Page 14 of Broken Rivalry

Nessa: Fine, I’ll stuff myself alone.

A light chuckle escapes me, my fingers lingering over the screen for a moment before I slide my phone back into my bag. It has been a week since I last saw Ethan. I wonder if he has genuinely let me go this time. I granted him victory; it is all he ever wanted.

My steps guide me effortlessly to Eva’s usual spot in the library, a secluded table that has become our unofficial meeting point. A creature of habit, she always chooses a table near the back, tucked under a small alcove, transforming a public space into our private study ground.

I sit down and turn the book open on the table toward me. The Canterbury Tales—Lord, I can’t imagine picking this subject willingly. I wait a few more minutes and frown. It’s not like Eva to leave her things unattended for so long.

I try to navigate through the maze of unfamiliar sections, looking for Eva. The ominous silence of the library is a little uncomfortable. Even my steps are unnaturally quiet, the soft carpet swallowing the sound. Yet, a drumbeat of anxiety I can’t explain resonates within me.

I turn a corner, and my heart stumbles into a breathless halt, an icy dread curling in my stomach. There, amid the deserted shelves, is Cole, cornering Eva. His towering frame looms over her petite form, his face inches from hers, so close in fact that some of his long blond hair has escaped his bun, brushing against her cheek as he speaks in hushed tones.

His blue eyes smolder with an intense blend of frustration and longing as he clearly tries to convince her of something. Eva’s eyes are wide, her usual pragmatic demeanor replaced with visible distress. Her hands clutch her books tightly, a shield against his unwanted advances.

I rush forward, my protective instincts kicking in. “Hey, what’s going on here?” I demand, my voice slicing through the silence. The sudden interruption startles them, their heads snapping toward me. Cole whirls around, his eyes wide with surprise before he quickly smooths his expression into a casual grin. “We were only talking. It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he says, his tone too smooth, too rehearsed.

Eva pushes past him, clutching her books to her chest. “It’s nothing, Poppy,” she insists, her voice trembling a bit. We had agreed not to share our past, but the fear in her eyes speaks volumes.

I nod, pretending to accept her words, but my mind is made up. As I steer Eva away, my thoughts linger on Cole, a looming threat that I silently vow to neutralize.

I wrap my arm around Eva’s shoulder, and I throw a last deadly look toward Cole, who does not even register it as his calculating eyes are on Eva’s back.

“Eva, we need to talk about—“ I begin, my voice laced with concern as we reach the table.

She cuts me off, her voice a firm, unyielding barrier. “Don’t, Poppy.” Her hands, trembling ever so slightly, hastily gather her belongings, shoving them into her messenger bag with a disregard that belies her usually meticulous nature.

“But, Eva.”

She closes her bag and sighs. “We made a deal, and you didn’t want to talk about Ethan. I didn’t press.”

“I know, but—“ I look at her now, seeing determination where I initially saw fear. “I’m not afraid of Ethan. He’s a nuisance at best, a reminder of a past that… hurts. You looked afraid, Eva, and I think under this bravado, you still are,” I add, looking at her tight fist resting on the table.

She follows my eyes and unclenches her fist. “I’m not scared of Cole Westbrook,” she says firmly, pushing her glasses up her nose; a subtle flicker of something undefinable in her eyes betrays her words. “I was not ready. It won’t happen again.”

“Ready for what? Eva—“

She slings her bag over her shoulder. “Do you need me to take you somewhere?” The finality in her voice shows me the subject is closed.

“One more thing. Are you in any kind of danger?”

I think she must see the genuine worry on my face because the hardness of her face softens, and she’s my friend again. “Not anymore.”

Not anymore is not really the answer I want. I wanted a loud and resounding “no.”

My mouth opens, then snaps shut, a silent surrender to the battle before me. Recognizing a lost cause doesn’t mean I can’t wage a silent war in her defense, unbeknownst to her.

“Want me to drop you at work?” I look at my watch now that Eva cut her study session short. I have a couple of hours to kill before work, and I decide to do something I swore I’d never do, but for Eva, I am ready to. I’m going to look for Ethan Hawthorne.

“No, since the study session is canceled, I’ll use this time to work on my own things.”

Her eyes flicker with a speck of suspicion as she nods, an unspoken question lingering in the air between us. “What time are you finishing tonight? I can come pick you up. I’m not a fan of you coming back at night from there.”

I wave my hand. “No worries, I’ll be home late anyway. I’ve got to babysit my brothers, but Mom will give me a ride back later. I’ll manage.”

“Poppy…” she trails off, her eyes searching mine, laden with concern and a silent warning. “Don’t go meddling into something that has nothing to do with you.”

“I won’t go talk to that blond Neanderthal if that’s what you are thinking. You tell me you’re fine, then you’re fine.”

She throws me a last look and nods. “Okay. I’ll see you later then.”

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