Page 39 of Obsessions of the Heart

There was silence for a second before she puffed out a breath. “So, nothing bad happened to you? He didn't try to force you to do anything?”

I giggled. While I felt a little bad about lying to Cin, it was cute how fast she was coming to my defense. It was why I was having a hard time believing the guys’ assertion that she would use my closeness with them against me. “No, nothing like that. Just simple talk about what I want to do with my life. Where do I see myself in three years, five years, ten years? Do I have any hobbies or interests outside of school that could help me find my career path? Normal stuff like that.”

I couldn't make out her grumbles through the phone, so I asked, “Didn’t you have a mentor meeting? What did you guys talk about?”

She got silent again, then called out in a frustrated voice, “Stupid boring stuff like that. So, are you coming back now? I can have popcorn and a funny movie ready by the time you're in our room.”

The seed of doubt the guys had planted began to take root. Rion had warned me that she wouldn’t give me any specific or direct answers. My stomach clenched, and I sagged against the wall, hunched over, the phone pressed to my ear.

“Great.” I tried my best to keep my voice upbeat. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Okay. And if you’re not back here in twenty—”

“Thirty,” I countered, knowing it would take twenty just to get back to campus.

She growled, “If you're not back in thirty minutes, I’m calling again.”

“Cin, what’s going on? It's not like I’m with a serial killer!” My patience was running thin.

“Lay…” Her voice took on an eerily serious tone. “Not all men are good guys, and it's ten times worse here.”

Straightening up, I clenched my phone. It felt like I was finally getting somewhere with her. “I’ve been around bad people for most of my life. I can handle myself.”

“It's not the same thing.”

Raising my eyes to the sky and releasing a weighted sigh, I said, “You know you're the second person who told me that today. I want you to guess who else that was.”

When a growl came from the phone, I knew she’d caught on to who I meant. “Easy for him to say when he’s also one you should be worried about.”

Stomping my foot, I stood up. I’d had enough of this conversation. “Well, Cin, with all the warnings I’ve gotten lately, that means I shouldn't make friends with anyone and should treat all parties like they’re pointing a gun at me. Is that what you're saying?”

A chill ran up my spine, and when I turned around, three sets of hazel eyes were tracking me like hunters, all with thin-lipped faces. I cocked my eyebrow at them, talking to both Cin and the brothers at the same time. “Is that what you want? You want me to stop hanging out with anyone, you included? Because I don’t want that. I don't want to believe that you would hurt me because of some feud between your families.”

There was only silence from the other end. My eyes narrowed, and I took a step closer to the brothers. “I will be making friends and acquaintances as I see fit. Dangerous or not. I would expect my friends to not only understand that, but respect it. If you are so worried for me, you can watch out for me and communicate your concerns with me. We can make a plan together, but I will not let you, or anyone else, dictate my life for me.”

Ravi was the first to break. Kneeling before me, he nodded, circling his arms around my middle and laying his head on my stomach. I ran my hand through his hair as Cin said, “You're the first female friend I’ve made on my own. I just want to look out for you the best way I know how… but I can respect what you’re saying.”

Smiling wide, I looked at the other two boys. Roux kicked off the opposite wall, glaring at me, before he shrugged. With a small nod, he walked off. “That's all I ask, Cin. I’ll be back soon.”

Hanging up just in time for Ravi’s arms to tighten around me, he exclaimed, “I will always protect you and respect you.”

I didn’t know what came over me. All I knew was that I had two out of the three, and I wasn't going to give up until I had all three agree with me. Slowly, I bent over, but my eyes flicked up to meet Rion’s full attention as I kissed Ravi’s head. Rion’s fingers twitched, and the air in the room went up a few degrees until the tension became so thick I could barely breathe. I whispered along his silky golden-rayed locks like an old lover, “Thank you, Ravi. I will always appreciate your dedication.”

I should’ve added “to our friendship” at the end, but I didn’t. I wanted to not only see Rion’s reaction, but hear Ravi’s too.

Ravi gave a small moan, burrowing his head into my stomach before popping up. He faced me for a second, cupping my face. His thumb ran along my cheek as his eyes begged me to see something, to believe something, but I wasn’t quite sure what. “Always, Rin. Always for you.”

My heart seized for a moment, and I was unable to respond when he let go of me, turning away to walk down the hallway, mumbling about finding a way to preserve his hair. I shook my head, hitting my chest to restart my heart after his declaration that felt like more than a promise.

A smooth, stern voice sounded next to my ear, causing me to jerk back. “We’re just trying to protect you.” When I slowly turned, Rion’s face was only a breath away from mine. His clean lavender and bergamot scent filled my head, causing it to cloud over even as I pretended he didn't have an effect on me.

His eyes narrowed on my lips as he brushed a piece of my hair back. “We failed you back when we made that promise, but we don’t intend to fail you again.” He leaned just a centimeter into me, causing my pulse to pound in my ears. My eyes snagged on his lips while longing built up in my belly. My fingers twitched with the urge to run along his arms, his back, to make him feel just a hint of what he was doing to me. His lips brushed against my cheek. “We all respect your decision.”

I let his words sink into my skin, and for just a second I closed my eyes, savoring the build-up of tension. Craving more, my body swayed forward on its own. I wanted to feel our chests meet, for me to be able to take a long, deep sniff of that clean, fresh scent that was only Rion’s.

When my chest met air, I pulled back, eyes snapping open to see an empty hallway. I stood in that hallway for a few seconds, clutching my chest as my breathing came out short and rapid. What was that all about?

Logically, I knew what it was—attraction. From the moment I saw Ravi, I was desperately attracted to him. The brothers had always been lookers, even as kids. I used to call them the princes because they shined too bright, so of course they would grow up to be gorgeous.

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