Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

Clay, I still wouldn’t have been able to resist Clay as soon as I saw her. As
soon as she spoke, I would’ve craved nothing more than to make her only see
me.
“I love this bracelet.” Chloe touches the metal symbol on my leather
band. “An hourglass.”
I pull my arm away. “Yeah, it’s kind of a family thing.” I stand up,
grabbing my materials and garbage. “I gotta go,” I tell her.
But as I drop everything into the trash bin, Chloe touches my arm,
stopping me. I turn, seeing her standing in front of me. “Do you have a
girlfriend?” she asks.
Huh?
Jesus. Almost four years at this school, and now people want to make me
feel liked and accepted?
“Sorry, I asked Ms. Martelle,” she says, “so I didn’t embarrass myself
before I asked you out, and she said she didn’t think so. Will you go out with
me sometime?”
I flash my eyes to Clay, seeing her watch us. The look in her eyes, like
she’s not breathing, owns me. She owns me.
It takes a moment, but I meet Chloe’s gaze again. “I have a girlfriend,” I
tell her gently.
I belong to someone.
“But you’re not going to prom with her?”
I fight not to look in Clay’s direction again. “Maybe.” I hope. “I’m sorry.
It’s…”
“Complicated,” she finishes for me. “It’s okay. I think I knew. I mean,
how could you not be taken, right?”
Yeah, right.
“See you this weekend,” I tell her.
I leave, heading to my locker and feeling a little badly. If Clay weren’t in
play, I would’ve accepted. How nice would it be to have someone any time I
want?
I stop at my locker and look down the hall, seeing Mark Calderon leaning
into Sophia Herrera, the whispers between them and everything in his body
language telling me they’re getting it on.
How nice would it be to be as close to Clay as I want, any time I want,
and wherever I want like them?
I could have that with someone like Chloe or Megan. I can have that