Page 65 of Sweet Venom

Two weeks ago.

But even though I don’t see him, I feel his presence in the apartment sometimes. Oh, and he leaves a few bottles of ginger ale in the fridge every night. At first, I thought it was Dahlia, until she mentioned we have so many now. And now, I can’t even have my favorite drink without thinking of his hot tongue all over me.

So it’s not that he’s finally left me alone—he just doesn’t bother to show me his face anymore.

He still wants me to text him the stupid highlights after every Vipers replay I watch, though, or he threatens Mario and Dahlia.

As a result, I’ve been somehow forced into learning the game and can understand the decades-long rivalry between the Vipers and the Wolves.

I’d still cheer for the Wolves. At the end of the day, the Wolves players were born and bred in Stantonville, and they’re like me—they came from nothing and worked hard to play something they love without trust funds buying their coaches and sophisticated training camps.

I don’t think Jude liked those thoughts when I texted them.

Which is why I texted them in the first place.

He’s obviously super popular and a fan favorite, which gives him too big of an ego for my liking, and someone needs to deflate his god complex. I just volunteered for the task.

And yes, maybe I do have more audacity when I’m texting. It’s not like he can intimidate me through the phone.

“You should care,” Mario says in a slightly softened tone. “You already know how violent he can get.”

I lift a shoulder. “If he wants to kill me, he should do it already.”

“The more you want that, the more he won’t comply.”

“I know that.”

“Apparently not, because you’re provoking a reaction with this date, Violet. Whether or not it’s on purpose.”

I stop and face him. “So I should…what? Stop living? Wait for his majesty to issue the death sentence? I just want to have something outside of school and work and constant overthinking and anxiety about what type of unpredictable action he’ll take next. Is that wrong?”

“No. But I’m not sure if you’re doing this for the right reasons.”

“I shouldn’t want a boyfriend?” I scoff. “Would you tell him the same?”

Mario frowns. “Jude’s never had a girlfriend.”

“Is that a joke?”

“I don’t joke. He doesn’t even have sex that often either. Don’t believe the rumors you read online.”

I can feel heat creeping up my neck because he’s referring to that one time he caught me reading some social media posts about the Vipers.

And yes, there were girls gloating about sleeping with the Vipers’ players, including Jude, which for some reason made my day worse.

“I don’t care what he does with his private life,” I whisper.

“Again, you should now that you’re part of it.”

“I’m not. I just want him to leave me alone.”

“I’m telling you this as someone who’s known him since he was born. He’s not the type to be forced into doing anything by anyone. There’s nothing you can do that will make him give up. That will only happen once he loses interest.”

“You’ve…known him since he was born?”

“Yes. My mother is the Callahan family’s chief of staff.”

Oh.