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All hollowed out, I sluoddamn Christ

CHAPTER NINE

(Paige)

Plonking the last of htness in ry I usually did subconsciously reach for anger when I was hurting, but the habit failedlike shit My heart ached,in my chest

Shit, this sucked balls

I’d woken to find htstand Max was pottering around the apart around, but he hadn’t even so h the doorway

We hadn’t showered together the e usually did on waking Well of course we hadn’t Our tiet back to my own apartment

Although it kind of stung that he was clearly avoidingover my shoulder while I packed, because I wasn’t sure I’d have been able to hide just how hard this was Not the packing part, but the knowledge that I’d never be back here I was now siain—no more, no less

My stomach flipped once more I had no one to blame for this but myself I’d sensed that I could totally fall for this man It had scared the shit out of me, because he wouldn’t welcome that love But I hadn’t walked away Hadn’t ended our arrangement early Nor had I refused to take his blood, which had been seriously dumb

I was still kind of shocked that he’d fed from me He hadn’t only done it the one ti into h while finger-fuckinga later session Each time, he’d pressured me to bite him in return, and I’d put up no resistance Like a dumbass

Finished packingfor my hair tie when Max finally appeared He didn’t enter the rooainst the doorjamb, his expression unreadable

God, he was gorgeous Sexy Hotter than hot And waiting for one

I cleared my throat “Hey I’ll, um, be out of here in just a sec I can’t find my hair tie Have you seen it anywhere?”