When Stars Have Teeth by Dani Trujillo

Author:Dani Trujillo [Dani Trujillo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dani Trujillo
Published: 2024-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Buffy woke up alone, the space next to her still warm with body heat. Ice seized her heart. Staying here had been a mistake. She knew better than this.

Where was Santiago? When did he leave? Why did he leave? Had she done something wrong? She couldn’t remember anything after they brushed their teeth.

Buffy played memories of the night before in her mind like a movie. Sure, she was her usual bitchy self, but Santiago had never seemed put off by that before. Speaking of her mother had been a mistake. Regret flooded her veins at the memory of their conversation. She shouldn’t have told him anything. People always ran when they realized how fucked up she was.

Shame burned across her skin. Buffy chewed at her lip, the sharp pain and taste of iron almost a comfort against the guilt. She shouldn’t have stayed the night. She shouldn’t have gone on this date at all. Now Santiago had made her feel things for him and left. Anger bubbled over her anxiety and acid burned her throat.

Sitting upright, she pulled the covers up to her chin and contemplated her options. She could get dressed and escape out the window. They were only on the third floor. She peered down at the street below. No awnings to cushion her fall but the sidewalk didn’t look all that far away. Buffy figured she was tall enough to make the drop without breaking anything.

“What are you doing up?” Santiago opened the bedroom door, a glass of water in his hand.

Buffy let out a breath of relief at his appearance, the hammering of her heart finally beginning to slow. The sadness quickly vacated her chest, only the flames of anger left behind. Anger that should’ve been directed at herself.

“I need to pee.” Buffy scrambled out of the bed, shutting the bathroom door harshly behind her.

What the fuck was that?

Splashing cold water on her face, Buffy attempted to calm her sprinting heart. She gripped the edge of the countertop. Embarrassment filled her throat. Her reaction to his absence had been so visceral, so intense, so immediate. It scared her. She shouldn’t have had any reaction to waking up alone other than peace. He was changing everything about her. Buffy wasn’t herself.

She wasn’t supposed to feel anything for Santiago. They were sex buddies, nothing more. Drying her face, she took a deep breath. Space. That was what they needed: space. She had gotten too comfortable having him around, craving the heat of his embrace as much as his dick. This had to stop.

Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she opened the door. Santiago was lounging in bed, reading the newspaper. What was he, seventy-five? It pissed her off to see him relaxed while she was panicking.

“I’ve gotta go.” Buffy kept her back to Santiago while she pulled her clothes from the floor. Dressing quickly, she headed back into the bathroom, exiting with a toothbrush between her lips. “I have a meeting at the center.”

“It’s Sunday.”

“And?” Buffy didn’t withhold the bite in her voice.

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