Page 59 of The Facade

So I tugged on Mack’s hand and said, “Just let me get out of here and I’ll tell you.”

I led him out the door, but instead of going to my car like I’d planned, I pulled him under the gothic colonnade that trailed toward the dorms. We made it to the third archway before he stopped me. “What happened Cambrielle? Did you kiss him again? Did the same thing happen?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I didn’t kiss him.”

Thank goodness.

“Then what happened?” he asked. “Did he or his friends do something to you?”

“They didn’t do anything,” I hurried to say before he could jump to the same conclusions he had last night. “I just…” I sighed and met his gaze. “I just overheard a conversation that Ben probably didn’t want me to hear.”

“What did he say?” Mack asked. “Because you looked like you were going to cry back there.”

The tears pricked at my eyes again, a wave of emotion coming over me.

Mack took my hands in his, running his thumbs across my knuckles in a soothing way. “Please tell me, Cambrielle. Tell me so I can help make this better.”

I looked down at our hands and let out a shaky breath. “I just overheard Ben telling his friends that he basically only pretended to like me for some sort of dare or bet that him and his friends have going.” I lifted my gaze to Mack’s again. “And he was making fun of me.”

“What?” Mack asked, rage filling his eyes. “I knew there was something wrong with that guy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and show him what happens when he messes with my friends.”

“Don’t.” I gripped his wrist before he could leave. “Don’t waste your time on him.”

“But he hurt you,” Mack said, turning back to me. “He shouldn’t be able to play you and get away with it.”

“I know,” I said. “And I’m going to make sure he can’t do that to anyone else. But…” I sighed. “I don’t want you to get involved. I just want to go home and forget that I was ever stupid enough to like him.”

“You’re not stupid for liking him,” Mack said. “He was manipulating you.”

“But I fell for it.”

“He was charming.” Mack shrugged. “And sometimes we can’t help who we like. It just happens.”

“Yeah, well.” I shook my head. “I definitely don’t like him anymore.”

“See, that’s all that matters.” A half-smile lifted his lips. “When you know better, you do better.”

“And now you sound like an inspirational quote.” I leaned against the stone archway behind me and sighed again. “I’m just glad I found out before I tried to make that re-do kiss happen. That would have made me look even more pathetic.”

Mack leaned his tall frame against the other end of the arch. “Or make him rethink his whole plan because you’re so good at kissing now.”

When he winked, I couldn’t help but smile.

How was it that Mack always knew just what to say to make me feel better?

It really was a gift that he had.

Since we were already on the topic, and my ego could use the boost, I said, “So I’m a good kisser then?”

Mack’s smile broadened, and I liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corners. “With a teacher like me, how could you be anything but the best?”

And I knew he was essentially complimenting himself and his teaching skills but having him say I was a good kisser warmed my chest. Because if Mack Aarden, who was basically known as the “king of kissing” by a lot of girls at our school, thought I did okay, it must mean that I at least didn’t completely suck at it.

“Are you really planning to go home now?” Mack asked, his brown-eyed gaze meeting mine in the moonlight. “Because I know how much you love Halloween, and it would be a shame not to show off your costume to everyone after keeping it a secret.”

“You think it turned out okay?” I asked, glancing down at my dress and touching my light-purple wig.

Mack nodded. “Pretty sure you’re the prettiest faerie I’ve seen all week.”

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