Page 59 of Blood & Betrayals

We walk to our usual table, and I’m unsurprised to see Connor and his brothers already there, chatting away. It’s the seating arrangement that makes me pause. For the past week and a half, Connor made sure there was a spare seat next to him for me to sit in when I arrived. However, today, he is sitting between Zach and Zane. Nothing else is different. He still gives me the same bright smile that fills my chest with warmth. He still winks at me in that devilish way, making my belly clench with need.

Alice glances at me and then takes a seat between Luke and Rafe. I sit down on the other side of Rafe, and Alice tips her head, looking at Connor. She obviously expects him to move to the vacant seat next to me, but he just continues to chat and laugh with Zach, who is talking animatedly about some video game that’s just come out. Alice and I share a look.

When Zach finishes his story, Connor looks at Alice, directing his attention to her.

“Heard you’re on suspension,” he says. I know that if he’s heard about Alice’s suspension, he’s heard about mine too, but he doesn’t even glance my way.

Alice wrinkles her nose, violently stabbing the straw into her blood bag. “Yeah, no fun stuff for the next two weeks.” Alice glances at me. “Summer is also on suspension.”

Connor nods, still not turning to look at me. “I also heard that Draco personally handed down your punishment. Rough.”

I bristle at being ignored by him, though I’m not sure why.

Alice narrows her eyes at him, leaning back in her chair. “For both of us, yeah.”

Connor smiles at her and then goes back to speaking to Zach and Zane about video games, and I roll my eyes, stabbing my fork into my salad a little too forcefully. The table shakes a little, and I swear I can see Connor’s lips quirk ever so slightly from the corner of my eye. I try to start a conversation with Rafe, but he just broods down at his burger, curling his lip slightly. I sigh and turn back to my salad, getting more and more irate at the stupid fucking angel sitting across from me. One second, he’s smothering me, and the next he’s ignoring me? The fucking gall. Pick a lane.

There are still ten minutes until the end of lunch when I decide I’ve had enough of being ignored. The chair scrapes noisily against the floor as I lunge to my feet and storm away from the table. I’ve barely made it halfway across the cavernous room when Connor’s large, warm hand wraps around mine, stopping me in my tracks. I turn to look at him, fury radiating off me. Connor just smiles down at me and leans in, brushing his lips over my cheek.

“Got to run,” he whispers and starts to pull back.

I tighten my hold on his hand, my brows drawing tight. “What are you doing?”

Connor tilts his head and gives me a boyish grin. He looks so endearing that my chest squeezes a little, but I don’t miss the mischievous twinkle in his eye. “What do you mean?”

I lift my chin, searching his eyes, trying to read his thoughts and motives, but I have no fucking idea how to read people. So I push to my toes and brush my lips over his, the barest of whispers against his lips. “Bye.”

He melts a little from that small, intimate action, and his arm snakes around my waist, pulling me close. He brushes his nose against mine, and I hold his gaze.

“I’ll text you,” he says, his voice low and smooth like honey.

I nod and lean in to kiss him again. I’m not sure what’s come over me. Kissing him in public like this? Kissing him completely sober and in the middle of the cafeteria? But at this moment, I need these tiny reassurances. I’m not entirely sure what he’s reassuring me about. I just know I like it.

Connor’s big hand cups the back of my head, his lips still moving on mine and his arm holding me tight. I press closer, savoring the heat from his body and searching for more. What is he doing to me?

“I have to go to class,” he groans into my mouth.

I deepen the kiss a little, and I know we’re drawing attention, but at this moment, I don’t care.

Connor tightens his arms around me. “You have class too…”

I bite his lip, pulling a deep groan from him. “You better get going, student body president.”

Connor smiles, and I can taste it on my lips. “I’m also on the honor roll.”

Something about that drives me wild, and I move onto my tiptoes to deepen the kiss more, wrapping my arms around his neck. Connor moans but pulls back reluctantly.

“Okay, I really have to go.”

I pull back as Connor loosens his hold on me. “See you later, big guy.” Connor smirks, looking down at me, visibly thrilled at the endearment.

I watch him leave, waiting for the undeniable urge to push him away, but the panic that usually surges inside me when I am near him is nothing more than a trickle of unrest. What is happening to me here?

Alice appears at my side, linking arms with me. “Well, that was quite the show,” she quips.

“Please, it was just a kiss.” I roll my eyes, my lips still tingling from the feel of his.

“It was borderline indecent.” Alice laughs as we head to our next class. As I sit down, my phone buzzes in my bag. I discreetly pull it out and glance at it as the professor walks in and begins class.

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