Dancing With the Devil

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pulled away, I reached up to pull his mouth back to mine, ignoring his surprised e

that was always brief and at a safe distance, meaning no body contact that wasn't necessary. Sometimes, I wondered why he was attracted to someone

his openness, pushing closer to him than I usually would. My fingers buried into his carefully styled hair, which I would no doubt get a speech about later. For now, I wasn't complain

chided when my lips

rt laugh, continuing to pepper kisses on my cheeks and forehead. I leaned into him, but his warning pause m

till fairly young, around six, so I didn't burst into tears whenever I thought of him like I used to. It still hurt, obviously, but after twelve years, I had achieved acceptance of his fate and honored his sacrifice rather than violently raging on the unfair world. At least, o

y hint. I tugged his head down, forcing his face t

out that, " he sighed, pulli

dn't mean y

houlders sagged a

kies, " I explained. "I ju

kissing yo

ce, yeah.

gue

ondered why we put up with each othe

ving him a completely fake, t

." He swooped in to lay one more kiss on my cheek, and I

best friend,

s, thanks now to my

y, Vi?" I

d, always the professional, c

thing but grin at his receding back. When he rounded th

e asked in

know

yes in mock surprise. "Well, gee, Ivy. I thought

efended. "That'

kissed you--really kissed you--what? Maybe two times? Three? I don't know, but it can be counted on on

ed. "We've only been

inger at me, as if I'd just figured out they myste

rning bell, signaling we only had five minutes to get to our first h

ay from Violet, but I'd forgotten that it would be at the cost of being early to chemistry class. Setti

h due to the piles of homework our teachers were assigning us, and lunch was ruined by the pile of mush on my tray. I narrowed my eyes a

y handing over the circle of chocolate chip goodness. I sn

ou can spare on

treat. "These are really good cookies. I was thinking

one sickly sweet. I gave her a million doll

yfriend is and break up with him?" she bribed,

lf of the school. I desperately wanted to dodge this conversation, but I knew I had no hope. When Violet wanted to say somethin

hold you and kiss you in front of other people, show them that you're taken. He should want to flaunt you in front of the entire school. He should call you cheesy nicknames and listen to every word that you say. And he should support you on every single thing that you do, " she finished hotly, "no

softly, trying to pacify her. "That's what best fri

one would tell you how to live it. We would have screaming matches, then laugh about how stupid it all was. We would get into some crazy stuff, g

ience was, and not be ashamed of it. I would be blunt in my honesty, but soften it so that it never came across as harsh. Jake hadn't liked how outgoing I was, though. Once we'

my first kiss over with, and basking in the fact that I was his one and only made me giddy. I didn't n

I'd always choose you over him, but I also choose him over my

way. Thankfully, all it took was one joke from her

*

sed hal

e playing field for rumors and gossip. Most of the gossip was spread between classes, sparking from girl to girl, person to p

e taken the wrong way burst into an imaginative story of how the head cheerleader shagged the soccer captain aga

y case was a little different, but it further supported my t

, usually walking with his arms swinging merrily, as if nothing was wrong. I would walk beside him faithfully, clutching my books to my chest. The other times he passed me in the corridor, he wouldn't meet me halfway and give me a kiss that sc

ander, dreaming about what it would be like to be loved irrationally, to drive a guy to the point that he would do anything for me. I imagined how he would keep me pressed to the side of his body, his arms wrapped around me sec

was about to get my

y desk. Curious and hopeful for something that wou

. As I slid the silk confinement off, it unraveled by itself. It felt thic

of it. Not that it was torn or crinkled. It was actually in pristi

, but it was almost as if there was an unnatural power coming from the words on the page, effectively drawing me in. I shivered uncomfortably, suddenly get

. It's all my imagination I convinced myself. After I read th

u, but my pair number has forced me to be patient, so patient I will be. Don't doubt that you'll by mine very soon, though. I only have so

only me. I won't have others being intimate with my mate. It's unavoidable that you will be admired, for you are quite a sight to b

no lenience to those that challenge me for what belongs to me, especially you. Take my warning, Princess, you

finding the generous sum of cash that will be on her doorstep the morning after you're gone. She will be made to believe that you had an accident, and will move on soon enough. I didn't want you troubling yourself with the life

n't just explain what it is and answer your questions in person? I wouldn't be able to control myself. I would want to take you the second you saw me, and your words would fall on deaf ears, as I would be too entranced with the movements of your lips and the sound of your voice to decipher what you're saying. I blame

e and have yet to catch up on the new lingo, I mean slang. The words you humans have come

ill know who you are, and if anyone mistreats you it will be known as a royal attack. You don't have to worry about that, though. That is a man's job, and my job as your mate. Jus

r me. I'll be looking out for you. You

int where I found myself suddenly on my wood floor, knees stinging from the fall. My hands shook violently

n't want to acknowledge that it was my note, specifically given to me) about Jake was written harsher. The script, surprisingly elegantly neat for a male (since I highly doubted it was a girl who was so po

idn't know why he wanted me. All I knew was he knew more than I would've ever want

. I'd imagined my prince to be the typical all-American boy, with a body to die for and a smile that would me

stuck to his nearly bald head and a vile grin that held few teeth; his cold, beady eyes were meant to belong on a predator, and a beer

bathroom and barely falling to my already bruised