Page 217 of A University of Betrayal

Embarrassed by my inappropriate thoughts, I looked back at the window where long veins of water ran down.

I couldn’t just sit here and stare at him, I had to do something...

“Do you have anyone you can talk to about this?”

Julian just stared at me, and I was afraid I had touched the wrong spot. Again, I watched him closely until he finally shook his head.

I bit my lower lip.

He had no one to talk to and had probably been carrying this crap around with him for half an eternity. I was curious, wanted to know what had happened, so much that I felt ashamed again, because it was none of my business.

And yet I said, “If you ever feel the need, I’m here. And I’m a good listener.”

Julian faced me again, and he looked me straight in the eye.

“I mean, it would only be fair and...” He looked at me, but something in his gaze had changed. “That doesn’t mean you have to or anything...” I stuttered on and looked at Julian, who was looking at me as if I were a ghost. There was a strange new gleam in his eyes. “I just want you to have someone, because everyone should be able to share their thoughts and... have someone to talk...”

A slight smile settled on his lips. “Thanks Bay.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off his, and yet something inside me relaxed. The fear of having built a wall between us disappeared immediately, and all that remained was the physical distance between him and me, between our eyes. Whenever I looked into his for too long, I would sink into them unintentionally.

A voice inside me protested immediately. Then there was another voice that wanted to say something, to give him a compliment. I did my best to suppress it until the urge was stifled and the voice of reason took over.

“When’s your date?”

As if I’d pressed a button, the gleam disappeared from Julian’s eyes, and he ran both hands over his face.

Forest Rain And Thunder (Seamless)

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“Shit. Tomorrow.” He looked at me again, the gleam gone for good, but also the pain, which had definitely originated in his dream. “And I still don’t know how to act around her.” Julian sounded stressed, which I hadn’t expected.

I raised both eyebrows. “You shouldn’t worry so much, maybe take a shower first so you don’t smell like a dog, unless Emely is into that sort of stuff.”

Julian looked at me like I’d cracked a bad joke. “So, I smell like adog?”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” I laughed.

I had only once consciously breathed in his smell before.

“But you said so,” he protested worriedly.

“You Senseque do smell different. But that’s not what I meant.”

“So, I smell bad?”

“No, I... I have no idea!” What did he think? That I was sniffing him? “Ask Emely, not me!”

I laughed, embarrassed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. I had managed to distract him.

“What’s the point of having friends if they don’t even knowthatabout you?” Julian said with a grin.

A slight stab in my heart. That was all I could feel as I tried to smile with fake annoyance and his grin widened. His messy hair reminded me of someone.

“You better make sure you don’t walk around like Professor Copeland.”

And then we both laughed, and even though it felt real, there was this twinge. I started to feel bad, only for what?

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