Page 69 of Velvet Corruption

Natalia, however, lit up like she’d just won the goddamn lottery.

“Oh, this just gets better,” she crowed, stepping fully back into the room. “Kieran Callahan? You know there are easier ways to ruin your life?”

Alek's reaction was the exact opposite. “You what?” His voice was sharp, clipped, his jaw going tight.

I lifted my bandaged hand, waving it for emphasis. “I couldn’t drive. I crashed on his couch. That’s it.”

Natalia wasn’t buying it, but it wasn’t like I could tell them the fucking truth—that he was stalking me, that I kind of liked it, that I’d spent a good ten minutes with his tongue in my mouth last night.

She moved closer, tilting her head like she was inspecting me for clues. “Mmm. That’s a boring answer. Try again.”

I glared. “No.”

She pouted theatrically. “Pity. Would’ve been a hell of a story.”

"This isn't funny, Nat," Alek snapped. The sharpness of his voice killed the amusement instantly.

Natalia put up her hands, unbothered. “Fine, fine. No need to get territorial, big brother. You’re acting like she slept with him or something. And she’s right, it wouldn’t be any of your fucking business.”

Alek didn’t blink.

Natalia’s smirk dropped. "Oh my God. You think she slept with him?"

I groaned, dragging my hand down my face. I hadn’t slept with him, but hadn’t I wanted to? Wasn’t that enough? Could this woman read my fucking mind? Okay, I was too tired for this. I could deal with all of their anger later.

"I didn’t," I said, exasperated.

Natalia squinted at me. "But you wanted to."

Jesus. "Goodbye, Nat."

“Alright. You two have fun being dramatic,” she said. She took the hint this time, retreating toward the stairs, but not before shooting Alek a look that saidhave fun with that mess.

Alek leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "You should’vecalledme, Ruby."

There was no anger this time. Only guilt. That was worse.

I exhaled. “I tried. I texted you!”

His expression didn’t change. "You did not try hard enough."

Something in my chest tightened. The exhaustion was catching up to me, making my edges sharper, making my words come out too raw. "I was bleeding, Alek. I didn’t have a lot of fucking options."

He flinched. That small movement gutted me.

I hadn’t meant to say that. Hadn’t meant to throw it at him like a weapon. But now it was out in the open, between us, thick as blood.

“I’m sorry. I’m tired. I didn’t mean to be cruel, but I’m not wrong.”

“You weren’t being cruel. You were just stating facts,” he said. “Facts can be cruel.”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself. "Look. It’s done. I’m fine. Let me have a shower, and then…I don’t know, we can wait for it to get light and go get Rosie?”

Alek studied me for a long moment. Then, finally, he nodded.

“Ruby?” he said as he got to his feet.

“What?” I asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “Do you want one of these?”