“I remember,” she assured him, and she glanced over her shoulder. Harper was leaning over some basketball player, practically resting her tits on his head. “I meant what are you doing here right now? You didn't tell me you were coming tonight.”
“I didn't know I had to ask permission. Did you know Evans is hitting on your roommate in the other room?” he asked.
“I left them together, they're talking about video games. Did you know your girlfriend is practically right behind me?”
“I don't have a girlfriend, just an annoying saint who won't -”
Valentine roughly cupped her hand around his chin and forced his head up, so he was looking over her shoulder. He glared and started to snap at her, then stopped when his gaze must have connected with Harper.
“So your timing isn't the best,” Valentine growled. “On top of which, you looming over me is bad for business.”
“Ah, yes,” Ari said in a soft voice, and he moved his chin out of her hand so he could look down at her again. “Your business. I heard it's booming.”
“A girl's gotta make a living, and as fun as it is being your assistant, I need something that pays a little better. I don't work for you here, so go away, Ari.”
“You could work for me here,” he offered.
“Did that really come out of your mouth? After all the ... progress, or whatever, we made today?” she asked, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.
“Too soon?” he chuckled.
“Way too soon. Go away, Ari.”
But he didn't move. His stared down at her, his eyelids drooped low, the corner of his mouth quirked up into his signature smirk. She wanted to look away. To walk away. To slap him or shove him or turn around and ignore him forever. But she was frozen to that spot, staring up into his blue, blue eyes.
“Valentine -” he started, and she desperately wanted to hear what he wanted to say. Would it be another apology? Another proposition? A declaration? A retraction?
She'd never get to know.
“Ari!” Harper's voice squealed, cutting through their tension like a light saber. Valentine winced and actually ducked as the blonde bombshell came barreling past her. She practically threw herself at Ari. “O.M.G., did you follow me here? I knew you must still be following my posts.”
Ari was staring at Valentine, grimacing as he struggled against Harper's hold. He finally managed to yank her arms away from around his neck, then he forced her a couple steps backs, so she was standing right next to Val.
“I wouldn't even know where to follow your 'posts',” he replied. “And I told you – don't fucking touch me.”
“You don't have to be so rude, Ari,” Harper huffed. “And what, you think it's just coincidence you happened to show up here on the same night I come here for the first time? I don't think so. I knew you ...”
Harper's voice drifted off when Ari reached over and grabbed Valentine by the wrist, then gently pulled over so she was at his side. She was too stunned to even fight the move, her eyes wide as her gaze bounced back and forth between the two exes.
“This isn't my first time in this club,” Ari said simply, not pulling Valentine in tight to his side, but also not letting go of her wrist.
Harper. Looked. Pissed. If a person's head could actually pop off, Valentine was sure that would be happening right now. Even in the dim lighting, she could tell the other girl's face was crimson red. And not from embarrassment.
From pure rage.
“What the fuck?” she hissed through clenched teeth, glaring straight at Val. “You said you guys weren't together!”
“We're -” Valentine started, but Ari took a step forward.
“- none of your business,” he finished for her. “You need to stop calling me, stop showing up at my work, stop harrassing. And you need to leave Valentine alone.”
“Oh, great, so you're a whore and a tattletale?” Harper snarled. Val stiffened at the word “whore”.
“She didn't need to tell me anything – I know you, I know how you are,” Ari covered smoothly. “And if you keep up with this bullshit, we'll start having some real problems.”
“Oh, please, you know you can't touch me. Your father would disown you. He loves me more than he loves you,” Harper taunted.
“Then I feel sorry for you. Now if you'll excuse us, Valentine and I were having a very important conversation and you interrupted.”
“You can't just -” Harper started.
“We weren't -” Valentine tried to argue.
Ari didn't listen to either of them, though, and instead abruptly leaned down and kissed Valentine, hard. She let out a muffled squeak and started at him wide-eyed as he crushed his lips to hers.
A second later and his hand was on the back of her head, fingers tangling in her long hair as he deepened the kiss. She gasped when his tongue invaded her mouth, practically leapt out of her skin when his body pressed against hers, and felt like fainting when his teeth grazed over her bottom lip.
“You'll pay for this!” Harper screeched. “You ... you ... you homewrecking slut!”
Ari let go of Valentine just in time for them to watch Harper stomp away. She didn't say anything to her friends, just walked up and stood amongst them as if nothing had happened. She tossed her head back and laughed, forcefully, and leaned close to a different guy. She kept glancing back, obviously trying to catch Ari's attention.
“She might be clinically insane,” he commented, and his calm, even voice shattered the daze Valentine had been stuck in.
“What the fuck is your problem!?” she squealed, yanking away from and smacking at his chest.
“I'm horny and the woman who wants to fuck me, I don't want, and the woman I want to fuck, doesn't want me,” he answered plainly. She hit him again.
“Well, stop making all that my problem!” she demanded. “Do you have any idea what you just did? She's already a nightmare to be around, now she's just gonna be ten times worse!”
“It was kinda worth it – did you see the look on your face?”
“No! I was too busy trying to remove the tongue that had somehow found it's way into my throat!” she snapped back. He smirked at her.
“You weren't complaining much at the time.”
“Probably because I was choking!”
“Admit it,” Ari whispered teasingly. “It felt good, making her see red. Turning her green. Wanna try for some other colors?”
Valentine glared at him, but she couldn't maintain it. She glanced over at Harper, and she had to admit, it was pretty satisfying, seeing the blonde so discomposed. She was manically fiddling with her hair, and the guy she was attempting to flirt with looked slightly scared of her. Probably because she wasn't looking at him at all, but was still staring back across the dance floor at Ari.
“She's awful,” Valentine said softly. “She's the worst. And it'll just make everything with her worse.”
Ari didn't argue. He was glaring back at Harper. Valentine glanced down, suddenly realizing he was still gripping onto her wrist with one hand. He'd been holding onto it the whole time. Almost possessively. And that's what Harper was actually looking at – not at Ari, and not at Valentine, but at where they were touching. At where they were connected.