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“Riley, don’t react, we know what he’s doing,” Liss cautioned.
My breath came in sharp, angry pants, teeth crunching against each other. I inhaled through flared nostrils, trying to calm myself. But I’d taken four strides before I knew what I was doing, stopping in front of the boy who seemed determined to prove something to himself—or me, or both of us—and the girl whose trashy ass spilled out of his lap. The furious beat of my heart must have been clear for everyone in a ten-foot radius to hear.
“I need a word.”
“No,” he clipped, without looking up.
“Now.”
With infuriatingly slow and deliberate movements, he tipped his chin. Hard, obstinate eyes met mine. “As you can see, I’m busy.”
I could almost smell the satisfaction seeping from Raya's pores like a foul odor. Gaze fixed sharply on Reno, I cocked my head. “Yeah, looks it.”
I allowed my eyes to trail to Raya, who was struggling to contain her glee, her brown eyes sparkling with delight.
“Had some work done on your lips, Raya?” I asked, injecting a dose of civility into my tone that had her eyes narrowing in suspicion for a second, before her features swiftly settled back into the sneer she reserved, just for me. “Channelling Kylie Jenner, these days, huh?”
I heard Liss’ scoff of disagreement. Raya eyed me without speaking, considering the words that sounded like a compliment to her ears, but knowing not to trust them. She shouldn’t.
“They look like they’d be perfect for kissing,” I mused, tapping a finger against my chin as my head slid back toward Reno, trapping him in my stare. “I know how much you two love putting on a show. How about giving the lady a kiss, Ren?”
I stood in front of him, arms crossed over my chest, defiance stamped all over my face. My eyes dared him to do it. But the show of bravado was just that—a show.
Blind panic rushed me, climbing up my throat and gripping my chest with bony hands. I didn’t know what I’d do if he called my bluff. And I had no guarantee he wouldn’t… except for his reaction when I'd asked him if he’d kissed another girl at that party in Richmond. He’d more than denied it, as if the idea offended him. To this day, he’d still kissed no one but me. I may well be acting like a damn crazy person, and every one of my trembling limbs suggested that was the case, but that knowledge was enough to convince me to stand my ground. He wanted to prove a point. Well, I had something to prove, too. To myself, but more importantly, to him.
Reno’s face turned to stone in front of my eyes, his skin blanching beneath his natural tan. The sight bolstered my confidence. He wouldn’t do it. I felt some of the tension drain from me; my sho
ulders relaxed, and my breaths eased.
Perched on Reno’s thigh, Raya swivelled to look at his face. Her expression faltered when she found his attention fixed firmly on me. She frowned, uncertain, her ire-filled gaze flitting between me and Reno. Forcing a high-pitched laugh, she twisted until her back pressed to his chest and snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Bitch, we’re not here for your entertainment. Move on.”
I slid my gaze to hers and flashed her a smirk. Yeah, she knew he wasn’t putting his lips on hers. And she knew I knew it. The hand clutching Reno’s knee tightened. Blind fury flashed in her eyes, almost palpable.
“Oh, really? I’ve seen you suck a dick under this very table for everyone’s entertainment, but kissing you have a problem with?” Slanting a brow up, I levelled her with a look of skepticism. “I guess some lips are only good for wrapping around a piece of meat, huh?”
Her jaw clenched, cheekbones flushing with spots of pink as she shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting surreptitiously around the table.
“Not sure if you remember it, but Reno and I locked lips right. Over. There.” I motioned to the center of the room, the exact spot we were standing when Reno told me he loved me. I didn’t miss the pulsing in Reno’s jaw, or the muscles in his forearm pulling taut as he clenched and unclenched his hand into a tight ball by his side. When I turned back, those full lips of his had settled into a grim line, and his stare burned through me. “What’s the problem, Ren? Don’t tell me you’ve gone all shy on us?”
Brown eyes spitting fire, he jerked up from his seat, tipping Raya out of his lap so abruptly she dropped to a knee on the ground before quickly righting herself. He didn’t spare her a glance as he clamped a hand around my wrist and carted me from the room.
My back collided with the solid surface of the nearest wall the instant we'd cleared the cafeteria doors. Fury colored his gaze black.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he grated, hot breath fanning my lips as he leaned in.
Fluttering my lashes up at him, I widened my eyes. “What? You didn’t want to kiss her?”
His chin lifted, the muscle in his jaw ticking furiously. “Don’t fuck with me, Riley.”
“Want me to fuck you instead?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
Some of his anger dissipated, swiftly replaced by another kind of heat. His attention dropped to my lips. I swept the tip of my tongue over them, watching as the rhythm of his breathing changed.
His voice low and throaty, he said, “Don’t start a game you won’t win, Ri.”
I shrugged, not letting him look away. “Ready to say it yet?”
He caught the challenge in my tone. His body stiffened at my words. Pushing him could go one way or the other, but at this point, I’d take either of those options over his blatant indifference, or avoidance, or watching him get goddamn lap dances from Queen Bee-yatch.
