Page 38 of Theirs to Rule

"Kage and Dante? That’s old news," he replied. "Or are you talking about your little stunt at Casino night? Either way, nobodyelsegets to see you."

"You’re acting crazy. I don’t owe you anything. I can show my body to whoever I want to?—"

"Why would you want to?" he replied. “Your bravado at Casino Night aside, I would think between the two of us, you’d be even less thrilled about stripping for a stranger than I am.”

My eyes widened at his words, the implication behind them, and the way his jaw clenched, revealing he wasn’t as cavalier about having to join in on this project as he wanted to seem. My gaze lowered and I saw the top of one of his scars, the very tip of the scar tissue snaking out from under his shirt.

Maybe this wasn’t just about him being a jerk to me or trying to control who got to see me naked. Maybe this was about trying to control who got to seehimwithout his clothes on – who got to see his scars. He was playing it off like he was trying to control me because that was easier than admitting that he was hiding himself.

If that was truly the case, I hated how he was going about it, and I hated that I even cared about his insecurities in the first place, but given the compassion that had invaded me, I couldn’t deny that I did. Besides, Ty had already seen me naked plenty. And despite everything, I knew he still found me attractive. I'd felt it in that secret kiss in the library, the way his eyes had roved over me on Casino Night, and especially when we’d fooled around in his room. Given how he’d hurt me again and again, maybe I could give him some of his own medicine. Glimpses of my body that he would never, ever have access to again.

"Fine," I replied. “But we’ll be playing this assignment by my rules.”

Beside me, Ty smirked. “Whatever you say, Swan. Whatever you say.”

Chapter 18

Camille

After my disastrous confrontation with Ty in art class, fate decided I hadn’t suffered enough. As I was making my way across the quad, I saw Kage leaning against a building. I sucked in a breath when I met his gaze, but he made no move to bridge the physical distance between us. I flexed my hands by my sides. Despite knowing he was far from fully recovered from his gunshot wound, he certainly looked like he was back to normal, his clothes impeccable, his stance one of arrogant confidence. Part of me wanted to run to him and throw my arms around him and tell him how glad I was that he was better, while the other part of me wanted to scratch his eyes out.

Although it took everything I had, I turned my back on him.

My phone immediately buzzed with a notification, his name flashing on the screen. I realized then I probably should have gotten a new number along with my new phone. My thumb hovered over the notification, a mix of curiosity and trepidation churning within me. Ultimately, I slid the phone back into my pocket, the message unread. He’d already had enough of my brain space these last few days and despite the fact I’d let himfuck me in Dante’s house, I hadn’t changed my mind about ending things between us.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of lectures and notes, my mind drifting back to Kage’s silent stare and the unread text burning a hole in my pocket. I loved him, even now – but the version of him I loved had been an illusion. If he’d kept the engagement from me, no matter how much he claimed it was just business, what else could he be hiding?

Luckily, telling Bianca about the Halloween progressive had prompted her to text me an invitation to meet for coffee, one I accepted. I met her at a coffee place right off campus.

"Hey," I greeted her as I slid into the booth opposite her. Bianca’s eyes were sharp, missing nothing, but her smile was warm.

"Hey yourself," she replied, her gaze softening as she took me in. "How are you holding up?"

I shrugged, a non-committal gesture that said everything and nothing. "Surviving," I finally said, forcing a smile. "You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do. But we're tougher than we look, right?"

We paused our conversation to head to the counter. The barista smiled. "What can I get for you today?"

"I'll have a latte," Bianca ordered, her voice confident and clear.

"And for you?" the barista turned to me.

"Um, just a black coffee, thanks," I said, feeling suddenly underdressed for the complexity of the cafe's menu.

"Coming right up," the barista said, her smile never waning.

Once we got our coffees, we headed back to our booth. Bianca leaned in, her expression turning serious. "So, talk to me. What's going on? I know there's more than just planning for the Halloween party and 'surviving.'"

I hesitated, the floodgates of my troubles with Dante, Kage, and Ty creaking open but I slammed it shut. Bianca and I were just starting to be us again. I wasn't complicating that with my insane relationship troubles. "Honest, Bianca, there's nothing much to tell."

Bianca stared at me then burst out laughing. She shook her head. "Nice try, Camille. But you're not fooling anyone." She took a sip of her drink. “God, I’ve missed this coffee,” Bianca groaned.

“They didn’t have coffee in California?”

“Not like this.” She studied her cup with narrowed eyes. “Maybe they lace it with something to keep us drinking it.”

“It’s coffee,” I told her, laughing. “It’s addictive without anything nefarious.”

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