THE DEVIL I LOVE

NICA

e coat check guy to return. It's 11:30pm, and this gala's still in full swing. Had a couple of drinks, chatted w

ight dress, and hit the shower for some relief. Been ten minutes

brown eyes I kept bumping into all night. "Didn't mean to startle you," he says with a chuckle,

h, giving him a smile. Seemed like a n

investment company, kinda like my dad's. Actually, it's the first time I've

it, annoyed again by how slow the coat check guy is. "Over ten minutes," I grumble, showing

s and looks back at me, eyebrows raised. "What's your coat look like?" he asks, a big grin on his face. C

ats. Spotting mine, I confirm it with the number tag, 217, just like the one they gave me w

ulders, I notice a couple walking by, laughing. It's Brian, with some pretty blonde in a light pink dress. They're leaving together, and I just watch them go. He alw

now, so I quickly turn around, his hands off my shoulders. Our

ally. I shake my head, realizing I'm being rude

y coat. It's January, freezing, an

now. I look up at him and start laughing softly, unable to help it. This situation's a first for me. Fr

s golden for the family biz. Brian played along, climbing up the ladder. At first, we dated for real,

oo. "You shouldn't let him walk all over you like that," he says, getting serious fast. I freeze, not sure ho

ng about it? Only Annalise knows anything, and even she learned not to push it. I'm not i

g to read my mind. I let him, knowing he won't ge

somewhe

ask, caugh

Got plans?" he repe

still puzzled, my poor f

anna come?" he asks, eyebrow raised,

rin back. He wants to make Brian jealous. My brain's screaming at me to bail, but I want this. Want Brian to see he can't control me

st feet away from Brian and the girl, and I feel his stare as Nico opens the door to his sleek

ching as he thanks the valet with a tip

d be pissed about this. He wouldn't say a word to me, consid

kle, shaking his head in disbelief, a

serious. I know that he means them metaphorically, but something inside of me

ill him

laughed awkwardly but the looks in his ey

about a minutes, then suddenly he

O'S

wn. I towered over her petite figure, my thumb moving off of

an extremely straight forward, get-to-the-point type of guy,

e. The entire time at the table, as people tried to talk to me abou

es screamed of her innocence, her voice soft and apologetic, although all I could think about was hearing her scream my

er face, lightly tilting it up so that she was forced to look straight up and into my eyes. Her big, beautiful brown eyes was my fa

now parted slightly, she motioned to open the car door to exit the car, then it seems she recon

f she has just heard the most

ims, turning back around to face me. Her tone shows that she's seri

th a casual shrug, stuffing m

about me," she snaps, her eyes narrowing and her voice raising the tinie

when she was angry. A small chuckle escapes my lips

your way around me huh"

ow anything about me enough to tell me

haven't told me anything about yourself," she mutters, her voice

you want

e admits, a small smile finally appearing o

to her much to he

perfect. I had never met anyone like her and aft

the party and head