Page 68 of Lunar Crest University

Because I’m no good for her.

I’ve known this from the beginning, and yet, here I am. I should do the smart thing and take a step back. It has already reached dangerous territory—someone else knows. The best thing for both of us would be to protect her from afar. Do what needs to be done without any sex. Withoutanyof it. From the way I look at it, I’m going to upset her regardless.

It’s what I’m good at.

But goddamn it, I care about her.

I care about her, and I’m a selfish fucking man.

As the bus drove back into Lunar Crest, it didn’t shock me in the slightest that thick clouds shrouded the sky. The ground outside was damp from where it had rained, but thankfully, the universe gave us a break long enough to make it back to campus and start unloading the bus without getting drenched. Genevieve wasted no time collecting all her luggage and heading straight to her car without even so much as athanks, whereas Finley trudged off to the side as I gathered our suitcases. As soon as her bag touched the pavement, she was marching over to grab the handle and yanking it across the parking lot behind her as she hurried toward the bus stop to wait for the next one to come through.

This fucking girl.

Against my better judgment, I stomp after her.

“I’ve got it,” she says without looking at me.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her fiery side in a while, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it when she was pissed at me.

Letting go of my suitcase, I look around as I shove my hands into my pockets. Classes should be over by now, and by the looks of the empty parking lots, everyone has cleared out for the day. A drop of rain hits the lens of my glasses, and I sigh.

“No one is here,” she snaps.

“Finley.”

“Don’t worry,” she says in a mocking tone. “No one will see us.”

She ducks her head as she wipes at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, sniffling quietly as she refuses to look at me. Her voice even sounds stuffy when she speaks. She doesn’t need to be standing out here in the rain waiting for the next bus.

“I know you’re upset. I know you’re not feeling well.” Licking my lips, I cock my head, willing her to look at me. “But we haveto take this seriously. Seeing each other like this is dangerous, and you know it.”

“Yes, I know,” she huffs, crossing her arms.

“Anyone knowing about us is risky. Even if you trust them, Finley.”

“Iknow.”

The rain is picking up now, misting down on us as it clings to every surface it can find. The cold air seeps through my clothes, so I can only imagine how she feels.

“Let me take you home,” I say gently.

“I’m fine. I’ll take the next bus.”

Rolling my lips between my teeth irritably, I inch forward, lowering my face down next to her ear as I take a steadying breath. “You’re sick,Princesa. It’s raining. It’s cold. Just let me take you home.”

Her green eyes finally dart up at me, and her jaw clenches as she contemplates what I said. With a curt nod, she grabs her suitcase handle like a pouting child. I take her suitcase from her, despite the scowl she sends me, and lead the way across the parking lot to my car. She sulks behind me as I load my trunk with our luggage—the rain pattering against the hood and bouncing off the pavement.

Slamming the trunk closed, I walk around the right side of the car to open the door for her. As I turn to motion for her to climb inside, I’m met with even more defiance. She gnaws at the inside of her mouth as she scoffs weakly. The bags underneath her eyes are darker than before, and the tip of her nose is red from the cold air.

“I’m not a child,” she mumbles, storming over and yanking the door as she gets into the passenger seat. “I can do things for myself.”

Crouching down next to her, I watch her eyes widen slightly as I grip her chin in my fingers to force her to look at me. “You’resure as hell acting like one. I don’t want to argue with you. You’re not feeling good. I’m taking you home. That’s it.”

She blinks her watery eyes. “Okay.”

As I stand up, I shrug off my coat and wrap it around her like a blanket. Her hard glare softens as she peeks up at me, but she tears her eyes away from me as she snuggles down into my jacket. Closing the door, I round the hood and climb into the driver’s seat, starting the car and immediately turning the heat on. The wipers squeak against the windshield as they swipe away the gathering drops of rain, and the sound feels so loud in the silent car.

“You don’t have to do this,” she whispers after a moment. “You’ll just get sick too.”

---