Page 257 of Filthy Elites

I finally allow myself to look over at him, and that thought echoes through my mind again.

I miss you.

It’s absurd to miss someone who is sitting right beside me, even more absurd to miss someone I barely know, and yet…

“Maybe…” I shut my mouth, wishing I hadn’t opened it. “No, never mind.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

My stupid ass wants to have lunch with him again. Not even necessarily leaving the school like we did yesterday, but just spending time with him wherever. I could bring my bagged lunch, he could grab something from the lunch line.

And what? Sit together in the cafeteria and have a grand old time while Anae watches and doesn’t mindat all?

He presses again, but I tell him nothing and pull the latch to let myself out of the car before I say something really stupid.

___

Thankfully,my brain seems to recover with some time away from him.

I get back to my usual routine of getting a head start on my homework during lunch. A bespectacled kid comes over to my table, blushing beneath his freckles as he hands me my car keys.

I expect he’s one of Dare’s nerd soldiers.

My suspicions are confirmed when I look at Dare’s table and see him watching to make sure his delivery arrives.

My lips tug up. I can’t help it. He’s so shameless.

Shifting my gaze back to the messenger, I say, “Thank you.”

The kid blushes even harder. He swallows, looking like he’d rather die than repeat what he’s about to say, but he mumbles, “He also wanted me to give you this.”

He holds out a scrap of torn notebook paper. I am delighted and a little stunned to see Dare has written his phone number on it.

Who does that?

I know hehasmy phone number, so I’m surprised he would give his to me in such an archaic way.

Then again, Dare employs an army of nerds to do his menial labor instead of picking on them, so I guess he really just does things his own way.

I love that he doesn’t fit the mold he occupies. I like to think he’s a benevolent king who is nice to his laboring serfs, too.

“Thank you,” I say again.

“There’s a present for you in the car. It’s from Dare.” He utters that last part like he’ll explode if he doesn’t deliver the message fast enough, then he hustles away without another word.

A bit wryly, I wonder if Dare put the present there himself or had his messenger do it, but I probably already know the answer.

Since his attention is divided between watching me and his friends at his table, I have to wait a few seconds for Dare’s gaze to shift back to me. I do a mock bow and mouth “thank you.” He smirks, and I miss his energy sitting all the way over here.

No.

I cut that line of thinking off straight away and put my head down, burying it in my books. I’ve been so distracted by Dare, so caught up in my whirlwind appearance in his world. But it’s over now, and it’s time to get back to reality.

When the school day is finally over, I head out to the parking lot.

I have to remind myself I’m parked in Dare’s spot right up front. Even though it’s his spot to do with as he pleases, it feels conspicuous walking to my car parked there as a bunch of kids are flooding out of the school behind me.

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