Inside, I pause. I could unearth all of Blair’s secrets. She shouldn’t have trusted me to be in her trailer alone.
Locating the broom, I take care of the remnants of the broken plate. Every second I spend in the trailer, inhaling hints of vanilla, is another second a tether pulls taught in my stomach.
A week without talking to her was torture. I was going to let everything go—the agreement, the break in, even forget her existence. My goal was to go back to the way things were before she broke into my garage, before this game started between us.
It messed me up after she kissed me like a siren, then asked for payment.
And it’s my own fault. My own game has destroyed me.
The idea of making her wear the cheer uniform and make a fool of herself in front of everyone, then kiss me to top it all off, was supposed to be a way to toy with her. Instead, I’m the one plagued by that fucking kiss.
It wasn’t supposed to spark this desire in me.
The taste isn’t enough. I’m an addict, desperate for my drug of choice.
After kissing Blair, I want to fucking devour her.
The time I spent restricting myself, ignoring her in class and avoiding her in school has only heightened that need. It did the opposite of what I wanted. Instead of getting her out of my system, she dug her claws deeper. I couldn’t stay away any longer.
She’s in my bloodstream and she’s not going anywhere unless I do something about it.
I don’t want to go to my depressing empty house in the mountains, and I’m not leaving her alone right now.
Forget snooping for Blair’s secrets.
I’m going to get my girl.
* * *
Blair’s voice reaches me as I search through the emergency room.
“I don’t care about your procedures! That’s my mom and I want to go back with her!”
Turning the next corner, I find Blair fighting with a nurse.
“Miss, I can’t let you beyond this point.” The nurse seems completely done, like she’s repeated herself multiple times. “You can wait in the lounge over there.”
I close the distance between us in four long strides, sliding between Blair and the nurse.
“Stop. You’re just making a scene and getting nowhere. That’s not how you get what you want.”
Blair glares. “So what? I want to go back there.”
The nurse disappears behind the No Entry Beyond This Point door while Blair is distracted.
“Quick, she’s gone. We can sneak in.”
I almost smile. Pesky little troublemaker.
“Come on.” Steering Blair away from the restricted door, I take her to a lounge area. I kiss her temple. “Wait for me.”
There’s a vending machine for coffee nearby. It’s probably bitter and shitty, but she needs something warm to drink. I punch the buttons and watch the cardboard cup fill.
This area of the hospital isn’t busy right now. I passed a few people in the emergency room reception when I came in, but this section is deserted. The lighting is too bright, everything smells of stale air and astringent antiseptic. It creates a sense of liminal space.
I don’t like hospitals.
One of the few memories I have before my parents began dumping me on others was when I was young, maybe four or five. I was playing with Lucas, who could climb better since he was a year older. I wanted to do anything Lucas did. He was my idol. My only friend.