“I want to know what the fuck is going on,” I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest. My hoodie is doing nothing to block out the cold.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing,” I deadpan.

“That’s what I said.”

“No shit, runt. I’m confused.”

“Nothing new there,” he mutters, and I snap. I rush up to him and snatch him up by the back of his neck, yanking him back into my body. He yelps, stumbling until he has no choice but to fall against me. I wrap my arm around his waist, keeping him pinned.

I graze my cold lips against his reddened ear, enjoying the way he shivers so fucking beautifully. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, Abel, but it seems like you’ve forgotten.”

“ Jesus. ”

I ignore him, heat and anger swirling in my gut as he grinds his hips into me.

“You’re mine. You don’t get to fucking ignore me and act like I don’t exist. I gave you time.

An entire week of it—which is more than you deserve.

And during that week, did you give me one fucking ounce of your attention?

” I graze my teeth along his pulse point. He shivers.

“Hmm? Did you?”

“N-no.”

“No, you didn’t. And that was rude, wasn’t it?”

“Yes-s.”

“Yes, it was. And let me tell you, puppy. I’m fucking pissed. ” I sink my teeth into his flesh, relishing in his high pitched yelp and the way his back bows, pushing his ass right into my dick.

I gnaw on his skin, grinding it between my teeth, ensuring it really fucking hurts before I release it. “And that’s only a fraction of the pain you’ve caused me. All I’ve gotten are a few measly texts and calls from you. Not even good enough for a kiss anymore, is that it, runt?”

“N-no,” he stammers, whimpering pathetically.

“No? Sure as hell seems like it to me.”

“It’s complicated.”

I burst into laughter, clutching Abel tight against my chest as I toss my head back and bark into the frigid, winter air. “Oh, it’s always complicated with you, Abel Silver.”

He slumps against me, but it’s not until I hear him sniffle that I loosen my hold slightly. “You don’t understand,” he tries to say.

“You’re right, I don’t.” I let him go and watch as he stumbles to regain his balance. He turns to face me, his face flushed from the cold, arms crossed over his chest. His piercings glint in the partly-covered sun, garnering my attention for a moment.

Sometimes, I forget just how ugly he is, how pretty it makes him, and how confusing I find it all.

“I want you to explain,” I urge.

“I can’t.”

“You can’t,” I deadpan.

“There are some things I can’t fucking tell you, Peris,” he snaps, back on the defensive.

“Oh, wow. That’s fucking great. What could be so bad that you can’t tell me?” I ask, throwing my arms in the air. “After everything and what I already know, hm?”

“What’s so bad?” His voice breaks on a laugh that makes my heart crack a little.

“Maybe the fact I’m living with my fucking mother, who hates me, and her new boyfriend, who’s a fucking creep, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it, so I don’t want to fucking talk about it!

” he screams, cheeks puffed out and chest heaving.

When he’s finished, he drops his arms, shoulders slumped.

I blink at him, mouth agape for a moment before I rush forward and draw him back into my arms, much gentler this time, even as my chest stews with a new kind of venom—the kind that burns with the desire to strike with a deadly accuracy.

“Fuck, runt. Why didn’t you just say so?” I say after a moment, fingers having found respite in his hair.

“Because it won’t change a thing,” he mutters before pulling away and grabbing a pack of cigarettes out of his bag.

I stare wide-eyed before glaring, but I still don’t stop him as he grabs one of his lighters and sparks it to light one.

He takes a long drag, blonde lashes fluttering against his cheekbones as he inhales.

By the time he exhales, his world seems to have righted itself once more and my runt is back.

“You’re doing really well this season,” he says conversationally, dropping down on the chunk of concrete beside me. He offers me his smoke, but I shake my head. He shrugs. “More for me.”

“You wanna talk about basketball?” I ask dryly, scratching the back of my hand as I look out at the parking lot.

“Well, yeah. You play; I cheer. Why not?”

