Bold Type

4

Elyse sneaks out of Pax's room in panic before he wakes up.

Pax Sandejas is a cuddler. Shameless and arrogant, rude and scary Pax Sandejas is a cuddler!

Her hair is ruined, her dress is in rumples, her cheeks are flushed and her skin is marked! Pax made her neck red!

Elyse keeps her head down as she speed-walks down the stairs and back to her room, only breathing when she presses her back against the door.

And then she covers her face with her hands and shuts her eyes.

Last night was...Pax was...her face is flaming red remembering what happened.

He came to her to the library because he missed her. He let her hold his hand and lead the way because she was in heels and he remembered she hated being pulled. He bought her food with a table napkin and watched her without complaining that she was slow.

Said yes to a movie. Didn't touch his phone. Didn't say, "Just watch it on your own, I'll be playing here."

And then he...God, Elyse now knows how desirable and beautiful he found her with his eyes and hands and mouth.

He stopped when she said so. Slept with his hard-on. Cuddled with her all night.

Elyse shakes her head, pulls herself together, and goes to the bathroom to wash up.

She has a text on her phone as she's getting dressed.

Pax: fucking mad at you

Pax: didnt fucking wake up next to u, what the fuck is that

Oh. Oh.

He's annoyed she took off without a word and he woke up without her.

Elyse smiles. He's so cute, damn it. I'm sorry. But you looked so nice asleep.

shut the fuck up

Her smile grows wider. He's obviously still in a mood she left.

At breakfast, no one dares come near her or bother her. Elyse smiles triumphantly. She knew dating Pax Sandejas has its perks—everyone's terrified of him.

But when he walks in, even Elyse can't meet his eyes.

Her upper torso was stripped naked last night and she's embarrassed and humiliated she let herself lose her control like that. God, she's not—she's always calculated, always calm and cool and collected. The second any of her past boyfriends began to get handsy above the waist or below it, Elyse would move away and endure the annoyed sigh.

She couldn't move away with Pax. She didn't want to.

But then Elyse hears the whispers—

"Caught her leaving his room this morning—"

"Same clothes as last night—"

"Looking disheveled, so unlike her—"

Elyse resists groaning. What is this, high school?

She raises her chin to shut down the rumors, a practiced smile already on her lips, but Pax is right there in front of her, holding out her cardigan. "You forgot this last night, love."

He winks—winks!—and then walks away.

The rumors spread faster and louder.

Pax is waiting outside the dining hall, breaking candy in his teeth, and Elyse pulls him aside with her hand in his. "What were you thinking!" she hisses.