Chooses Madness 199

Chapter 199 

Second, Marianna was still too young. She had another year before graduating from high school. If she got pregnant now, she’d have to forget about the SAT, and all those years of hard work would be for nothing. 

So even if she wanted to secure her future by having Tristian’s baby, now wasn’t the time. She needed to wait until after the SAT 

Which meant she definitely couldn’t tell Davon what had happened. She scrambled to deflect. “Don’t read too much into it. Tristian helping you means helping himself. Remember when he called every tutoring center in Yoeland and blacklisted them from working with Kayla? This is the same thing.” 

Davon had considered this too, and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard about that. But what does it have to do with my situation?” 

A soft smile played across Marianna’s lips. “How could it not be related? The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” 

She continued, “Tristian and Kayla may be siblings, but there’s no love lost between them. In fact, Tristian made a bet with her–if Kayla doesn’t rank in the top fifty by finals, she’ll have to shave her head bald and publicly admit she’s worthless. 

I told Tristian everything Kayla’s been doing to us at school. So tell me, do you think he’d let his sister send you to jail when winning this bet is on the line? 

The tight furrows between Davon’s brows gradually smoothed. 

He’d heard vague rumors about bad blood between Kayla and Tristian before, but he hadn’t realized things had deteriorated this far. 

It was working perfectly in his favor. 

“I can’t believe it. That’s incredible news.” Relief flooded through him as he pulled Marianna into his arms, burying his face against her neck and nuzzling gently. 

He said, “Maria, thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. This whole mess seemed impossible to fix, but you-” 

He lifted his head suddenly, his fingers tracing the swollen curve of her lips, then pausing as he caught the faint trace of another man’s scent clinging to her skin. His eyes 

darkened. 

“I just hate that you had to go through that–with that bastard Tristian.” 

The thought of what Tristian had done to Marianna made Davon’s touch grow firmer against her lips, as if he could erase every trace the other man had left behind. 

Marianna’s lips stung from how roughly he’d kissed her. She rolled her eyes internally, recognizing Davon’s possessive streak for what it was. 

She pulled his large hands down and held them in hers, shaking her head with an expression of innocent vulnerability. 

She said, “As long as Dav’s okay, I’ll do anything. But if you’re really bothered by that kiss just now- 

Marianna hesitated, then rose on her tiptoes and brushed a feather–light kiss against Davon’s lips. 

“Then use your taste to erase his, Dav-” Her voice came out soft, almost coaxing, carrying an invitation that made something dangerous flicker in his eyes. “Make me forget.” 

Her voice carried a soft, seductive quality that instantly transported Davon back to that afternoon in the alley. The jealousy he felt toward Tristian and his desperate hunger for Marianna surged through him, drowning out every rational thought. 

In one swift motion, he pushed her back against the wall. One hand locked around her slender waist while the other cradled the back of her head protectively. He captured her swollen lips in a consuming kiss. 

Davon kissed her with fierce urgency, as if he truly could obliterate every trace Tristian had left on her. His mouth moved against hers with an almost punishing intensity, teeth grazing her lips in sharp, possessive 

claims. 

The heat Tristian had sparked in Marianna still burned unsatisfied.