Page 88 of Make You Beg

I stare at the screen behind me and click on the remote, willing it to skip forward to the next slide of the presentation. Then, face the audience and smile.

“As you can see here⁠—”

A gasp makes me stop.

More gasps.

The whole front row is wide-eyed.

“What the fuck?” someone shouts.

The professor clears his throat. “Miss De Luna!”

He runs to me, grabbing the remote before I turn and understand what’s happening.

“Stop that right now.”

There’s a video playing on the screen with no sound.

A black and white clip from what looks like a surveillance camera.

My airways are failing me as I try to breathe, but I can’t. Holding my chest, I stare at the screen and will the image to disappear. I’m choking.

I’m going to faint.

No. Worse. I’m going to die.

Because the image on the screen is me—and Kayden. Us, in our home library.

I’m on my knees, doing something I shouldn’t have.

And now, everyone else in the room can see that too.

23

MADDY

I press my hand against my chest and hold my heart in place, positive it’s about to burst out.

It’s thumping so hard.

I’m not sure if I’m having a heart attack, but it sure feels like what I imagine one would be.

I storm out so fast that I don’t even bother with the fact that Kayden follows me.

Once outside, I lean against the wall by the entrance of the classroom, pressing my hands to my face and willing myself not to burst into tears. I’m strong. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Maddy.” Kayden’s voice is cautious. He’s being careful with me, and I don’t even know why the fuck he cares after what we witnessed inside. “I swear I didn’t⁠—”

“Don’t.” Tears well in my eyes. “No matter what I do or what I tell you, you never listen, Kayden. It’s all a game for you. You won’t stop until you ruin me, will you? I told you we were done. I thought we were done. I’m a human being, you know? I have feelings, too.”

“I know that.” Kayden’s blue eyes squint, his jaw tense. He towers over me; his palm planted over my head.

“Then how could you?”

Relax. Breathe. It’ll be fine. It’s nothing. They don’t know it’s you.

The video didn’t play for long, and the image wasn’t clear enough to make it obvious it was me.