Page 123 of The Obedient Lie
The way he stood there—infamous Bastion Crow—asking with the quiet panic of someone terrified he was already losing what he hadn’t even gotten to hold yet.
I shook my head, breath trembling. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
His brows furrowed like he didn’t quite believe me.
“I’ve just been… busy.”
He studied me for another second. Then helped me down gently from the counter, holding my waist like I was glass.
I adjusted my dress. Tried to breathe.
“I should get back to Kingston and Cameron.”
He didn’t stop me.
Didn’t say another word.
And I didn’t look back.
I went back to the table. Sat down. Opened a textbook I couldn’t focus on.
Because if I looked up—if I looked at him again?—
I’d go back.
I didn’t use their ensuite anymore.
Not since everything changed.
It felt too private.
Tootheirs.
And lately, I didn’t trust myself not to let the steam blur my boundaries.
So I’d started using the dorm’s shared bathroom down the hall.
Which worked… until tonight.
I stepped out of the shower, hair wet, towel knotted high on my chest. The hallway was quiet, dark. But just as I reached for the door handle to slip out, it opened.
Luca.
His chest rose and fell once. Hard.
He didn’t blink.
His eyes dropped—first to my bare legs, then the towel… then back up to my face.
Andlingered.
I froze, hand still on the door. “Sorry—just finishing up.”
He stepped in, closed the door behind him.
Didn’t say a word.
“Luca—”
