Page 147 of The Carnage We Keep

Which honestly might not be that far off, given Damiano’s fondness for neck bites.

Not to mention his fondness for my blood…

My mouth twists. “It’s not that bad, is it?”

Her mouth twists. “It’s giving Victorian murder victim.”

“Fuck.”

Galina snickers while I grab my charcoal gray hoodie with a gasoline can and a lit match plus the word “Allegedly” on it from my bag and pull it over my head. Then I pull the hood around my throat to cover Damiano’s handiwork.

Dick.

She grins at the hoodie before her eyes drag back to mine. “Ummm…?”

I clear my throat. “Yes?”

She gives me another blank, expectant look.

I frown. “I’m sorry, what? What are we doing right now?”

“We are wondering why you are being so fucking cagey about the hickeys all over your neck.”

I flash her my best shocked expression and do my best to will the heat from my face. “That’s not what this is.”

“Okay,” Galina says dryly.

“Seriously. I walked into a doorframe.”

“Sure you did.”

Fuck.

My brow knits.

“Oh, no, you know what? I was wearing a scarf, and it was the freakiest thing. I stepped off the elevator, and the doors shut on the end of it!” I shake my head, holding a hand to my throat. “I should really look into litigation⁠—”

“Come on.”

Galina almost yanks me off my feet as she grabs my elbow and tugs me across the courtyard outside Pembroke Hall. When we’re away from the crowds of students coming and going, Galina whirls on me, planting her hands on her hips.

“Okay, spill.”

I sigh. “Galina, we’re going to be late for class.”

Her eyes roll. “Okay, one, like you’d even care if we were. And two, my boyfriend’s the TA?”

Right. Bella and her boyfriend—aka, my cousin Lochlan—just officially outed themselves to the campus population a week ago.

I still have serious concerns about her choice in romantic partners. But whatever. She seems pretty happy.

And really, who am I to talk? My current “partner” fucked me stupid in the middle of a goddamn blood-soaked massacre two nights ago. He also pulled my fucking tampon out and sucked it.

Anyway, now that they’re officially “out” as a couple, Lochlan can no longer teach our Social Psychology of Deception class, which he was doing while our usual professor was on sabbatical. So Lochie’s been demoted to TA again.

Okay, “demoted” isn’t quite the word. But Lochlan blows his top every time I say it, so obviously that little gem isn’t going anywhere.

“Oh my God, Bella,” she groans. “Will you just tell me? We’re in college. You’re almost twenty years old.” Her brows arch. “You’re allowed to have hookups and hickeys.”