Page 63 of A Discovery: Love and Other Things

“You knew about us, didn’t you?”

He hung his head, keeping his eyes fixed on his shoes. It was all the confirmation I needed.

“Felipe?” I sat up on the bed and leaned forward. “What did you do?”

When he lifted his face, there was guilt written all over it. “I might have sent Isabella into the temple.”

“What? Why?” I thought she had strolled in by accident. She had seemed genuinely surprised by what she had seen.

“She didn’t know it, but I saw Dr. Campbell enter when I knew you were in there. You two had been inside for a long time together.”

My jaw nearly hit the floor. “How did you find out?”

He grimaced as he surrendered the truth. “I saw what happened during Dr. Moore’s lecture.”

Our in-the-dark flirtation. I had fucking known it from the way that Felipe had looked at me when we’d all met up afterward. It had been fleeting, but even then, he hadn’t been able to hide his distaste.

He continued. “And I guess I realized that you two had athingand it bothered me.” His fingers twiddled as he spoke.

“But why? I told you that I wasn’t interested in a relationship.” I had clearly discussed my boundaries with him, so why did he still care so much?

“I accepted that. But seeing you with him...it just did something to me.”

All those times when I had thought we were just friends played in my mind. Joking around at the site. Indulging in late-night snacks downstairs when we were starving after working all day. At the club dancing together with his arm around my waist. None of it had been genuine. It had all been one big pissing contest on his part.

“Let me get this straight,” I shouted, jabbing my finger at him. “Instead of accepting that I just wanted to be friends, you decided to be vengeful, essentially ruining my chances of graduating?!”

His skin paled at my tongue-lashing. “I didn’t mean for you to risk your degree. I just wanted him to leave you alone.”

I shot to my feet. “How the fuck did you think this would play out? That Isabella would do your dirty work and snitch on me, and I would just be allowed back on-site to finish my internship like nothing happened?!” My skin felt like it was ready to melt off with how hot my blood ran.

Felipe sat there mute, no longer the good-looking, sweet guy I’d once known. I didn’t know the person before me.

I lifted my chin to the ceiling and shut my eyes. All of this was dizzying. “I fucking defended you,” I bit out. “James warned me that you had feelings for me, but I denied it. I genuinely thought you were my friend.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him. His mouth turned downward at my disappointment.

“I’ll always be your friend, Kitty,” he offered softly.

But I slashed my hands in the air. “No! I don’t want friends who are vindictive and can’t respect boundaries.”

“I’m so sorry—”

My phone buzzed, interrupting the apology I didn’t care to hear.

I grabbed it and unlocked my screen. It was the email I’d been dreading. My stomach hollowed as I opened it.

“The ministry wants to see me tomorrow to discuss my disciplinary action,” I said aloud, not that I owed him any explanation.

He shook his head. “I’m really sorry.”

I looked at him, fire in my eyes. “Fuck you. Get out of my room.” I pointed at the door and refocused my attention on the email, searching for any clues as to what they had in store for me.

He left without protest.

I was barring the fucking door until my flight home.

Chapter 26

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