“You’re back.”
“What?” I’d been distracted taking in the clean interior of the car.
Trevor turned to look at me, his head leaning against the seat’s headrest. His eyes cause a type of intensity to hum between us, matching that of the car’s powerful engine. “You missed the whole of last week. What happened to Miss Perfect Student?”
Despite his relaxed appearance, his question felt like a trap.
“Right. Uh…” I cleared my throat. “I was sick.”Close.
“That’s what Kali said.”
“Because that’s what happened.”
“You don’t look sick to me.” He drawled, eyes roaming over me.
“Because I’m not anymore,” I clipped back, before looking away and facing the front as we entered Columbia’s parking lot.Knew I should’ve walked.
“See, I don’t think you were sick at all.” His words made me bite down on my back teeth. “I think… There was another reason for why you missed an entire week.”
I could hear my heartbeat echo in the compact space between us. Discussing my personal life and Maria with this asshole wassonot on my list.
“There was a cybersecurity breach with the Dynasty’s underground operations.” Relief flooded into my chest, only to disappear a second later. “Any chance it was the Moretti crime family, and you helped them hack into my systems?”
“What? No!” I snapped, just as he pulled into a parking space.
He turned the car off and faced me. “So you’re gonna look me in the eye and tell me it wasn’t the Morettis?”
Frustration bubbled out of me. “If it was, I didn’t help them.”
I thought that would stop the argument, since I wasn’t involved –yet.
Suppressed anger took over Trevor’s features, and he cocked his head. “Were you with Gìovanni?”
The record scratched.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I stared at him, taking in his audacity. I could spend time with whoever I wanted. “It’s none of your business who I’m with.”
His jaw clicked. “That a yes?”
I got out. “Maybe.” Then slammed the door in his face.
Skipping my first college class back after missing a whole week, was not my first idea. Hell, it wasn’t even on the list. But after the run-in with Trevor this morning, I justcouldn’ttake two hours of him lounging in the seat next to me.
Of course – I couldn’t know for sure that hewouldsit next to me. I just didn’t want to risk it.
So, what did I do instead of going to Communications like the perfect student I so loved pretending to be? I hid away in Columbia’s grand Butler Library.
After two hours of sitting down between stacked shelves and getting lost in a good book, I finally stepped out of the dark, dusty corner and tried to find a seat along the grand long study desks.
It was barely noon, the library quiet with scattered students, each doing their own thing.
I quickly found a good spot, where a ray of sunshine shone through the windows above, warming me up in the early spring. Opening my laptop, I put in my headphones and got to work on my assignment for Davis’ class.
Although I had her next, the worksheets weren’t due until next week.