Page 18 of Orlando

I’ve managed to avoid Orlando as much as I possibly can. After he discovered my little sanctuary in the library, I haven’tbeen back there. I have found a new place that no one seems to know or care about. Because, for the last two days, I’ve been able to eat lunch here in peace. Alone. As I look around the dusty trophy room, I understand why.

The place is filled with glass cabinets and ancient awards. Forgotten champions are what they are really. It makes me appreciate the now. Because when it’s all said and done, we’re all just a few people away from being forgotten forever.

Probably a morbid thought for someone my age. But you aren’t guaranteed years on this earth. Your life could end just as quickly as it began. Look at my mom, for example. From what my dad says, she loved the idea of being a mother and couldn’t wait to hold me in her arms. She never got that opportunity, though.

I don’t want to take any of my days for granted. Or Sebastian’s. Which is why I’ve decided that I’m going to tell Orlando. I’m going to invite him over this weekend and introduce him to our son. Whatever happens after that, I can deal with it. He and Sebastian deserve the opportunity to bond, to grow a relationship.

I’ve been so stupid. I should have returned to New York and found him when I was pregnant.

The sound of footsteps has me straightening my back and pulling the earbuds from my ears.Think of the devil and the devil appears.I relax when I notice it’s Orlando who’s walking towards me. But then I question myself. Should I really feel relaxed around him? Sure, he has this easygoing charm, a panty-melting smirk, and eyes that seem to be able to sear right through my skin. That doesn’t mean I should trust him, though.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I do now. My leaving that morning hurt him. I don’t even know why I did it. Partly self-preservation, I guess. He’s Orlando Valentino. He doesn’t do serious relationships. I kind of figured he’d want nothing to dowith me after he got the home run. So instead of facing that kind of rejection, I left first. And then there was the wholemoving to Chicagothing my dad sprang on me at the last minute.

It wasn’t supposed to be for as long as it was. Us living in Chicago. It was only supposed to be a month. Two max. Then that month turned into fifteen. Honestly, I started to think we’d never come back to New York.

“Trying to hide from me, Aleeka?” Orlando asks while lowering himself opposite me on the floor.

“Not everything I do is about you, Orlando. I just like to eat lunch alone. I like the peace,” I tell him.

He tilts his head. That gaze searing into me again. My hand itches to reach out and sweep back the strands of dark hair that fall over his forehead. “I don’t know, Aleeka. I gotta be honest. It feels an awful lot like you’re avoiding me. I thought we were hitting reset, babe.”

“You thought wrong,” I say.

“You know, we’re all alone in here. I could show you just how good it’d be to reset us.” His fingers twirl small circles on my bare knee before slowly moving up my thigh.

My heart rate increases in speed, and my breathing gets heavier. I’m falling under the spell that is Orlando Valentino, and if I don’t break this connection now, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. I can’t do this with him.

Pushing his hand off my leg, I glare at him. “I’m not one of your little groupies who’s just going to fall onto your dick because you click your fingers and say so. There is no reset. Whatever we had back then, it’s broken. I broke it when I left.”

“We didn’t break, babe. We… separated. Temporarily, prematurely. Our relationship didn’t get to live out its natural course. Now that you’re back, we can rectify that.”

“Where exactly do you see that natural course ending up?” I ask, curious as to what he has to say.

“My bed.” He smirks. “Your bed?” he adds when I shake my head at him.

“There is something I want to talk to you about. But not here. Can you come over on Saturday? To my place?”

“So your bed it is. I’ll be there. What time?”

“Lunchtime, and I do actually mean talk. I’m not sleeping with you, Orlando. Not that you’ll even want to after you hear what I have to say,” I mumble the last part, but I can tell by the look on his face that he heard me.

“I’ll be there,” he says.

“Thanks. I gotta go and get some things from my locker before class.” I push to my feet and pick up my bag. I heft it onto my shoulder and look down at Orlando. “I’ll see you Saturday,” I tell him before making myself walk away.

Chapter Twelve

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Dante asks, throwing himself down into the seat opposite me. I don’t even know why I came to the cafeteria in the first place. It’s not like I’m eating anything.

She’s not here. Aleeka didn’t turn up to school today, and she’s not returning my messages either. It pisses me off that I even care. Why the fuck should I care where she is? I plan ongoing to her place tomorrow and hitting that reset button. Then I can move on, forget Aleeka Bateman ever existed.

“Nothing,” I tell Dante while slamming my notebook shut.

“Sure. That’s why you’re sitting here being a broody fucker, writing down love song lyrics for a girl you supposedly couldn’t give two fucks about.” He snatches the notebook out of my hand and opens it.

I’d try to get it back off him, but what’s the point? I’ll end up recording these songs for the world to hear anyway.

“Reset?” Dante raises an eyebrow at me. “It’s a stupid idea, but the lyrics are actually good,” he says before tossing the notebook in my direction again.

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