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“With Julien?”
Her shoulders lifted slightly. “Yes, I think so. I recognized him at the party, but we never spoke during class. I didn’t even know his name.” She started to come closer but stopped herself. “Do you need help? I know it’s a really difficult course. I had to study all night sometimes, but I got anA, so if you have questions...”
If I wanted to, I could tell her to write the paper for me, and she would. We were both well aware of the power dynamic here. I had it all, and she did as she was told. It fucking infuriated me that she would bow even lower, asking me if I needed help without me first demanding it. I’d thought Zadie had bigger balls than that, even under her soft and meek exterior. Yes, I took pleasure in her giving in to me, but this? No. Her offering kindness when it wasn’t deserved was weakness personified.
A vise tightened around my aching head. My angry heart thrashed wildly in the cage of my chest. Agitation drove me to need to dosomething.
“Why would I want that from you?” Clicking my laptop shut, I picked it up and crossed the kitchen to peer into the pots on the stove. Water was close to boiling. Meticulously chopped veggies were waiting to be sautéed. Spices lined the counter, carefully measured out. It looked good, great even, but fuck it. “Look up the number for Savage Pizza. Order two larges—one mushroom and onions, one pepperoni.”
“But—” Her lips parted. “Should I put this away for tomorrow or—?”
I kicked open the stainless steel trash can we kept tucked under the end of the counter, picked up the chopping block, and dumped all the vegetables into it. Zadie’s whimper barely registered. Once I’d started, I was on a mission. With one violent sweep of my arm, the spices landed in the sink and scattered on the countertop. Boiling water went down the drain. Satisfaction filled my chest to see it all gone, out of my sight, done for good.
Zadie clutched her hands under her chin, watching my actions with horror written all over her pretty face.
Slamming the trash can shut, I peered at her from beneath tightly furrowed brows. “We’re not friends, Zadie. You don’t come to my house, flirt with my friend, and act like we have something in common just because I’m taking the same class you took—along with the rest of the business school. If I need help, I’ll ask Julien. Not you. Never you. You get what I’m saying, girl?”
Her apple cheeks were flushed red. Her teeth dug so hard into her lip, I would have been surprised if there wasn’t blood when she let go. Little Zadie wasn’t happy with me. Now, we were even. I hadn’t been happy with her since the night we met, and the pit of disdain between us was only growing deeper by the day.
“Okay,” she rasped. “I get it, Amir. Should I…should I make dinner for you tomorrow night? Is there something you would prefer more?”
“What did I tell you yesterday?”
She closed her eyes for a long moment, exhaling a shaky breath. “You told me to come here every day unless you said not to.”
“That still stands. I don’t want you in my house anymore tonight. Let’s both hope you do better tomorrow so I don’t have to waste a shit ton of food again.” I snapped my fingers. “Call in the order and leave.”
Zadie flinched like I’d struck her, and for a second, I regretted being harsh on her, but only for a second. She had a place here, and it wasn’t going to be a comfortable one. I’d been nice to her once. That had been a mistake, but I hadn’t recognized it until her dainty claws had already sunk beneath my skin four months ago.
Her lips were sweet. Pure and shy, following my lead. When I moved, she chased, nipping at me for more.
“I like that.” My thumb pressed into her puffy bottom lip. “Your mouth is really sexy, like it was made for a cock, but I don’t think you’ve ever taken one here, have you?”
“No,” she breathed.
“Yeah,” I drawled. “I knew that.”
“Was I that bad at kissing?”
I chuckled at her question. “No, little mama. Nothing that sweet could be bad. You let me taste how thirsty you are. How many guys have had their mouths on you?”
“I’m thirsty?” She snorted. “You kissed me!”
I grunted. “You were sniffing after my mouth like a hound dog. Answer the question.”
She crinkled her nose, and fuck me, it was adorable in a way that made me want to tear her little skirt to tatters and suck and lick her pussy to see if I could get her to do it again.
“Two. They were both high school boyfriends.” Her demeanor changed in an instant, telling me she didn’t have warm feelings about one or both of those guys.
“Which one fucked you over?”
Her body went stiff, and for a second, I was gratified at being right, but only for a second. Then I needed to know what had been done to her to cause that reaction. She tried to turn her head, but I held her steady. “Tell me, Zadie.”
She sighed. “The second one. Drew. When I broke up with him after a few weeks, he didn’t accept it. He got...intense.”
“What’s that mean?”
In an absent move, she dragged her fingers down my chest to rest on my belly. “He was in college but kept showing up at my school. And then it escalated. It got scary.”
