Page 70 of Puck My Life

I feel sick thinking about it, but I don’t have much time left.

“Where did you meet him? How did you meet him? Do you know what he’s like or who he is?”

I shrug. “He’s one of Marilyn’s friends.”

“So, you don’t know him?” Deacon sounds like he’s found an ah-ha fact to grill me about.

“That’s what dating is, Deacon,” I grind out in pure frustration.

“How old is he? He looks old!” Mal snaps and stalks past us. He doesn’t go far before he’s turning around, facing me again.

“He’s in his thirties, positively ancient.” I throw my hands in the air. “Why do you even care? You’ve had girlfriends. You went with Indy, even after you said you’d broken up with her.”

Is that my bitter voice?

“We had broken up with her, but Marilyn ordered it,” Deacon hisses.

“I thought I was kissing you,” Mal says in a haunted voice. “I drank too much, and I thought Iwas with you.”

“You weren’t.” The same sick betrayal rises again, but Mal’s devastated expression has the edge of my anger fading. I know him; if he says he thought it was me, then he did.

I slide past them both and find myself standing chest to chest with Raynor and that damn knowing gleam in his eyes. I dare you to do something about it, I silently shout at him.

He opens his mouth-

“Indy is a PR stunt, and she looks good with us. It’s just publicity.”

The wave of rage I feel is not able to be safely expressed. “I see,” I say, forgetting about Raynor, “so you care about how you look-”

“No!” Deacon shouts. “I care about how you look, desperately clawing at that guy. He was way out of your league. You looked like you were trying to be some omega chasing an alpha. Desperate and pathetic.”

I recoil.

“Deacon!” Raynor barks.

“I think I’m going to leave.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Deacon fumes.

“Are you going to keep me here against my will?” I shout in disbelief?

The air is charged, the four of us teetering on the edge of something.

“Yes, I damn well am. It’s not safe for you to go home right now. You can sleep in your old room.”

I glare at him.

“And what the hell is that smell?” he shouts.

I blink at the space where he was, listening as he storms into his bedroom and slams the door closed loudly enough to rattle the entire house.

Mal sighs and stalks out as well, leaving me alone with Raynor.

“Well, you’ve sure upset everyone tonight.”

I turn towards him, and the smile on his face falls. He rushes forward and pulls me into his arms.

“Vae, ignore them; we’re idiots. Jealous, possessive idiots. He’s only upset because you looked so beautiful, and he’s never had to see you like that before.”