Page 88 of The Deception You Weave

"So Dunn's pissed because you spent the night in my bed again," he announces a little too loudly for my liking.

"This has nothing to do with you," I mutter. My eyes pleading with him to keep his voice down.

"Oh, Princess. When your fine ass spends the night in my bed, it means it's everything to do with me."

"I didn't even fuck you," I blurt, right as Leon appears at my side to see what's going on.

My cheeks burn as Kane considers my comment.

"In my bed, no. I'll give you that." He leans in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "But I know for a fact that you've still got scratches on your back from the tree."

I can't stop the needy whimper that erupts from my lips at the memories his words drag up.

"Let it go. We're done."

He chuckles as Leon's fingers twist with mine and he pulls me away.

"Sure thing, Princess. You keep believing that."

I can't help myself and I flip him off over my shoulder as we leave the room.

* * *

Ella finds us still in the coffee shop after her morning class, making us a table of three like we're used to, but Luca's absence is obvious. I have no idea where he disappeared to and when I asked Leon if he thought we should go and find him, he shot me down, so I keep my mouth shut about him from then on out. I know Leon is worried as well and keeping on about it isn't going to help anyone.

Thankfully, without the distraction of either Luca or Kane in my afternoon psych class with Ella, I actually manage to focus and get some decent notes down which will help with the paper I've got to write.

"Any plans for tonight?" Ella asks as we make our way toward our dorm building.

"Yeah, actually. I'm heading home to see my dad."

The image of him beaten and bloody in the chair next to me on Sunday turns my blood cold.

Kane has assured me that he's fine, but until I see that with my own eyes, I'm not going to be able to get that final image of him with blood dripping from his wrists and Victor with a pair of pliers out of my mind.

"You?" I ask.

"Oh you know, hot date with an economics paper. I think he might be the one," she jokes.

"Wild."

"I know, right. I thought college was meant to be all about parties and doing crazy shit."

We laugh together as we make our way up to our dorm before she disappears into her room, wishing me a nice night with my dad.

I smile sweetly at her, but I have a feeling that tonight is going to be anything but nice.

Now I know the truth, I want to know everything. And I'm not intending on leaving that trailer until he's told me everything I need to know.

I drop my books to my desk and I run a brush through my hair and spritz myself with some perfume before heading back out.

My stomach twists with nerves during the entire journey to the Creek. All the questions I have for my dad spin around my mind like a whirlwind and by the time I get there, the number of things I need to know has only doubled.

The lights are off in the trailer when I pull up and it's the first time I consider the possibility that he might not be home.

He's always home, hence why I just assumed he wasn't actually working anymore.

The curtains twitch as I pull up beside his beat-up old car and I cut the engine, my hand trembling as I reach for the off button.