Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

laugh. “The date last weekend was enough risk for a while, I think.”
Enough risk…
Why won’t she look at me? Maybe I can stand being a secret for a little
while longer, but I don’t like this distance that’s there all of a sudden. I’m not
just some fuck.
I turn and take my phone out of my locker, grabbing my earbuds, too. “I
like spending time with you outside of bed too, Clay.”
But she doesn’t want that. Or she’s not ready to admit it.
She reaches for me. “Liv…”
“Just forget it.” I move aside and close my locker. “Macon was right. He
always is. I’m the stupid one.”
She slams her locker and moves past me, murmuring, “Meet me in the
shower now.”
“No,” I tell her. “I’m over it.”
I’m not doing this anymore. Shit’s changed. I want to go to prom, and I
want to go with my fucking girlfriend. That’s it.
I walk the other direction, but someone slips in front of me, cutting me
off. “Hi,” Chloe chirps, carrying her bag and smiling as she looks me up and
down. “You’re right. Black is your color.”
I force a tight smile as Clay tries to hide her snarl. “Thanks,” I say to her.
She moves past us to the next row and Clay comes in close. “I don’t want
to lose you, okay?” she whispers. “Just give me a chance. I’m just not ready
yet. I’m not sure. What if this isn’t real? What if it’s—”
I grab her by the arms and back her into the lockers, the metal clanking
echoing throughout the room. She gasps as I glare at her, my teeth damn near
bared.
Someone comes around the corner, and I look at Ruby. “Beat it.”
She looks quickly between Clay and me, ultimately deciding to not get
involved before she ducks back out of sight. I press my palm to Clay’s chest,
feeling the rapid beat inside. “When your heart beats too fast,” I grit out, “it
doesn’t pump enough blood to the rest of your body. It starves your organs,
making you lightheaded, unable to breathe, dizzy, weak, you can’t think…” I
dive into her, pressing my forehead to hers. “I do that to you. Not him. I’m
real.”
I release her, backing away and waiting. Waiting for anything. Waiting
for a yes. A no. Waiting for her to realize that she loves her life with me in it,
and the fact that she’s willing to sacrifice how good this feels breaks my