Page 50 of Merciless

My skin becomes clammy. The man leaves and the door slams shut behind him.

“He wants to use me,” I whisper into the empty room.

CHAPTER 19

EDEN

DAY 4 OF THE BET

Elijah

I’ll meet you outside your door when you’re ready.

Eden

That’s unnecessary.

You want my help, right? That means we need to make it abundantly clear that you’re off-limits.

I’ll meet up with you later.

Are you avoiding me?

No. I’m running behind and I don’t want you waiting around.

Elijah opens the text and leaves me on Read.

I wince and lower my phone.

Mission accomplished, I guess. This is what I wanted—for him to leave me alone so I don’t have to look him in the eye while thinking about what happened four hours ago.

I peer at Lavender’s enclosure, seeking comfort from my pet snake. She’s curled around a branch, her head hovering above it and her beady eyes on me.

Sometimes, it feels like she understands what’s going through my head and how I feel. I mean, she was in the room when it all happened, which is unsettling at best.

I close my eyes and take a fortifying breath.

Screw the morning classes. I don’t want to go. And I especially don’t want to face Elijah or Asher.

“Hold my thigh.”

I wince at the memory of Asher’s demand.

“I’ll give you a clue. What would I want with a slut like you?”

I shoot up from my bed and pace the room. My fingers burrow into my hair and shake the strands at the roots.

“Hey, Eli,” a girl outside the door says. Her high-pitched greeting filters through my chaotic thoughts and the chest-tightening, impending doom.

I spin around and face the door.

Is he really here?

My phone buzzes on the bed, where I abandoned it.

“What are you doing outside her door?” the girl says.

“Open the door, birdie.” Elijah knocks three times.