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I’ve been avoiding him since we had dinner with his friends. Seeing him hasn’t been an issue, since I’m pretty sure he’s been avoiding me too. That was several days ago now, so I’m not sure who I’ll be getting today, Jekyll or Hyde.

“What the fuck is on your face?” he asks, skipping any formal greeting.

“Makeup,” I offer dryly.

“Go take it off.”

Goodie. Hyde it is. “Mmm.” I tap my finger over my chin, pretending to consider it. “Nah.”

“Vix,” Rhenn says in that way that always sounds like a warning. For some reason, his use of the nickname causes my stomach to sink. For once, I wish he’d use my real name when he spoke to me. I don’t understand why he refuses to. It’s not like anyone else gets this standoff treatment from him, and I have no idea what I ever did to deserve it.

“Parasite,” I bite back, stepping past him to the hallway. He watches me, expecting me to turn left into the bathroom to clean my face like he ordered. I smile sweetly, lifting my middle finger and dipping my knee in a curtsy before skipping merrily to the kitchen for a snack instead.

The merriment comes to a screeching halt when I find myself face to face with his devious, overly polite friend—who may or may not actually be so bad.

“Twice in one night. Some people call that destiny,” Ashen croons, a smile hooking his lips as I accidentally invade his space for the second time.

Good lord, they’re everywhere. I pull away. “Yeah, well, I call it stalking.”

“On whose part? Because from where I stand, you’re the one finding me.”

“Unfortunate coincidence.” I shrug.

“Perhaps.” He pops a chip into his mouth. “If you believe in that sort of thing.”

I make my way around the center island, taking a handful for myself. “Why is your friend always such a tumble-dick?”

Ashen arches his brow. “Tumble-dick?”

“Yeah, what’s his deal?”

“If you’re referring to Rhenn, you’re going to need to be more specific. He has a few things going on at the moment. Which are you needing clarification for?”

“Let’s start with his need to degrade me.”

Ashen scrunches his lips to the side, taking in a breath. “That’s probably the most complicated one.”

“Why?” I ask, beyond ready to get to the bottom of this.

“Because I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you guys close? Does he not tell you things?”

“Close, yes. And he tells me plenty. You, however, are a mystery.”

Folding my arms across my chest, I lean my hip against the counter, then open my mouth to respond.

Two guys stumble into the kitchen before I’m able to get a word out, roughhousing like overgrown children. The problem is they’re drunk, and when one of them throws a drink, the man it was intended to hit ducks, and a mess of cold liquid douses my face and the front of my hair. Ashen steps in, shoving the guy’s arm and muttering a sharp, “Watch it.”

I turn stiffly, rushing toward the bathroom so I can clean up. I barely make it through the walkway when a hand grabs my arm and ushers me through the living room and onto the back deck. The asshole even drags me down the steps, pushing me toward the pool.

“What the hell are you doing?” I yell, stumbling to catch my balance when Rhenn finally lets go.

“Wash that shit off your face, and when you’re done, wash the rest of you.”

I roll my eyes, propping my weight to one side. “No.”

The line of his jaw hardens. “I wasn’t asking.”