Free This Round I'm Yours by Clarise Tan, Marian Tee, The Passionate Proofreader Page A

the camera – be sure to look at my camera. I’m gonna be right behind Northwest’s bench – but in the end, you agree and the end .”
    The end, Lace echoed in her mind, but not for her. She didn’t know what she could do to prevent it from happening. What she did know was that she wouldn’t stop until she found a way to prevent them from ever causing her friend harm.
    “You’re going to do it, right?”
    When Lace didn’t answer, he grabbed her chin again, forcing her head to move up and down. “Say it,” he hissed. “Say you’re going to do it or I swear to fucking God I’m going to break your ribs.”
    He shouldn’t have bothered with the warning , Lace thought dully, not when he was already doing it. This time, the pain was nothing like she had ever experienced and somehow, she felt herself falling, falling, falling—
    Before she could answer, someone knocked on her door. “ Wyndham?”
    Her eyes flew to the door in horror.
    Silver.
    Just thinking about him made Lace feel like she was falling faster and harder. But this time she fought it, knowing she had something important to do. It was bad enough her stupidity had caused KC to be involved. She would never forgive herself if she got Silver involved, too.
    In her mind, she could hear everyone protesting, everyone telling her to ask for help, and again she ignored all of them.  
    But this time, it wasn’t out of pride.
    This time, it was out of love.
    This time, she could admit it to herself.
    She loved Silver so, so much.
    Loved him so much she would do everything not to have him involved with the likes of Alfred Cohen.

Part III: SILVER & LACE

Bad Words…Aren’t Always Spoken

    Silver was tired. In the past thirty-six hours, he had flown halfway around the world and back, and his punishing schedule was beginning to take a toll on his body. Even so, nothing would have stopped him from coming here.
    To Lace.
    As he waited for her to open the door, several scenarios played in his mind. Various beginnings, same ending, and that was him inside of her while she cried out her love for him. He would do whatever it take to make that happen.
    When the door opened, he started to smile at the sight of his little lamb.  
    But a second later, his blood turned cold, his smile wiped away by the sight of another man coming out of her room behind Lace. Both their clothes were rumpled, their hair mussed, and her lips looked ravaged.
    Silver didn’t even think.
    In an instant, he had the younger guy against the wall, his feet dangling in the air.
    “Make him stop, Lace—”
    “Don’t you fucking say her name!” Silver raised his fist, and he would have beaten the shit out of the guy if not for Lace crying out.
    “Silver, no!”
    He pulled his fist back, a chill running over his body, but this time it was for another reason entirely.
    Lace’s fists beat his back. “Let go of him. Please.” Her voice was ragged, and he could feel her crying silently without the tears behind him.
    Silver let go, and as the other guy hit the floor, he turned to Lace.  
    Around them, doors began to open, other students poking their heads out at the commotion and then stepping out of their rooms completely when they realized who was involved.
    “I want you to go.” When he didn’t say anything, Lace’s tone sharpened. “Didn’t you hear me? I want you to go.”
    For a moment, he believed her.
    For one moment, his world came crashing down around him, and it was everything Silver had expected. The pain. The emptiness. The despair. He had fucked so many girls over, and now he was paying the price.
    “You heard her.” The other guy was back on his feet. Standing next to Lace, he put a proprietary arm around Lace’s stiff shoulders. “We don’t need you anymore.” He turned to her. “Right, Lacey baby?”
    And then she was being kissed.  
    Right in front of Silver.
    He had the greatest urge to haul the guy off Lace and throw him out of the nearest window. He probably