Page 69 of Twisted Violet

Her brow furrows and her lips part like she wants to say something, but no words come out.

She fidgets with the hem of her shirt, eyes bouncing between us like she’s not sure which direction is safer to look at.

“Are you sure?” She says, exasperated. “I don’t want to mess this up.”

“Mess what up?” Rome asks, wandering out of his room. He looks half awake, and his dark hair is sticking up all over the place, like he fought with his pillow last night and lost.

Violet’s eyes go wide, and she visibly swallows. “Nothing. I… uh-” She scrambles for her coffee mug and lifts it in the air. “I’m just gonna go drink this in my room.”

She disappears down the hall without another word and slides her door shut.

Rome arches a brow. “Was it something I said?”

I take another slow sip of my coffee, hiding my smirk.

“What?” He asks, looking between me and Niko. “What did I miss?”

I lift my arms in a lazy stretch and yawn.

“V’s freaking out because we’re all secretly in love with her and are probably going to go full alpha asshole mode on each other if she doesn’t choose one of us.”

Rome’s eyes flare. “That’s not… I would never ask her to-”

“Relax, big boy.” I say, patting him on the shoulder with asmile. “We told her she didn’t have to choose. Now, sit down and grab some breakfast.”

Rome breathes a sigh of relief.

Niko’s mouth twitches like he’s fighting a smile.

And I take another sip of my coffee and daydream about the girl that fell asleep wrapped in my arms last night.

TWENTY-FOUR

ROME

The burnof the whiskey hits first.

Sharp, clean, and just shy of punishing as it slides down my throat.

It settles low, warm in my gut.

It’s late, well past midnight, and everyone else has already sequestered themselves in their rooms.

Not me, though.

I’m out on the balcony, drink in hand, staring out at the glittering skyline like it might have the answer to fix the mess that’s become my life.

I let Violet kiss me.

And worse, I kissed her back.

I told myself not to cross that line. Told myself it was too dangerous. Too messy. Especially now, while she’s under our roof, trusting us to keep her safe.

But when she leaned in and I felt the soft press of her lips against mine, every rule I swore I’d follow fucking incinerated.

I hate that I let it happen; I hate that I wanted it, and I hate that, even now, I still want more.

I run my fingers through my hair and tug on the strands,hard, like the pain will distract me from my thoughts.