Page 33 of Obsessions of the Heart

Elio scrambled to get up, fuming at my words, and smug satisfaction settled over me. “Oh, I know this is about us, but it's a warning all the same.” He tilted his head up like he was listening to someone, and I lifted a brow. “This warning isn’t just about me either. If Cinzia finds out that you caused her distress, she will be on a warpath, and no matter how tech-savvy and smart you are, you won’t be able to survive Cin when her sights are only on you.”

“Are you trying to say that your cousin is in love with me? I mean, I’m flattered, but she’s not my type. Sorry.”

He opened his mouth to spit out an acidic retort, but Rin came back around. “Read— Are you guys okay?” We turned to her, putting on our charm at the same time.

“Of course, Miss Smith.”

“No issues, sweets.”

She eyed us like she didn't believe it, so I quickly stepped forward, circling her shoulders with a squeeze. “Well, we best be off. Need to go over a lot for your future. Later, Ricci.”

Rin waved to Elio, saying that she would see him in class tomorrow, and he replied that he wouldn't miss it for the world. Having had enough of all this nonsense, I rushed her out the door, feeling his eyes following us until we turned the corner. Halfway to my car, I almost convinced myself to go back in there to kill him, but Rion’s voice popped into my head, telling me that would put Rin in even more danger, and I knew I could never do that.

One thing was for sure, I was going to make it my mission to prove to them that Rin wasn’t and never will be theirs. She would eventually have an A after her name, not an R.

Chapter 12

It was Ravi. Ravi Ambros.

My thoughts were consumed by the man next to me, steering me into his fancy expensive car. Ravi’s hands were on my shoulder, warm and surprisingly soft. How many times had I dreamed about seeing the Ambros brothers again? The answer was a million. I had thought about it ever since they left, but year after year, the frequency of the thought was less and less. I had lost hope of ever seeing them again, and now that he was here, my tongue was tied.

His fingers squeezed on my shoulder. “Thank god you remembered the code. When we get in the car, we can talk, okay?”

All I could do was nod like an idiot. My mind switched gears, thinking of the questions I’d always wanted to ask. What have you been up to? What happened when you and your brothers left? Did you guys miss me? Like hell I was ever going to ask that last question, but it was the one I cared about the most.

When they left all those years ago, I took it pretty hard. I went through a reckless, rebellious stage—getting punished all the time by Miss Vaughn, starting fights with the other kids, and generally being a menace in order to forget the feeling of being abandoned.

It wasn't until the night I snuck into Miss Vaughn’s office and found my file with my necklace that my mindset changed. After reading that, I decided I wanted a better life, and the only way I could do that was to get away from the people who were bringing me down. That night, I let go of the anger that I felt toward the boys for abandoning me, and although I decided to carve a path for myself, by myself, that didn't stop me from having the tiniest speck of hope that I would see them again.

He opened the door for me, and I sat down, moving my backpack to my feet until I felt his presence hovering over me. I had straightened up to ask him what that was about when he reached over me, and a small gasp slipped from my lips.

His sudden close proximity surprised me, and I couldn’t ignore his mouth-watering scent. It was a clean wood-like smell, a mixture of amber and cedarwood, but there was a hint of sweetness that made me think of only him. Letting his scent fill me, I realized the sweetness came from a hint of orange. It was calming and invigorating at the same time. A click snapped me out of my trance, and as he pulled away, I realized he was buckling my seatbelt for me.

“Just wanted you to be safe.” He winked at me before lifting and closing the door.

For those few seconds I was alone, I chastised myself. Get a grip, Layrin! Stop acting like a bumbling fool. You’ve never let a boy befuddle you before, and you shouldn't start now. I glanced at him through the window, taking a beat for himself, and took a deep breath. You know nothing about why he wants to talk to you. Just play it cool.

I kept my face forward, playing with the triangular points of my necklace while he opened the driver’s door and sat down, pushing the button for the car to start. I almost rolled my eyes. With all the luxuries rich people had, making a car start by pushing a button always seemed like the most wasteful. How much harder was it to turn a key?

“These things are annoying.” He grumbled as he had to push the button again before the engine turned on. “You have to remember to put your foot on the brake, or else the fucking button won’t work.” He shrugged then turned toward me with one of his disarming boyish smiles that jumbled my thoughts. “But at Messores, you gotta keep up with the Jones', so…” He waved his hand over the car.

Looking at his smile reminded me of the past. I blurted out, “Where are Roux and Rion?”

He stiffened for a moment, his cheek getting tight despite his smile. “Oh, they’re at home. It’s not far from here…” His voice became a little quieter, more hesitant. “Will you come with me to our house?”

“Of course.” His smile grew painfully wide before he shifted the gear and away we went.

At first, it was quiet, both of us seeming to be lost in thought. I didn't want to come off as clingy or crazy, but having him right next to me had my nerves going wild. I wanted to rapid fire a million questions at him, but instead of doing that, I gripped my hands in my lap and looked out the window, watching the scenery pass us by.

I jerked when I felt something touch my hand and was bewildered to find Ravi’s hand reaching for mine. His fingers dug between my clenched red fingers, prying them apart, then he settled his hand in mine, giving me a slight squeeze and a crooked smile before turning back to the road. I just stared at him, stupefied.

“You looked like you were hurting yourself. If you need someone’s hand to clench, use mine. It's much tougher than it looks.”

My thoughtless question came out fast and unexpectedly. “Why?”

He glanced at me for a second, his hair falling into his face with the quick movement. I must’ve lost all my rational thought because I reached out and smoothed it back. His eyes closed for a second as his mouth parted, and for just a moment, I was in a daze, my hormones going wild. What would it be like to kiss those lips?

The sound of his inhale bounced around the car, waking me from my absurd thoughts, and I sat back down. “I’m… I’m sorry.” I faced forward, trying to control myself. “I didn't want it to impair your eyesight. The roads are windy.”

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