Page 62 of Neo
Neo steps thunderously toward me, making me almost dizzy.
“Have you never been to a college party before in your life? When have you ever seen a frat house serve straight up Hawaiian fucking punch?”
“Well, I–” I stutter, but he doesn’t let me finish my sentence.
“This frat is known for lacing their drinks. It’s called Gamma Twilight punch for a reason and this one,” he points to Kennedy. ”Should have known that.”
“The dude you pummeled gave her Gamma punch?” Kennedy asks with dread.
“He’s new to the frat so those dickheads probably told him what to do and then watched him do it for shits and giggles. I’m two seconds away from killing them all. Why would you come here, especially on a night like this?”
“I told you to only drink the beer,” Kennedy fusses at me as she steps a few feet away from us to take a call privately. “One second, y’all.”
“But I don’t drink!” I exclaim, raising up my arms for emphasis. “Why would I drink the damn beer? I just can’t believe Blake purposely did this. He was talking about college testing and all his ideas for fixing the system. He seemed like a nice guy.”
Neo stalks closer to me until I can feel his warm, minty breath against my face.
“Don’t you ever say that rapist’s name out loud again.”
“He didn’t rape me.” I remind him, rolling my eyes.
“He was about to, Violet!” Neo runs a hand through his hair in frustration with me, as if I’m some sort of reckless child. “He had his hands all over you! What if I hadn’t been here?”
As I slowly come down off of whatever may have been added to the punch, the reality of Neo’s question floods my senses and I become emotional.
“Don’t you dare cry,” he orders angrily, his lips very close to my quivering ones.
“I’m not,” I lie.
“Crying won’t change anything.” His bruised hand gently palms the side of my face and inadvertently I lean into it. “Fuck, Violet.”
“Thank you for defending me,” I tell him.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“But you can’t ever hurt someone like that again,” I say. “I could have reported him instead and let the university deal with it.”
“Just don’t do some silly shit like that again and I won’t have to hurt anyone. You should have been with me tonight.”
Our eyes lock on each other.
What was meant as one of his “tough guy” orders sounds more like a plea, and while I should run for the hills from someone who seems to repeatedly commit this type of violence and feel zero remorse, there’s something about what he did that’s sexy as fuck.
Or is it just the gamma punch making my panties wet like this?
His gaze bores into mine, intense, fiery, revealing depths of emotions he’s never allowed anyone to see. His hand remains on my cheek, his fingers edging into my hair. There’s a strange comfort in that touch, a sense of security.
“Neo…” His name rolls quietly off my tongue and I see him close his eyes momentarily, as if my voice is a soothing balm for his volatile energy.
“Yes, Violet?” There’s a softness in his voice that wasn’t there before.
“I just want to say...” My words trail off as fear gutters in my belly. I’m not sure why I’m afraid; afraid of him or afraid for him - but it lurks there, like a shadowy beast in the corners of my mind.
“What is it?” He whispers, his breath tickling my earlobe.
“Whatever is going on between us can’t continue,” I say, taking an uncertain step back. The physical separation feels like a chasm opening up between us.
“But it already is, baby,” he begins, but I shake my head, cutting him off.