Page 41 of The Carnage We Keep

Outwardly, I roll my eyes and bark a mirthless laugh. Inside, I'm shattering.

“Wow,” I drawl. “You really think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“I’m just saying I’m not interested.”

Heat stings my face. “I heard you the first fucking time, douchebag!” I bark.

“Good.”

“Fantastic.”

“Great.”

“Eat a bag of dicks,” I spit.

We glare at each other.

I hate him.

I genuinely, sincerely, with the fire that burns with the heat of ten thousand suns, hate this man.

I also hate that approximately five minutes ago, I was wondering what his hands would feel like pinning my wrists over my head.

Dr. Fallon is a quack. This was a horrible idea.

Damiano looks at the box in his hand again. “So what did you actually put in here?”

My anger catches for half a second.

I could tell him. I should tell him. I should say, Open it, it’s your ring. Then he’d know I wasn’t trying to prank him. That this is me actually making an effort, which is so incredibly rare that he should feel blessed to even be peripherally involved.

Or…

“A finger and a dick, dick,” I spit venomously.

Damiano rolls his eyes before leveling a look at me. “Look, whatever this plan of yours was⁠—”

“I was trying to be fucking nice!”

“I’m seeing someone.”

It shouldn’t matter. It categorically should not matter. And yet, the words hit me strangely low in the stomach.

I force out a snorting chortle. “Uh, congrats? I don’t care?”

He clears his throat. “I’m only telling you because if this”—he gestures between us—“meet up was supposed to be something else, it’s not happening.”

At this point, all I want to do is erupt in flames and have the wind scatter my ashes over the edge of the cliff.

“Oh my God, fucking get over yourself,” I fire back. “I have no interest in even being nice to you, let alone fucking you.”

His dark eyes are weirdly neutral as they stare right into me.

“And just so you know,” I snap. “I happen to be seeing someone, too.”

His jaw ticks. My smile spreads darkly across my face.

“Actually it’s three different guys. Two I see at the same time.”