Page 34 of Twisted Needs

“I’m being responsible,” I say carefully, forcing my voice back into something steadier. “One of us needs to remember the lines we drew.”

Anders stares at me for a long moment, but when he pulls his phone out of his pocket, something deep in my gut tells me he couldn’t care less about those lines.

Especially when he slices me right at the Achilles.

“Seth’s throwing a party,” he says casually, typing something. “Might head there for a bit.”

No fucking way. Seth and party in the same sentence constitutes an intervention. Immediate jealousy hits me so hard it genuinely angers me in the ugliest way possible. “You sure about that?” I ask, swiping my hand down my face.

He narrows his eyes just enough to show he knows what I’m hinting at. “Yeah.” That’s all he says before he pockets his phone and slides off the stool.

“No,” I say immediately. “Wrong answer. Rethink it.”

Luca’s been gone a total of ten seconds and I’m already fucking this up, but I can’t find it in myself to care.

Fucking Seth.

“Did you have something else in mind?” Anders challenges.

I shake my head, opening my mouth and immediately closing it.

He laughs thinly. “Okay, then.”

I watch him walk toward the door ahead of me, hoodie riding up just enough to expose the strip of skin above his jeans.

I can’t. I refuse to stand here and watch my boy walk right into the arms of another man.

“Anders,” I call out against my better judgment, running a hand down my face again.

“Parker,” he mutters back with a crude look in his eyes. “There a problem?”

My jaw ticks and I blink rapidly.

Fuck.

He turns away and walks out.

Fuck it. I haven’t promised Luca shit. Not yet.

“Anders!” I call out again, ignoring the warning bells ringing in the back of my head.

The door slams behind me. He’s already walking off, but I know he hears me because he slows down a little.

“Hey.” I close the distance and grab him by the arm. He turns around and looks up at me with wide eyes and an angry pout.

“Stop,” he mutters weakly.

And the moment he does that thing where he sucks on his bottom lip without even realizing, I fucking lose it.

“We’re going home,” I demand. “You’re not seeing Seth.”

He rolls his eyes. “Parker, it’s a party. All my friends are already there and I was literally there earlier.”

“What?” My brows pull together.

Anders just closes his eyes and shakes his head like he’s afraid to speak. Not because he’s afraid of me, but because he knows where this is headed.

“Why are you being like this⁠—”