AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, I’m good. Just some business that needs sorting. What’s up with you though, man? We ain’t had a chance to catch up lately. Is everything cool?”
“Aside from one of the female students having a bit of an unhealthy obsession with me, I’m good.” Xeno side-eyes me again, and I see something close to amusement flash across his face.
“Is that so?” D-Neath laughs.
“Yep,tinylittle thing. She pops up every now and then like some creepy fucking stalker.”
D-Neath laughs, and I scowl. I’m not his damn stalker, the big-headed, egotistical bastard.
“She hot?”
“She’s not really my type. Though I’ve heard on the grapevine she’s pretty free with her lovin’, if you know what I mean.”
My jaw grits and I swear to fuck the grinding of my teeth is loud enough to give me away.
“You know the students here are all perfectly legal… Maybe you should try out the goods before you pass her up.” D-Neath laughs and Xeno smiles.
“Nah, I’m not into second-hand goods.”
Second-hand goods?! The fucking prick. I clench my fist, glaring daggers at Xeno. His lip quivers with amusement. If I didn’t have to keep myself hidden, I’d be slapping the smile off his stupid fucking face.
“Fair enough. Well, I’d better get back to rehearsals, otherwise my woman will chop my bollocks off. I’m already in her bad books.”
“Yeah? Maybe I can help with that. That thing we discussed the other day, you got a minute to go over the details?”
D-Neath pauses for a moment. “You know what, now might be the perfect time. Might give the Missus time to calm the fuck down.”
“That bad?”
D-Neath scoffs, and it makes my blood boil at the dismissive sound. “She’s pissed that I gave Dax the go ahead to change dance partners. I don’t see what the big fucking deal is anyway. Pretty sure the leggy ballet dancer is a way better match than that short, snappy bitch.”
Short, snappy bitch?What an arsehole.
“Pen,” Xeno grunts.
“What?”
“Her name’sPen.” He’s glaring at D-Neath now, and his reaction throws me because just a minute ago he was talking smack about me too. I stare at him, trying to figure out what’s going on in his head, but he keeps his gaze fixed firmly on D-Neath.
“Yeah, that’s the one. She caught your eye or something?” D-Neath asks, chuckling.
He steps towards Xeno, and my heart nearly fucking bursts out of my chest as I press my back up against the locker. If D-Neath realises I’ve been standing here listening to his conversation, I’m in big fucking trouble.
“Come on, let’s talk shop. You know me, haven’t got time for that shit.” Xeno grins, dropping the angry glare and wrapping his arm around D-Neath’s shoulder. He steers him into the room he just stepped out of. I breathe out a sigh of relief, and as the door closes Xeno’s green eyes meet mine.
“Go,” he mouths, flicking his gaze along the corridor.
I nod my head, not needing to be told twice. It’s only when I reach the studio that I realise, despite his bullshit digs, Xeno just covered for me when he could just as easily have thrown me under the bus. The question is why?
* * *
“So,Pen, you’re gonna need to spill. I’m so done waiting to hear all the juicy details,” Clancy side-eyes me during lunch at the local park the following day. I’m eating a cheese and tomato sandwich brought from home whilst she’s digging into a Greek Salad courtesy of the local deli. “Those boys were about to burst a blood vessel yesterday. Who was that dude you were with?”
I place my half-eaten sandwich on my lap and gulp back a mouthful of water. “That was Beast.”
“Beast? As in Beauty and the Beast?”
“As in,I’m going to fuck you up in a cage, Beast. He’s a fighter at Tales, an underground fight club owned by a woman named Grim who happens to be Beast’s girlfriend.”
