Page 72 of Oblivion

“Fuck. You offered to marry him, and he said no?”

I nod.

“What are you going to do?”

Shrugging, I exhale a shaky breath. “I don’t know. But I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive myself if he goes through with this. It’s my fault.”

Starling’s sigh is sad and a little frustrated. “Sammy, I love you. But what did you think was going to happen? Evan is a psycho. He’s completely nuts. You’ve been here for the last eighteen months, and you’ve watched them all lose their shit. You’re supposed to be the most qualified to deal with them because you’ve seen them all in action,” Starling chides.

“I know. Okay. I know I should be better at handling him, but I was engaged to another man three days ago. And none of them have actually ruined anyone’s…” I trail off because Clay literally ruined January’s family’s lives. He destroyed them one by one, bankrupting their business and sabotaging their reputations and futures.

“You should know that nothing he says is ever an idle threat. If he says he’ll do something, it’s because he will.”

“Sammy, you ready? You’ll be late for class,” Evan shouts up the stairs, his gruff voice sending goose bumps skittering across my skin.

“I’ll talk to Sebastian. I’ll ask him to see if he can reason with Evan,” Starling offers.

“Fuck, if Sebastian is the voice of reason, I’m screwed.”

Laughing, Starling pulls me into a tight hug. “Look, I know Evan is nuts, but I’m so happy this has all worked out. I’m so glad you’re home. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.”

Reluctantly letting her go, I grab my stuff, then head downstairs to where Evan is waiting. “Do you have a class?” I ask him once I’m seated beside him in the golf cart.

“No, I’m only taking a couple of classes this semester, and they’re both mostly independent study.”

“Then why…?”

“We have somewhere to be after your class,” he says cryptically.

“I have two more classes this afternoon.”

“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll have you back in plenty of time for your microeconomics class at one p.m.,” he assures me.

“Do you have to go to the library or something?” I question, still unsure why he’s coming to the main campus buildings if he doesn’t have a class.

“No. I’ll grab a coffee and catch up on some emails while I wait for you.”

“Wait, you got up and drove over here with me just to wait around while I’m in class?”

“Is that a problem? Were you planning on meeting someone before class?” His tone becomes icy, and I quickly shake my head.

“No, of course not. I just…well you could have stayed in bed. I’m confused why you’d get up for no reason.”

“I have a reason. I get to spend time with you, and sitting and drinking a latte at the coffee shop while I play on my phone for an hour isn’t exactly a punishment.” His smirk is half amusement, half suspicion.

“Okay,” I answer, feeling like there’s a deeper meaning to his accompanying me this morning, like he’s making sure I don’t allow anyone else to touch me, or he’s worried I’ll pull a Bunny and disappear.

When he parks the cart in a row of other carts, I climb out, unsure what to do now. Waving and walking away feels wrong, but he’s not exactly my boyfriend, so kissing him goodbye might be weird too. In the end, I don’t do either, and instead, I push up the sleeve of my cardigan, hold up my hand, and wiggle my wrist so the tiny metal chain and padlock shimmer in the sunlight. “Were you planning on telling me about this or just waiting for me to notice it?”

His eyes light up, then visibly heat as he takes in the bracelet he attached to me at some point during the night. “I wasn’t sure if you’d seen it yet.” He chuckles.

“Why do I keep waking up with jewelry on me?”

“Because I like you covered in my name,” he says simply, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“How do I take them off?” I question.

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