AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Trey
You’re telling me. I’ve been sitting here listening to him rant off every bad thing that probably happened to you. He was so paranoid it made me paranoid. You’ve really gotten under his skin.
My stomach flutters as I read Trey’s reply, and a small smile curves my lips.
And what about you? Have I gotten under your skin, too?
The dots appear and disappear a few times before Trey’s response lights up my screen.
Trey
Baby, you’ve had me since the night of our first house party. I couldn’t stay away even if I wanted to.
My stomach does a full flip, an unexpected ache blooming in my chest. The three of us are very different, but we’re all damaged goods—victims of selfish parents and shitty circumstances—maybe that’s why we work. Most people want to fix them, to fix me, but maybe we don’t need to be fixed. Maybe we just need to be loved as we are.
As usual, I feel better after talking with Trey. He’s not here with me, but even his simple texts somehow soothe my mood, like my own personal light in the darkness.
So are you guys actually coming back?
I wait for his reply, but when he doesn’t answer, I get up and trudge back to my dorm room, my heart heavy. When I enter my room, I realize I’m not alone.
I cry out in surprise as I’m tugged into the darkened space. The door slams closed and someone spins me around, pinning me against it roughly. A hand slams into the wall beside my head.
My backpack falls from my limp fingers as I stare up into Lincoln’s face, his gray eyes darker than usual, like gunmetal. They churn with rage, hurt, and a heavy dose of lust. He’s panting hard, his breath coasting over my skin, the heady scent of mint and vodka permeating my senses.
“Are you drunk?” I ask. “Tell me you didn’t drive.”
“Actually, I drove,” Trey says, and I look over Link’s shoulder to find him lounging in my desk chair, spinning around like a little kid. Then Trey stops, turns on my desk light, and steeples his fingers, staring at me in earnest like Nick Fury in all his mysterious glory. He’s seen one too many Marvel movies.
“I might’ve had a drink,” Link growls. “You drive me crazy.”
I still, my breath hitching as I turn my gaze back to him, and I want so desperately to touch him, but I’m not certain how he’ll react. I lick my lips nervously, and Link follows the movement, his eyes dilating. His other hand, which still clutches mine tightly, feels like fire burning my skin.
“Tell me about yourdate,” he grits out, his voice dangerously low.
I take a shaky breath. “We talked for an hour in the coffee shop, and then he walked me back to the quad.”
“Did he try anything?”
“No.”
“Did you want him to?” His features darken while he waits for my answer.
“No.”
“You hung up on me. You turned off your phone.”
“You pissed me off.”
Trey chuckles, and Link closes his eyes, clearly trying to regulate a veritable storm of emotions.
I raise a shaky hand and cup his cheek, my thumb gently rubbing against his stubble. “You don’t have to hide who you are or what you’re feeling, Link. Not from me. I’m not afraid of you.”
His eyes snap open, and I’m taken aback by the anguish I see in their depths. “I’m a controlling asshole.”
“I’m used to it.”
“You deserve better.”