“Abel…”

“Don’t, Peris. Just fucking don’t for once.”

“Fine,” I snap. “Yes, I’m doing great. Ma actually texted me earlier and told me I got something in the mail from Arlow University, so I’ll open that when I get home.” I reach up and grip the back of my neck, fighting an annoying rush of heat.

“Holy shit,” Abel says softly before he jumps up, cigarette falling from his lips. “ Holy shit! ” He whirls around and jumps right into my lap. “You got it! You got the scholarship!”

“Woah, fuck!” I reach back to catch myself before we both tumble backward into the gravel. “Shut up,” I mutter. “We don’t know that.” The heat intensifies on my face.

“Of course, we do, you fucking idiot. Why else would they send you something so early?”

“We’ll see.” I try to feign nonchalance, but my heart is beating out of my chest.

“Can I come with you after practice?” He reaches up to play with the necklace I gave him, and my heart stutters.

“For what?” I croak, rapt.

“To open it?” he asks.

“Of course, runt.”

“Thank you, Peris. And I’m sorry,” he says much softer as he digs the toes of his new converse into the gravel, refusing to meet my gaze.

“What are you sorry for?” I ask, drawing his chin up, forcing him to meet my eyes.

He fights me but eventually looks right into me, and what I see steals my breath. His eyes are molten steel, all shades of gray swirling and melting me from the inside out.

“For all of it.”

“Come on! Hurry up!”

“Jesus, Ma, gimme a minute to walk through the door,” I mutter as she thrusts the huge envelope in my face. The sight of it has my heart rate skyrocketing, and it doesn’t help that Abel is practically bouncing right next to me.

“Open it!” she exclaims, and I sigh, dropping my duffle to the ground at my feet.

I wedge the envelope under my arm and move past her into the living room—except I don’t stop.

I keep walking straight through and down the hallway.

I shut and lock myself into the bathroom, letting the envelope fall from my grip and to the floor.

My breathing comes in short, painful bursts, and the walls around me begin to pulse in time with my heart. I stare in front of me, not seeing anything at all other than the waves my mind has conjured.

A soft knock resounds, but I barely register it. “Peris?” The door creaks open, and Abel walks in. My eyes stray toward him, and I blink at him, unseeing. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.”

“You look freaked out…” he drawls, and I laugh loudly.

“I’ve only been working toward this my entire life. Nothing huge about that.” My face cracks as my breathing stutters, and I press my hand to my chest, willing my heart to slow a bit, but all I manage to register is how hard it’s beating.

“I think you might be having a panic attack?” Abel says, but it sounds like a question, and I laugh loudly again.

“You fucking think?”

“Hey! I don’t know everything!” But he steps closer and encases his fingers in mine, and I like that.

“Yeah, no shit, runt,” I manage to choke out. He drops his head to my chest, right beside our entwined fingers. I stumble back against the wall with a dull thud, and I wrap my arms around him. His touch is helping to ground me as I focus on his cool warmth—a paradox I want to be wrapped in forever.

“Do you want me to open it?” he asks, and my eyes stray to the manila envelope to the left of my feet. I dart my gaze away.

“I don’t know.”

“You need to look at it.”

“I know, Abel,” I snap.

“Don’t yell at me.”

I scoff. “Oh, please. You like being yelled at.”

A blush blooms across his cheeks, and I relish in the way he buries his face in my chest. “Shut up, Peris.”

I laugh lightly, and it’s amazing that even right now—when I am on the verge of a panic attack—Abel manages to draw me back into the now and can make me fucking laugh.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” I tell him, drawing my fingers into his hair and tugging lightly. His breathing hitches, and he shudders.

“Please don’t…”

“What?” I ask, confused. I tug on his hair, but he doesn’t budge.

“Don’t, Peris,” he rasps, burying his face deeper.

