Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

she moves.
Her hair down her back. The softness of her lips. The way she fits her
clothes.
My stomach roils, and I feel the tears burn the backs of my eyes. I look
away.
I shake my head, clearing my throat and stuffing my shit in my locker.
No. It’s just something about Liv. I’m obsessed with her. I’m unhappy and
latching on. That’s all she is. Someone to get off on who will keep her mouth
shut in an arrangement where I call the shots.
I pull out my forensics book for class, my requirements for science
fulfilled last year, but the elective sounded fun, and I knew Liv was taking it.
Or had been.
But actually, I kind of like it. Maybe I want to study forensics in college.
Or maybe I thought it would be useful when helping Mrs. Gates. Some of
the bodies that come in are pretty interesting.
I walk to class, entering the lab, but as soon as I enter, I see Liv
immediately. I stop, my heart leaping.
She reaches up to the blinds on her tiptoes, her black Polo and skirt
creeping up, and her shiny, black hair spills down her back in waves. I ache.
She closes the blinds, blocking out the sun, and turns around, red lipstick
beautiful and lips looking like they were never swollen from my kisses. Her
skin perfect, like it was never hot underneath me.
There’s no evidence of me on her at all anymore.
I stand there, waiting for her to look up, but she doesn’t.
Strolling up to her, I drop my book on the lab table next to hers and reach
around her still body, taking one of the tests McCreedy put on our tables.
“This isn’t over,” I say in her ear.
She doesn’t turn around or respond. Her head bowed, she puts her name
on the packet and slides a stool across the floor, sitting down.
Students mill around us, entering and finding their seats.
“You came back to school,” I point out, labeling my packet too.
She must want more if she came back. And looking her best today, too.
I look over my shoulder, her back still to me as she begins.
“Say something,” I growl in a low voice.
But she doesn’t. It’s like I’m not even here.
I mean, what did she think was going to happen? I was ambushed, and
we’re not dating. That pizza was the first time we’d spent any time together