Page 65 of Lunar Crest University

FINLEY

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2023

Not only is it the last day of the trip, meaning our serene bubble has burst and it’s time to go home, but I also woke up this morning feeling like death. Killer headache, sore throat, and cold sweats kind of death. The flu must have found its way to me despite keeping my distance from Genevieve—who was feeling better now and cleared to get on the plane.

I wasnotmissing my flight home.

I took the extra steps of adding extra blush and concealer to my makeup routine this morning to cover the sickly gray color of my skin while shoving my hair into a messy bun beneath a ballcap to hide my face as much as I could. As long as I made sure to ask the flight attendants for water every so often, I’d be fine.

I will befine.

No one will know.

“The plague got you, too, huh?” Genevieve appears beside me as we wait in the TSA line at the airport, her arms crossed against her chest as she gives me a once-over.

“No,” I say. “I’m fine.”

She quirks her brow at me. “Good luck. I felt like complete ass all week.”

My lip juts out as I take a deep breath. “Don’t say that.”

My soul almost leaves my body when she reaches up to pat me on the back. I think I even flinch. But to my surprise, it’s not sarcastic, it’s actually friendly… Almost.

“Don’t worry,” she tells me. “You have Luca to take care of you.”

I take it back—definitely sarcastic. Chills roll down my spine on top of the chills that have already taken over my body this morning as I swallow the thicktarin my throat. The airport suddenly goes quiet as the ringing sounds in my ears.

She knows.

Sheknows.

“What?” I croak.

The most intimidating smile I’ve ever seen dances along her lips. “Like I said, he should’ve shoved a sock into your mouth the other night.Oh, Luca!Luca?—”

Panic takes over as I quickly turn toward her, elbowing her ribs gently as I shush her with a finger to my lips. “Oh my God, Genevieve. You heard all of that? I…I’m sorry. I didn’t?—”

“I’d have to be deaf not to hear that.”

This can’t be happening.

I drop my face into my palms as a groan slips past my lips. “Please,please, don’t say anything. We knew each other before I found out he was our new professor, I swear. I know this is beyond?—”

She waves her hand in the air to stop me, rolling her eyes. “Relax. I’m not going to say anything.”

I blink a few times.

“You’re not.” It comes out as a statement rather than a question.

Everything could be mere seconds away from disaster—the dreaded moment we both knew could happen if we continued to pursue each other, and yet, we still did. It didn’t scare me before, before my heart got all involved and intertwined with all its feelings. My stomach churns nauseatingly as my hands shake. Maybe I’ll just die from a heart attack right here and won’t have to deal with the aftermath at all.

“No.” Genevieve shrugs as she looks at her cuticles. “I’ve got my eye on the football coach, so who am I to judge you?”

My mouth pops open at her as I shake my head aimlessly. “Y-you… Thefootballcoach? But you’ve been hitting on Luca since the first day of class. I thought?—”

“I flirt with everyone, babe.”

A dreaded laugh escapes me. “Oh.”

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