Page 124 of Toxic Kiss

She glares at me from the corner of her eye.

Done, I lean in close to Haven’s ear.

“Next time, just fucking say you’re mine,” I whisper, and then let her go.

She jumps up, wheels, and takes a swing, but I block her hand. Her face is pure and intoxicating rage as she scowls at me. I love it, and I can’t help but smile.

“Fuck you, Cy.”

Haven bolts from the kitchen, holding the fabric of the shirt to her chest just as Eren walks in.

“Whoa…what the?”

He watches her go, then slowly turns to look at me, one brow lifting as he takes in the scene, my current state, and the tension still thick in the air.

“Dude,” he says, a smirk pulling at his mouth. “You do know it’s not a good sign when they run from you after, right?”

“Fuck off.” The words come out automatically, but there’s no real bite behind them.

Eren huffs out a quiet laugh but doesn’t push it. He just shakes his head, grabs a water from the fridge, and then steps back out, leaving me alone again.

She looked at me as if I’ve just validated every reason she has ever had to hate me. My chest tightens.

Fuck.

I stand there breathing hard, trying to catch up to what the hell just happened, what I just did, and what she let me do.

I don’t move right away because all I can see is the look in her eyes before she ran. And the worst part?

Even with that image forever burned into my head…and knowing I just crossed a line I can’t uncross. I’d do it again.

Every.

Single.

Fucking.

Time.

chapter

thirty-two

“You are not weak for breaking. You are human for surviving it.” – Haven

HAVEN

I lock the door to the bedroom and run straight into the bathroom. My heart is a rabbit trapped in my chest, trying to escape. Standing there in the dark, I want to hide. I want to crawl into a hole and never leave it again.

“I just had sex with Cyrus.”

The words tumble from my lips in a whisper. Maybe if I say them softly, it won’t be real. But they are real. God, they’re so real.

Sucking in a steadying breath, I flick on the light and close my eyes against the harsh glare as I zombie-shuffle to the sink. The bright white light doesn’t just illuminate…it exposes. Every mistake I’ve made, every crack in my soul, and every part of me that I’ve pretended is no longer affected by Cyrus Vale.

I brace my hands on the vanity and stare at my reflection. She’s a stranger I don’t recognize. My lips are swollen. My hair is a disaster. My skin is still flushed. My eyes are a little too wide, like I haven’t come down from whatever the hell just happened in that kitchen.

My gaze slowly focuses on the large, bold letters written in black ink on my cheek.