Page 17 of Make You Mine

Shocking me, she sits her milkshake down and leans in, inspecting my arm that holds her more closely.

Shit.

“What are those marks for? They look familiar.”

“It’s something my brother has too. You’ve probably seen them on him.” I’m hoping that answer will satisfy her, because I’m not ready to tell her everything yet. Not here, not so exposed.

“I’ve seen it somewhere else.” She chews the inside of her lip, trying to recall where.

“Trent, hi.”

Fuck, fuck! Terrible timing, Amelia.

Amelia’s face drops when she realizes who I’m talking to. “Oh, Ashley. Hi. I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Yeah, I was just leaving,” Ashley responds curtly, and it’s obvious she’s pissed at seeing this blast from the past.

Ashley twists her arm from my grip, not even sparing me another glance as she rushes out the door.

“Amelia, can you leave the notes there? I’ll see you at class next week.” I tilt my head toward my now empty booth, and she nods, looking shocked at my dismissal. But right now, the only person I care about is the one who just bolted out of here. “Thanks,” I call out over my shoulder as I run out of the diner.

Is Ashley jealous?

And why is that so thrilling if so?

Please be jealous, baby. Even if you have no clue how off-base you are.

Ashley

Fuck, fuck, fuck. How could I be so stupid? I’m so confused.

The way he looks at me and those damn breadcrumbs he’s giving me… I stayed up all night, analyzing everything, asking myself if Trent Manning is still in love with me. I hate the hope that bloomed in my chest at the thought.

But I guess this is the universe’s way of telling me to get fucked. The memory of the first-time pure dread seeped into my veins regarding that girl runs through my mind and makes me nauseous.

I see Luca peek around the corner, following me. “Please give me a minute.”

He nods, and I couldn’t be more thankful for a bodyguard who treats me like my own human. I just need to catch my breath.

Trent told me he was studying at the campus coffee shop until I could meet him at the hotel tonight. I have been missing him like crazy this week, and I know it's coming soon. Soon, I won’t be allowed to go anywhere withouta guard. I haven’t told Trent, but my mom told me she overheard my father talking to Gio, and the proposal is probably going to happen in the next six months. It makes me want to vomit. I used to think I would do anything to keep my family safe, but the more I fall in love with Trent, the more I worry losing him will kill me slowly.

We both know it’s coming, and we chose to keep doing this, even with the knowledge that it could never go further than stolen moments. But the quicker we approach the day that will officially change everything, the more uncertain I am about how I'm going to walk away from him.

My steps quicken as I near the coffee shop, knowing he will be excited by the surprise. He hates only getting to see me inside the four walls of our hotel room.

At the sight of him sitting at the table across from a beautiful girl with auburn hair, my stomach drops. She laughs at something he says, mesmerized by the way he bites his pencil and then tucks it behind his ear. It feels like an out-of-body experience watching another woman looking at the man you love with big heart eyes. She’s pretty, most likely extremely smart, just like Trent, and definitely not promised to a Mafia heir like me. It would be so easy for her to be his. They could go on dates and trips anytime they want to. He could take her home to meet his parents, and he could go to her house without risking his life. They’d have it all.

I almost turn around and leave. But then he looks up at me, and the biggest smile takes over his face. He grabs his books and literally runs out the door.

“What are you doing here, baby?” he asks on a breath, dropping his books on the bench beside where I’m standing before picking me up and twirling me around.

I push down my insecurities and wrap my arms around him tighter. “I wanted to surprise you. I was able to sneak out early. They had an event tonight, not just a meeting, so fewer eyes on me.”

“Even better.” He sitsme down and picks his things back up. Looking at his phone, he says, “It’s after four, so we can check in.” I can feel the excitement wafting off him. I lean up on my tiptoes, kissing him passionately. I know we are being sloppy with the PDA, but I can’t seem to care.

“I can’t wait to lick every inch of you,” he growls in my ear. I bite my lip, his words causing goosebumps to scatter across my skin. The anticipation of having his tongue on my body has my imagination running wild.

Trent takes my hand in his, and we start walking across campus. “I’ve missed you so much this week.”

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