Perfect Enemies

28

I eased forward, one predatory step at a time until we were toe to toe, my body dwarfing hers. “What do you want me to say?” My words hummed between us, my fingers itching to touch her. “I’d tell you that you caught me, but I do have a brother. He doesn’t live with me. My family’s f****d up, maybe more than most.” I leaned forward, unable to stop myself from inhaling an intoxicating blast of her alluring scent, and whispered, “Now, how about you tell me what it is about your life that makes you so damn suspicious of everyone else?” The palms of her hands flattened against my chest, searing me with their contact. I half expected her to push me away, but her touch softened before gently drifting down the planes of my chest. “Not everyone. Just you,” she admitted quietly. “And why do you think that is?” My lips were now close enough to ghost across her cheek. Playing with fire—a vice I never could totally escape. I didn’t give her time to reply. “The answer is because you’re right. I am a liar. And no matter how tempting this thing is between us, it changes nothing.” Pulling back, I glared at her from behind my most intimidating mask but then paused when the next words clogged in my throat. “There’s a reason I asked Reyna to the dance and not you. It’s better for both of us if this thing dies right now along with your incessant curiosity.” Hurt flashed across her face when I mentioned Reyna. She hadn’t known. I was glad to be the one to tell her. That way, she could direct all her anger at me rather than her friend. Better it was hate between us than something far more complicated. She quickly recovered, face serene as the night sky. “What makes you think there’s anything between us?” she asked with an impressive degree of apathetic disdain. My canines made another vicious appearance. “Because, baby girl, your n*****s are so hard they’re about to shred that pretty shirt of yours. Almost as hard as my aching c**k. There may be nothing but chemistry between us, but that s**t’s real, and there’s nothing either of us can do about it except lock it in a box and pretend it doesn’t exist.” I stepped back, slowly drawing away from her, relieved at the tension in her jaw. I didn’t want to be the only one frustrated as hell. “f**k you, Kane Easton,” she hissed. I turned and walked away, disappearing down the hall without a reply. f**k me, indeed. I was starting to question whether pushing her away was worth the damage I was doing—to her and to me. The anger radiating off her was nothing compared to my own self-hatred. At this point, I was screwed no matter what I did. Let her in or push her away—both came with a price. Was I honestly considering a relationship with Valentina Genovese? If that was the case, I was more f****d than I’d ever imagined. OceanofPDF.com 18 OceanofPDF.com I VALENTINA despised the tears that blurred my vision as I walked back to Kane’s living room. The only thing worse than being treated like s**t was letting your tormentor see your pain. Kane hadn’t just toyed with me; he’d been downright mean. He’d caught me snooping, but I didn’t think a little nosiness warranted a full-on assault. Why the hell had he lashed out like that? I’d been difficult that first week of school, but we’d begun to develop a civil rapport. Despite what I’d told myself so many times over, if a part of me hadn’t liked the guy, I wouldn’t have been curious about him at all. I wanted to know his secrets because I wanted to know him. Regardless of his reasons, he’d made his point clear. Kane Easton wanted nothing to do with me, which was why I went back downstairs and rejoined the party rather than leave. I wasn’t about to let him think he’d won by tucking tail and running home. I might have been a little bruised on the inside, but I had still come out triumphant because I’d found more clues before our little confrontation. A missing brother wasn’t the only oddity in Kane’s house. The place was suspiciously perfect. It was just him and his father, but there was a difference between a tidy house and a vacant house staged by a realtor. There was an emptiness that haunted the space. It was a gut feeling I had— nothing remotely concrete—but on top of my existing suspicions, it felt important. Further proof that my wariness about Kane was justified. Even more concerning was the old Spanish Bible I’d found in his nightstand drawer next to a set of worn rosary beads. They were the only things I’d seen in my short search of the house that appeared to have a past. The only things that were real and honest. Plenty of Catholics lived on Staten Island—that alone wouldn’t have been concerning. Why did Kane have a Spanish Bible by his bed? The text he’d received could have been a fluke, but the Bible? I couldn’t deny that Kane had Spanish ties. That didn’t necessarily mean he was connected to the cartel, but it was a possibility I had to take seriously. Especially after learning Reyna had agreed to go to the dance with him. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t told me. Confronting her about the omission was the other reason I couldn’t leave the party. If I didn’t talk to her now, I wouldn’t have a chance until I saw her at school on Monday. I settled back into my spot on the floor next to Rey. Leaned back against the base of the sofa, I waited until the movie was over and Kane had gone into the kitchen to pull her aside. “Hey, did Kane ask you to the dance?” I asked quietly, eyeing the room to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. When my eyes flicked back to Reyna, her face crumpled. “I’m so sorry, Val. I’ve been so worried you’d be upset. I didn’t know how to tell you. If you want me to call it off, I will. It’s just that this might be my only opportunity to experience something like a high school dance.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. She was visibly upset enough that I worried we might draw attention. “Shh, I promise it’s okay,” I assured her. “I was just surprised you didn’t tell me.” I’d considered trying to talk her out of going, but after hearing her reason, I hated to take that from her. “Wait, why would you be scared to tell me?” “Well, I know you said there’s nothing between you two, but I can’t shake the feeling that you like him. I don’t know. I just didn’t want to hurt you.” She peered at me sheepishly. Apparently, the only person I’d fooled with my denials was myself. I sighed. “There’s nothing between us. Even if I did have some ridiculous hang-up over Kane, he’s made it perfectly clear that he’s not interested. You should go with him. I don’t want you to miss out on the dance.” A stabbing pain twisted in my belly. I tried to tell myself it was worry for Reyna, but it was time to stop lying to myself. I was jealous, pure and simple.