Page 68 of A Sinner's Saint

Japas. Female friend.

Elena:

Meet you there.

Dropping my phone into my bag, I follow Scarlett out of the building. “Thank you,” I tell her. “My friend Elena is meeting us there.”

“What’s she studying?”

“Law. Do you live on campus?”

“Yeah, you?” Scarlett asks.

“No, I’m staying with my mum for a bit.” I plan on getting a job and an apartment soon. For now, I’m happy to stay and help my mother.

We make small talk as Scarlett directs us to the coffee shop. The whole time, I’m looking around the gardens and the walkways. I need to stop. I’m not looking for him.

I order a vanilla caramel latte and a muffin that I know I won’t eat. But it looks good, and by the time we sit down, Elena walks in. “You have no idea how freaking glad I am you’re finally back.” She wraps her arms around me. “It’s been way too quiet around here.”

“I’ve been back for a month,” I tell her, returning her hug.

“Yeah, but back at school. With me.” She smirks.

“Back? Where did you go?” Scarlett asks.

I make quick introductions before explaining how I was in Sydney for my first year, leaving out the reason why.

“So, have you seen him yet?” Elena says right after our coffees arrive.

“Seen who?” Scarlett looks in my direction, her eyes full of intrigue.

“No one, and no,” I answer both of them in one breath.

“No onesounds an awful lot like a someone.” Scarlett laughs.

“Her ex,” Elena clarifies. “He goes here.”

“Haveyouseen him?” I counter.

“I try not to,” she sneers, like the mere thought of Vin sends her into a fit of rage.

“What did he do? Cheat?” Scarlett asks me.

“No, he wouldn’t do that.” I don’t want people talking badly about him. I know I’m meant to be the one hating him, and I do. Well, some part of me does. There’s just a bigger part that loves him.

“He broke her heart. And ghosted her,” Elena says.

“Has he… Do you know if…” I can’t even bring myself to ask the question.

“No,” she says. “From what Marcus tells me, he hasn’t touched a single person.”

He hasn’t? Why not?“You still talk to Marcus?” This is news to me.

She looks away and shrugs. “Every now and then,” she says before asking, “How’s your mum?”

“Nah-ah, do not even try to change the subject. What’s going on with you and Marcus?”

“Nothing. He needed help with his shop and he asked me. That’s it. There’s nothing to tell.” Elena looks everywhere but at me as she speaks. “So, back to Vin? What are you going to do when you see him? Kick him in the balls? Chop them off?”

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