Chapter 66: Stalling Princess 2
Somewhere in that same hall, Princess took me to a room. It was like a mini kitchen, with three chairs and a center table. This must be where the Trios eat their lunch. No wonder they never come to the cafeteria with everyone else. They have their own private world back here.
The lunch lady was already there waiting. She quickly prepared a big bowl of mozzarella pasta, the steam rising up in curls, and when she was finished, she left the room without a word.
I was halfway through my food when I noticed Princess sitting across from me. She was just sitting there, tapping her fingers on the table and staring at me with those intense eyes. I paused with my fork halfway to my mouth and looked back at her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, trying to sound annoyed instead of nervous.
"I just don’t understand why you forgot what you wanted to talk about. It’s strange," she said, her voice flat.
Oh God, not this again. I really thought she had let it go. My heart started to sink.
"I wanted to say something earlier, but I just forgot. It happens to people sometimes," I said, focusing back on my pasta.
"Are you trying to have sex with me?" she asked suddenly.
I almost choked. "No, I am not trying to have sex with you. I didn’t look for you because of that."
"Oh. Because we didn’t have the sex you wanted on Saturday, I thought maybe you did. Maybe because of your heat," she said, leaning back in her chair.
"Princess, I am not trying to have sex with you. This is not about sex, and what happened in the elevator on Saturday was never meant to happen anyway. Like I said, we are now friends, and friends don’t fuck each other."
Even if her presence triggers my heat and makes my skin feel like it’s on fire, I still don’t want to have sex with her. I have my reasons for that. And it’s a good thing I drank that moon water earlier so this doesn’t get even more awkward than it already is.
"But you said we are friends with benefits," she said, tilting her head.
"Well, Princess, I don’t want benefits with you anymore. Just friends. We are co-parenting as just friends," I replied. I noticed her fingers were still tapping a steady rhythm on the table.
"Why the change of words?" she asked.
Okay, I told myself I wouldn’t say it. I didn’t want to sound like some jealous side piece or a girl who was catching feelings, but I think I have to remind her of how I operate.
"I am a selfish person, Princess. I don’t like sharing things. I still hate the fact that I’m sharing a room with Kaye. When I want something to be mine, I want it completely. I don’t want to share even a single piece of it with anyone else. Even if it’s fake, even if it’s just pretending for the other person, it still feels real to me."
That was the best way I could possibly say it without falling apart. Watching Kiara all over Princess yesterday did affect me. I won’t lie to myself about that.
I hate watching what I want in the arms of another person.
"I don’t understand what you’re talking about. You changed your words because you’re selfish about what exactly?"
"Look, if you want me to have sex with you or kiss you, I need to know that I only have you. Princess."
"Hey, hey, chill," she said with a small smile. "I don’t want to have sex with you or kiss you. You’re the one who has been doing all of that. You’re the one asking me to have sex with you or calm your heat. I only brought it up because you said you followed my scent here, so I thought you wanted to have sex with me again. I have never been the one to initiate any of it. You are."
I felt the sting of her words immediately. It was like a slap to the face.
"Looks like I’m full. I’m going," I said, my voice tight.
I stood up and, without a second thought, I turned and left the room. I didn’t care whether Malo had erased the footage or not at that point. I just needed to get away from her before I said everything that was on my mind and made things a hundred times worse.
I walked fast down the hallway, my chest feeling tight. I can’t believe it, but what she said was actually right. Princess has never been the one to initiate anything between us. I was the one. I was the one who kissed her first in the shower. I did it in the mall and in the bathroom. I was the one who begged her to calm my heat.
Why am I the one who always initiates? Why is it only my heat that goes crazy? Doesn’t she feel the same way when we’re around each other?
Am I the only one who feels like this?
...
It turned out that Malo had already completed his mission, because I spotted him in his classroom later that afternoon. I couldn’t believe he didn’t notify me like he said he would. I was standing there in the hallway, still reeling from my conversation with Princess, and he was just sitting there like nothing happened. He apologized when he saw the look on my face, saying he was going to text me, but when he finally got into the system, the footage had already been deleted. He said he was just about to send the message when the school nurse called him to help with some injured students.
I did lash out at him because I was honestly just so angry. If he had texted me the second he knew the coast was clear, I wouldn’t have been stuck in that awkward, situation with Princess in the mini kitchen. I wouldn’t have said those things about being selfish, and I wouldn’t have had to hear her tell me that I’m the only one who ever wants anything.
The entire day, I was moody. I couldn’t shake the feeling of embarrassment. Even after school and while I was at my workplace, I was snapping at people for no reason. Every time I closed my eyes, I just saw Princess tapping her fingers and giving me that small, pitying smile.
The next day, I made a point to stay in my own lane. I didn’t involve myself in whatever Princess and her friends were planning to do with Peamah. I didn’t ask questions, and I didn’t go looking for her. From Malo, I heard that the Trios were actually laying low. They hadn’t talked to Peamah or tried to corner him.
I couldn’t care less at that point. As far as I was concerned, as long as we all just leave him alone, he won’t have a reason to hurt us. That was fine by me. And throughout the rest of the week, there were no signs of death or any severe injuries. Everything was going surprisingly well.
On Saturday evening, I was sitting on my bed when I got an email that would change my life for good.
