Page 44 of Theirs to Rule

“Don’t tempt me.”

We smiled at each other until Dante’s smile faded. “Speaking of temptation. You and Kage... After he came to the house..."

I flushed hotly. "That was a mistake,” I said, feeling the words carve a hollow space inside me. "I love him, Dante, but if I stay with him until graduation…” I shook my head. “I need to protect myself."

Dante's expression softened, understanding flickering in his eyes. "He’s back on campus and the last time you met, I’m pretty sure he didn’t get the message.”

I thought back to the text he'd sent me--the one I’d finally read.

The more time we're apart, the hungrier I'll be for you, Rebel.

“I’ll make it clear the next time we talk," I said, fighting past images of a hungry Kage pouncing on me and dragging me off to satiate his appetite.

"And Ty? Have you told him you're moving out?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, Ty walked right through the front door.

"What's this?" Ty’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "Breaking a few more rules, Dante?"

His tone was biting, clearly looking to provoke. I felt the tension spike in the room, but Dante didn’t bite. Instead, he offered Ty a tight-lipped smile.

"Looks like my time here is done." He glanced at me, and the look in Dante’s eyes told me this wasn’t the end of our conversation, just a pause, a step back. For now, he was giving Ty and me space.

I followed Dante to the door, his hand touching mine in a silent goodbye. The cool evening air brushed against my skin as I stepped outside, watching him climb onto his bike and roar off. A lump formed in my throat, tightening as I forced myself to turn back.

Ty hadn’t moved. He was still leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his eyes locked on me with a mix of coldness and indifference. “So, when are we doing this drawing assignment?” His voice was detached, like we were talking about something as mundane as laundry instead of drawing each other nude.

I studied him, the Ty I thought I knew from our time in Italy twisted into someone I could barely recognize anymore. The memory of that boy had faded, and this version of him—angry,closed off, unpredictable—overshadowed our past. It terrified me, the uncertainty of what he would do next, what he wanted from me. I could have called him out, pushed him on his real reason for wanting to do the drawing assignment with me, told him I suspected it was because he was hiding himself, but I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. He would deny it, keeping his walls high and unbreachable.

“I’m going to transfer out of the class,” I said before I even realized I’d made that decision. But it was the only way out. The only way to keep myself from getting pulled deeper into this emotional quicksand.

Ty’s smirk was infuriating, a flicker of amusement in his cold eyes. “Running away, Camille? That’s not like you. Or is it?”

I felt the burn of his words, but I wouldn’t let him see that. I straightened my spine, my voice steady. “You can call me a coward if you want. Between the two of us, we know who the real coward is.”

He took a step closer, that mocking grin still plastered on his face. “Me?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. You’re the guy who broke up with me over text.”

“And you’re obviously still feeling bitter about that.”

I felt my anger boiling over. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stand my ground. “Yeah, Ty. You can say that. You ran away from me. From what we had. And now I don’t know who you are anymore. Now, I don’t even care. I’m moving out, remember? I don’t need any more complications in my life, and something tells me this little drawing assignment will only give you an opportunity to hurt me again. So why would I want to do it?”

“You think I’m a complication?” His voice dipped, low and dangerous. “Everyone is still talking about you and him, you know. About Kage getting hurt because of you.”

I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady. “I can handle the talk. It’s not the same.”

Ty's gaze hardened, and the room felt smaller, the tension between us suffocating. His eyes bore into mine, like he was searching for something, something buried deep that he couldn’t find. The silence stretched between us, heavy with everything we weren’t saying.

“So, you’re going to keep seeing Kage? Even knowing he’s engaged? How pathetic.”

How did he know Kage was engaged? Had he known it all along? “I never said I was going to keep seeing him. I’m keeping my distance from both of you.”

He scoffed. “Look, I don’t care who you fuck, Camille. What I do care about is making sure I’m not caught up in your bullshit. And maybe if you can fit it in around screwing every guy on campus, we can work on our drawing project. I need to pass this class.”

His words hit me like a slap. “Well, you’ll have to do it without me.”

He stepped forward, his voice quieter but no less cutting. “So, Kage and I are out, and good old Dante is your consolation prize? I have to say, I’m surprised.”

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