Page 86 of The Ruse

“Okay.” I chuckled. “I’ll send some photos, too.” We hung up, and I went to open the box I’d stashed on my bed.

The Ralph Lauren black tuxedo with tails looked just like it had when we’d ordered it two months ago. I hadn’t thought it needed any alterations then, but apparently, my aunt wanted it to fit my every angle and muscle just right, so off to Geraldo it had gone.

“Let’s see if Geraldo is worth the price he charges,” I mumbled to myself as I pulled off my T-shirt and slipped my arms into the white button-up shirt.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror on my closet door a minute later, so that I could tie the bowtie. I probably didn’t need to do this, since the bowtie wouldn’t need altering, but my aunt had wanted photos. I figured I’d be a good nephew and go the extra mile.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my mind wandering to other people who I knew had dressed up today.

Nash and Elyse.

They were on their date now. Nash had picked her up a couple of hours ago. I’d been sitting at a table with Hunter and Scarlett in the common room a few minutes before three when Elyse had come down the stairs from the girls’ dorms.

Ever since our awkward goodbye last night, I’d been trying not to think about her and what she’d be doing with Nash today because I was trying very hard not to care. But then she’d come down the stairs looking amazing in a black dress that hit her mid-thigh, and I had found it impossible not to stare at her—to rake her in from head to toe.

She’d worn a white wool coat over the top of her dress, so I couldn’t tell if the dress was strapless or had long sleeves. But because it was Elyse wearing it, I knew Nash would be drooling over her all night.

She usually only wore light makeup with her hair either in a ponytail or down and straight, but she’d really gone all out today with bold eye makeup and lipstick. Her hair had even been pulled up in an elegant updo that showed off her delicate neck.

Man, I wanted to kiss her neck again.

I’d had a small taste of her skin last night and had been on the verge of tasting her vanilla-sugar lips again when the stupid fire alarm had gone off.

Would she be on her date with Nash right now if I’d been able to kiss her the way I wanted?

Or would things have shifted enough that she’d want to choose me instead?

It was probably stupid to even think that I had a chance with her when she was on a date with a billionaire’s son right now—when she’d gotten dressed up for him.

But even though I’d told her that we’d just gotten caught up in playing Raoul and Christine as a way to save face, something told me it had really just been us in that moment.

Just Asher and Elyse and the undeniable spark that had been growing ever since the first day we met.

I sighed and tried to focus back on tying my bowtie. I needed to stop thinking about thewhat ifsandwhat could have beens.

The fact was that she was on a date with Nash right now.

She’d gotten all dressed up forNash.

Not me.

After I finished with the bowtie, I grabbed my phone and snapped a few photos for my aunt, making sure to get all the angles I thought she’d want. Then I sat down on my bed to text them to her.

Me:It feels like it fits right. Here are the photos you requested.

I attached the photos to the text, pressed send, and then waited for her to respond. The three-piece tux took long enough to put on that I didn’t want to change out of it until I was sure she had all the photos she wanted.

As I waited for her response, my eyes landed on the script that Elyse had left on my desk, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she and Nash were doing right now.

I’d overheard Nash telling Hunter that they were eating at La Masseriabefore the show. I’d never eaten there before, but it sounded like a fancy Italian restaurant.

Were they sitting at a candlelit table right now?

Or were they still in the Escalade he’d picked her up in?

Yes, I’d watched them leave through one of the windows that overlooked the school’s front drive. Nash had helped her step up into the back of a black Escalade before climbing in beside her. Since he was the son of the seventh richest man in the United States, of course he had a chauffeur on hand to drive them on their fancy date.

And unlike me who felt overdressed in this tuxedo, Nash had looked right at home in his navy-blue suit.

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