Page 99 of Devious Gambit

Since I was out of touch with Mr. Ed, I didn’t know when he’d land back in KV. Eventually, classes started back up again, the halls were packed with noisy students and I gravitated into my hidey-holes. I did have one last lot of ammunition to fire at him if he got too close, and that’s to let him know that I was very happily seeing Hayden. It was a lie, I wasn’t ‘very happy’ seeing Hayden, reasonably happy, was more accurate. On paper we were a perfect fit, especially since we made a great coupling with Lise and Tris, however, my heart wasn’t completely in it. Not yet. I guess these things take time.

Normally, I kept my eyes low as I walked the halls and yards of the university, but these days I was more vigilant, searching for that tall drink of water to avoid him. I expected him to stride into Stads with his friends when school started back up, but he didn’t show. None of them showed. I ignored the disappointment swelling in my stomach and wondered if something happened to him. Maybe I should check his TikTok account. No. Just leave it. I got what I wanted. Let him go.

Three weeks into the term and I started to relax. I didn’t see him around and came to the conclusion that he hadn’t returned from Maui. I smiled to myself, wondering if he had decided to go against his father’s wishes and pursue a career of his own choosing. If I was his girlfriend, I’d be very proud of him as I knew what was at stake if he abandoned the Luxon Soap path. But I’m not his girlfriend, so shut up.

“Hey,” I paused at the sound of a deep, smooth voice. I was traipsing through thick snow on my way to class and turned down an alleyway between two classrooms. I raced past a tall figure leaning against the wall without realizing it was him. I hadn’t seen him in the flesh for so long, yet I prepared myself for this moment. What I hadn’t prepared myself for was how my body reacted to him. My nerves fired sparklers in my stomach, my hands trembled in my warm gloves, and my heart fluttered like a trapped moth.

“Hey,” I replied, hugging my books tighter to curb my anxiety. I glanced at him briefly and exhaled, dropping my eyes down. He was wearing Hawks sweats, hands in his pockets, sun-tanned face, like someone who’s been places. Still beautiful.

“How have you been?” he asked. I could feel his eyes all over my face, assessing my hair. Oh my God, my hair.

“Umm busy working and we’ve just been given our syllabus for the term and … How have you been?”

He nodded. “Good,” giving little away. “I like your hair.”

Stupidly, I was pleased that he approved.

“You look damn hot, Rhys,” he added.

I shot him a fake disapproving scowl that came with a little smile because he made me smile, except when he hurt me. I had to keep reminding myself of that moment. He used me and discarded me. “You look…like a cooked chicken.”

He chuckled. “So…” he began but I interrupted him.

“I forgot to thank you for the collage,” I told him.

“It was fun to make,” he told me. “I had a spare few days, so I got creative.”

There was more. I needed to say more. A farewell confession. “I want to thank you also for…um...giving me confidence. I mean, when you said nice things and did nice things for me, even when you were lying-”

“-The only thing I lied about was the reason I was pursuing you,” he snapped, sounding annoyed. “Everything else was the truth. Every compliment was the truth. Every time I read poetry to you was because I wanted to. I enjoyed your company and I enjoyed making you smile.”

I wasn’t going to argue with him. “Well, no one has done that for me before. I guess, every time you told me I was beautiful it sunk in tiny amounts giving me a boost of self-worth-”

“-You are beautiful,” he stressed.

I slapped my hand over my eyes to stop them from leaking.

“I just noticed your beauty before anyone else did,” he added.

My breath caught in my throat. “Um…I have to go.”

“Can we start again?” he asked softly. “Let me take you out for dinner.”

I exhaled. “Um…I’m seeing someone and I’m very happy with him.” I avoided his eye when I said this because he’s no fool.

“The math geek?”

“Yeah. He’s not a geek, he’s a genius. How did you know?”

“I’ve seen you around.”

I wanted to ask why it took him so long to come after me, but I brushed that thought aside. This was what I wanted. Everything was falling into place as I planned. Mr. Ed was to play no role in my life anymore and I’m to continue on as normal. This was what I wanted. “So I guess this is goodbye,” I stated.

I caught a look of disdain as I turned my back on him and started walking away. He didn’t come after me. I heard no footsteps in the snow, nor heard his voice calling me to come back.

It was over.

FORTY

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