Relish: A Vicious Feast Book 2 Read Online Free Page A

made of.”
    A grin stretched my lips. “Well said, Counselor.” 

C HAPTER T HREE
F RIENDS
    True to his word, Larry stayed by my side the whole week I worked on finishing my introspective. He held my hand during my doubt-triggered panic attacks and cracked the whip when I thought I couldn’t go on. When he left for class, he sent over Silvia, the features writer for the Daily Gossip who I usually teamed up with when covering clubs. Between the both of them, I had no time to think about how weird my dreams had gotten, let alone find time for sleep. I considered myself lucky if I got a couple of hours a night.
    I was adding the final touches to the tenth photo when Silvia handed me a refilled mug. I’d lived on coffee and whatever food Larry brought to my apartment. It reminded me of being under Deidra’s care again. Too tired, I barely felt the pain attached to the memory.
    Without taking my gaze off the picture of Luka’s face I created by shrinking every photo I’d taken of the band into tiny dots and putting them all together, I brought the mug to my lips.
    “Ow!” I stuck out my tongue and fanned it.
    “I would have told you it was hot if you gave me the chance,” Silvia said belatedly. She sighed, placing her hand on the back of my chair. “God, he’s gorgeous. I get that you had to sign an NDA and can’t spill, but know that I’m dying here.”
    Burning my taste buds became the distraction I needed to break my intense concentration. I leaned away from the screen and tilted my head to enhance my view of the mash up I’d created. From afar the audience saw Luka’s face, but when they leaned in they would see all the miniature pictures that made up his face.
    “I love how you interpreted your theme this way.” Silvia pursed her lips like an art connoisseur studying a painting. “You have the bigger picture, which is Luka. Then the minute details told the story of the band. I can smell the A.”
    I crossed my arms. My eyebrows came together. “You think so?”
    “Take it from a features writer. I’ll be covering the Showcase and can already see that you’ll be a hit for your subject alone.”
    “The subject would be popular, yes.” Even I couldn’t deny that. “But I’m too close to the project. I can’t see straight anymore. I think I’ve lost my perspective.”
    Silvia squeezed my shoulder. “Look, you’re done. Let’s bring these babies to Eddy so he can frame them and you can get some much needed rest before you start on that paper.”
    My fingers glided over the touch pad so the cursor moved. “Maybe if I tweaked it a little more…” Silvia moved her hand from my shoulder to slap my wrist. “Ow! Alright! Let me just save the damn thing.”
    “When was the last time you took a shower?”
    I minimized the screen and absentmindedly asked back, “Why?”
    “If you have to ask then it’s been too long. You’re wearing the same shirt I saw you in when I came over last Wednesday.”
    “What day is it?”
    “Saturday.”
    Hearing the disgust in her tone, I sniffed myself. “I don’t smell anything.”
    “That only means you’re way past due.” Silvia yanked me out of my seat and shoved me toward my bathroom. “Once you’re done, we’ll head for Eddy’s.”
    At the door to my bathroom, I stopped and stared at Silvia. In my four years at Wexler, I never thought I would make friends, let alone actually know someone like her. Granted, being on the paper brought us together, but she jumped at the chance to help me with my final project. Maybe it had to do with the diamond tennis bracelet I’d given her from the goody bag I had swiped from the New Year’s Eve party before I left. I suspected the bag possessed some sort of wormhole where the other end was located inside a Neiman’s. It provided the wool robe I wore around the apartment and the sheepskin booties I simply adored. Larry’s scarf came from it too, along with my new cell phone and tablet. The spa treatment and