Page 44 of Fire of the Fox

“Stupid ass paper cut. I hate getting those!” she complained, as a vibrant drop of blood dripped down the side of her finger.

I gave her a sympathetic look. Paper cuts truly were things of nightmares.

I turned my attention to my mirror. Knowing I’d be doing some training later today, I already wore a pair of leggings and fitted white tee. After pulling my hair up into a messy bun, I reached for my purse.

“Woah, woah, woah. Hold your horses. Where do you think you’re headed off to?” Dallas asked with a smirk.

I shrugged and tried to keep my tone casual. “Oh, you know. I’m just going over to Rune’s for a bit.”

Dallas gave me a knowing look as she tossed aside her textbook and notes. She scooted to the edge of her bed and stared at me with eager eyes. “Rune, huh? Haven’t you two hung out every day since Sunday?”

“Yeah, we have.”

After our initial meet up at the mall, I’d planned to confide in Dallas about Rune’s plan, but I’d ended up deciding against it. I was worried that revealing too much about Rune and the fake dating would provide room for me to slip up and tell her about the Fae. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Dallas with such a secret, but I’d promised not to tell anyone. Plus, that kind of secret wasn’t mine to share. So I decided to keep quiet and pretend that he and I were actually hanging out due to our growing feelings.

“So, do you like him?” she asked.

I looked out the window, avoiding her gaze. That was an excellent question, one I was beginning to wonder myself. Did I like Rune? Nibbling on my lip, I looked back at her and took a deep breath.

“Yeah, I do.”

As soon as I said it out loud, I knew I wasn’t only answering for the sake of the fake relationship. There was some truth in that answer, too, which terrified me. My emotions about him no doubt had more to do with curiosity in figuring out who he really was, than me having genuine feelings for him. At least, that’s what I was telling myself. Even so, I had to rein in those feelings before they could take root and turn into something more than intrigue, because if I fell for him fully, I knew I’d get my heart broken in more than one way.

Rune wasn’t interested in being with me for real, something he and his friends had made clear. He wanted us to stay professional, so if he thought I couldn’t handle the “just business” approach, he could decide not to have me join in on the plan, which would destroy my chances of getting the money for Italy. I’d be left with a rejected heart and my shattered dreams.

Dallas squealed in a way only she could. “That is so awesome! Y’all would be so cute together. Plus, he’s like your knight in shining armor since he rescued you at the club.”

I laughed and scratched nervously at my scalp. “He’s definitely something.”

That something being a Fox Fae.

She fell back against her pillows before picking up her highlighter and textbook once more. She pointed her finger at me and said, “I won’t keep you or your lover waiting anymore, but I want all of the juicy details when you get back. It’d better not be PG either. I want either PG-13 or R, you got me?”

Flaming bright red, I shook my head and started to walk to the door when I paused.

“I thought you had a paper cut?” I asked, quirking a brow at her. Her peach flesh was unmarred and devoid of blood.

Her eyes went wide as she looked at her finger. Laughing, she looked up at me again. “I guess it wasn’t as deep as it felt. Yay for me!”

“Lucky you. Whenever I get them, my fingers take forever to stop bleeding.”

She flipped her red curls over her shoulder. “The perks of being me, I guess.”

Laughing, I gave her a final wave and raced from our room.

A smile was plastered to my face as I weaved my way through the stairwells. I found myself almost enjoying this game of pretend that Rune and I were playing. It was nice picturing us hanging out because we actually liked being around one another. Part of me wished that were the case. I wished that we were a normal girl and guy going out and getting to know each other instead of a human and Fae faking a relationship. It was nice, in part, because the pretending was what allowed Rune and me to get closer. If we weren’t pretending, would we have had sex and been done after day one? Would we have had this chance to hang out and explore what it meant to be together? While I wanted us to be seeing each other under normal circumstances, pretending would have to be enough.

The afternoon sun was bright as I exited my dorm. Up ahead, Dax was kissing some redhead at her car. He had her pinned against it as they made out with an intensity that wasn’t appealing to the public eye. My stomach coiled in disgust, and I looked away, intent on getting to my car. I had figured seeing him with another girl like that would hurt, even just a little, but oddly enough, it didn’t. The knowledge made me hold my head higher. I had happily moved on.

As I approached my car, Dax yelled, “Bria!” He waved bye to the girl with whom he’d just been tongue tied. He turned back to me as he jogged over.

“What do you want?” I asked, disdain seeping into my voice.

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Look, I’m sorry for being an ass Friday night. I guess I got a bit jealous when I saw you dancing with that loser.”

I glared at him and crossed my arms. “His name is Rune, and I don’t want your apology. I want you to leave me alone.”

He chuckled and nudged me with his elbow. “I know you don’t mean that. You and I are good together. We had something special.”

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