My brows furrow in confusion, but I let him be, continuing to play with his hair and rub my hand up and down his back, the other holding tightly onto his waist. After a few minutes, my shirt starts to feel damp, and that’s when I start to worry.

“Puppy…”

“Just let me, okay?” he croaks into me, throat clogged with his tears, and I feel sick. Knowing he’s crying makes my chest ache and my stomach roll, even as my dick twitches and my groin tightens, the worst kind of juxtaposition. I grit my teeth and bare it—for him.

“Just something you need, runt?”

“Yeah,” he mutters, sniffling.

“All right,” I concede and hold him tight while he cries into me. I relish in the sensation after a little while, my own body calming as his does.

When, eventually, Abel takes a few shaky breaths and pulls away, I reject the notion and keep him pinned against me. “Peris…” he laughs breathlessly.

“Nope.” I shake my head.

“C’mon, baby boy…”

“Oh, don’t pull that shit with me, pup.” But even as I say it, my rock hard dick gives a nice, little twitch, which I know he feels through the thin material of my sweatpants. I feel his smirk against my throat.

“I love your body,” he murmurs, flicking his tongue out, and I shiver. I pull back and search out his mouth, needing it. He knows—because he knows me—and meets me greedily.

I sigh readily into him as our tongues clash. It’s not a nice kiss. It’s heady and heavy, and I relish in every second his breath fans across my face, heating me from the outside in until I’m on fire.

And then, he pulls away and drops to his knees.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hiss, eyes wide as I stare down at him, white blonde hair flopped over his forehead and hanging in front of his eyes. Abel stares up at me, peaking through the strands, gray eyes brighter than ever.

“Please,” he begs so fucking prettily, and how can I ever fucking resist him? “Please let me.” He reaches for my sweatpants and hooks his cool fingers in the waistband, eyes intent on me as he waits for permission like a good boy for once in his life.

“Fuck. Fuck, ” I hiss. “Yes. Just don’t take too—Oh, Jesus Christ. ” My back bows as Abel delves in and sucks me into the back of his throat.

My hands reach for his head to keep myself steady, and I’m held rapt as Abel bobs furiously over my length, sucking and soaking me in his spit until it drips onto the floor below us.

“This is so dirty,” I grunt, my eyes rolling back as Abel reaches between my legs and rolls my balls in his palm.

And then, his fingers trail behind softly until they reach my taint.

I tense until he starts massaging the stretch of skin, throat stretching wide around the head of my cock, and then, a deep groan escapes my throat as I slip just that tiny bit deeper, and it’s the combination of pressures that sets me off.

White sparks behind my closed lids, and I shoot my load straight down my puppy’s throat.

He swallows around me easily, prolonging my orgasm and causing my legs to shake.

“Oh, f-fuck,” I stutter, carding my fingers through his hair, enjoying the silky sensation and the light cherry scent that wafts up every time I play with his hair.

“I love that you smell like candy,” I mumble, slumping back against the sink when Abel finally pulls off my dick with a resounding slurp. I shudder as he pulls my pants back up over my ass with a quick pinch to the muscle.

“I smell like candy?” he asks with a slight chuckle as he stands on his own shaky legs.

“Yeah,” I murmur, eyes half-lidded. “Want me to take care of that for you?” I ask, gesturing toward his hard cock. He glances down at his crotch and shrugs.

“Nah.”

I smirk and shake my head. “You’re such a little masochist.”

“And you fucking love it.” He blows me a kiss, and I freeze at his choice of words—not that he notices as he bends down to pick up the envelope.

Lovelovelove.

Fuck.

“Open it.” I tell him.

“What?” he balks.

“Just fucking open it and tell me.”

“All right, don’t get your panties in a twist.” I huff but turn my back to him as he tears it open without preamble.

The silence screams as Abel flips through the pages, reading quietly and taking his sweet ass fucking time.

“Well, Baxter,” he drawls, and my breath hitches, heart sinking into my ass. “It’s been nice knowing ya.”