Page 78 of Devilry

“Promise me something.”

“What?” His voice wavers.

“I said promise me.”

“I promise you.”

“If it’s going to end...” I shake my head. “It’s probably going to at some point, and I’m okay with that.”

“But,” he says tentatively.

“But, if I’m going to get my heart broken, I want you to leave one hell of a fucking scar behind.”

17

Cole

It’s been a few days since Elijah left my place. Well, it’ll be my place soon enough. He insisted he needed to go home on his own, have some time to unwind. I wanted so badly to crawl inside his mind and make sure he was okay, but unlike the possessed man I felt like on the inside, I was cool, calm, and understanding on the outside.

Elijah also said he didn’t want to risk being seen together near campus. As unlikely as it was at this time of the night, his paranoia was warranted. We can’t flaunt whatever this is, hoping nobody will notice, or at best become suspicious. It was logical thinking, but it didn’t change how much I wanted to drive him home. I wanted to bask in his presence for as long as I could. And as stupid as it sounds, it was the first time Iactuallyrealized just how dangerous this thing with Elijah was going to be.

I couldn’t see past him when I was around him. Everything about him was seeping into my blood and changing my original make up. Before my very own eyes, I was morphing into an unrecognizable man. My priorities were shifting, my interests weren’t the same, and that desire to live out my days unattached, seemed like a way of life I almost forgot living.

I was stupid over this boy, and after the other night, I’m finding it really hard to care.

For Elijah, my heart, my mind, and my body seem to be willing to bend any which way. Whatever he needs, whatever he wants, it’s a given.

So, right now, against the aching need that sits heavy on my chest, I’m letting him take the lead. I’m letting him call the shots and make the moves. I’m too scared to push him, and I don’t want to push too hard and scare him.

In more ways than one, I’m just as new to all of this as Elijah is. What’s too much? What’s not enough? Am I supposed to feel so invested so soon?

When I’m away from him, the whispers of worry inside my head are incessant. It’s a growing insecurity, one that I never had until I met him.

A loud knock on my office door interrupts my midday musings. When the door opens, before I can invite the person in, I’m not too surprised to see Dean Billings at the other end of my office.

The man doesn’t wait for anyone.But why the hell is he here?Standing up, I run my hand down the front of my shirt straightening my tie, and plaster on an exaggerated smile. I walk from behind my desk to meet him halfway.

“Dean Billings. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Cole.” In three long strides, he’s standing in front of me. Sticking his hand out, I take it with a firm grip. “I just wanted to check in on you. See how your family is doing.”

“My mom’s doing well,” I supply. “Thank you for asking.”

“Will you need more time off?”

The question is to be expected, however his snotty tone has me wondering if he was annoyed I had to fly home in the first place.

“Hopefully not. As of now, I’ll be flying home on my own time. On the weekends,” I add for clarification. “But if she needed me, without hesitation I would go.”

A hint of annoyance crosses his features, and I internally high five myself for ruffling his feathers. I don’t know why it never came across when I interviewed for this position, but after meeting him and seeing him with Harper at the orientation dinner, I can’t seem to warm up to him.

“Of course,” he says. “King is all about family.” His patronizing tone doesn’t go unnoticed. “And if you need to go, we will gladly cover everything here for you.”

The prick is pushing my buttons and it takes everything in me to remind myself he’s my superior and that getting on his wrong side any more than this isn’t in my best interest.

“Dean Billings. You know I will always endeavor to put the school first. I do not take the opportunity of this prestigious position lightly. Working underneath you is a privilege.”

The motherfucker preens, and I want to roll my eyes at how conceited he is.

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