Page 32 of Deranged Imposter

I didn’t want to give her false hope.

“I decide that!”

It’s a decision I stand by. When she receives the news, she needs to cry. She can’t do that when the dorm has paper-thin walls, rows of students in lectures, people roaming on campus grounds, and curious individuals spreading conjectures without facts.

The long-lost son of the Masinis will hit the news; updates this big will cause a stir because it’s a fifteen-year-long mystery.

Her wide eyes glisten with tears, being unnervingly pretty with her sweet mouth spilling awful accusations. Saying I don’t care about her feelings. And how I lied with a straight face for days, pretending to be happy when I was supposed to be the most hurt one.

She’s wrong.

Fifteen years have given me the strength to move forward, but it seems she hasn’t.

Heat flames the pit of my stomach, diminishing while I stare ahead into the dark forest she ran into. For a fleeting moment, half of a heartbeat, I see a small child with my face grinning through white teeth and hollow eyes glinting under the low, dim moonlight.

For a while, I stare at the empty space. Then I, Zico, he—itcomes back with that same grisly smile. This time, I mirror it and feel a spider crack under my eyes.

I’m not a bad apple, just a rotten one.

Now, she doesn’t have to think about him and wonder where he is. Zico will be buried in the family mausoleum, where he will be resting and slowly forgotten.

“I know this is a bad time,” someone drawls timidly. “I saw Isabella run into the woods. I hope she’s okay. But I could use some help.”

I soothe the sparks littering my skin as I turn to face Nate and his gauche smile.

“A fight?” he probes fussily.

“What do you want?” I say, voice dropping an octave when annoyance reaches a boiling point.

“Well,” he begins, shifting on his feet as his hunch strengthens. “Aquilina really likes you, and I know you don’t. Gosh, this is embarrassing.”

“Spit it out,” I hiss, briefly looking at the trees again.

“Here goes nothing,” Nate mumbles as he tightens his expression. “How can I be you? Notyou, but the part where you got together with Isabella. I want that with Aquilina, but she wants you.”

“I don’t care.”

His eyes twitch just a fraction. A few moments pass, and he catches his breath to string together his thoughts, holding his fists to his outer thighs.

“I don’t want to lose her,” he declares, puffing an emphatic sound. “We’re friends from prep school, and that’s ten years combined.”

“Work harder,” is the useless advice I give to get him to leave.

“Let’s say you’re in my shoes, and Isabella doesn’t like you. How do you win her over? What should you do?”

I can’t concentrate, knowing my Isa is out in the dangerous terrain without so much as a flashlight.

“If it takes you ten years to upgrade to a crutch, she’s not going to see you differently ten years in the future,” I retort mindlessly as I map out the route she could have taken.

My plan was to let her out of my sight for five minutes; that’s enough time for her to cool down and come back. I’m one minute off schedule, and this fool is annoying.

“Why would you say that? Fucking offensive.”

I send him a harsh, icy glare. “You follow her like a mutt.”

“No, I don’t!” His protest inhabits drops of spit, and I would’ve broken his jaw if they landed on me.

“Are you always on your hands and knees, waiting for her phone call, then get disappointed when she talks about another man?” I taunt the truth without sparing him a glance and focus on opening the tracking app to locate Isa.

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