Page 79 of Revere

When he pulls out and steps back, he pauses, looking down at me. My chest heaves, and I’m out of breath. A mess of spit and mascara and cum, lying on my professor’s desk. But I don’t care. Not as he tucks himself away or as he helps me sit.

Not as he drops into the chair and pulls me onto his lap, completely naked.

What I look like is irrelevant.

I curl into his arms, and I submit.

27

YOU HELD IT TOGETHER

PATIENCE

“You were right,those are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had.” A moan follows my comment, and Jacob’s eyes heat.

“Someday you’ll learn not to question me.” He wraps his arm tighter around my shoulders.

Sometimes he doesn’t seem real. But then he drops his chin to kiss me on the top of my head, and I know I’m not imagining things.

After our escapades in class yesterday, I came back to the apartment long enough to have a video call with Mila, Teal, and Violet. Then I conveniently found any excuse to leave so I could meet up with Jacob again.

We spent all night fucking on every surface of his apartment until I could barely walk. It’s like he’s made it his mission to see how many ways he can make my body hum for him before the end of the summer.

When we woke up this morning, he promised me breakfast and the best doughnuts in the city. I swore there was no way he could beat the bakery back in Bristal, but he proved me wrong.

The elevator dings at our floor, and Jacob waits for me to step out first like a gentleman. His arm brushes mine as he sticksclose, and I love that he can’t seem to keep his distance from me because I can’t stay away from him either.

When we reach his apartment door, the one across the hall swings open, and Violet rushes out. Her eyes immediately ping-pong between us.

“Patience, there you are.” She bites her lower lip. “I thought I heard you outside the door. You haven’t been answering your phone.”

“Crap. I think it’s still on silent.” I start to fumble with my purse when I spot Violet staring at Jacob and realize this looks bad. “We ran into each other getting doughnuts.”

He nods at Violet. “Good morning.”

“Good morning?” It’s more of a question than a response as she forces a smile.

On any other day, I might panic that Violet is going to read into Jacob and me spending time together outside of class, but I can’t think about that when a slew of missed calls and texts light up my phone.

Alex. Violet. Teal. They all reached out at some point during the night.

“Mila was stabbed?” I read the first text again, trying to process what I’m seeing. “Who—what—oh my god.”

I continue to read through all the messages to see that there was an altercation at Sigma House between my father and Alex. It ended with Dad stabbing Mila, and her being rushed to the hospital.

“Alex texted Kole and let him know that she’s going to be okay. But you should come in so we can talk.” Violet tries to reach for me, but I pull back.

“My father stabbed her?”

She winces, nodding in confirmation.

My father has a never-ending list of sins etched in his soul. He’s killed more people than I’ll ever know about. But stabbingAlex’s girlfriend just because he doesn’t approve is something I can’t process. I always knew my parents were controlling to a fault, but to see the extent of that cracks any last semblance of family I thought we might have.

“It sounds like Mila confronted your father about something,” Violet explains. “Come inside. Kole might know more.”

Jacob steps closer, taking my phone from my hand. He places his other hand on my lower back, and it’s the only thing that calms me as I process everything that’s happening.

“Breathe, Patience.” He rubs a circle on my spine. “Let’s go inside and see what’s going on.”