Page 12 of The Vengeance You Crave
"Holy crap, are you engaged to a football player?" I blurt without thought.
Letty chuckles as I admire her stunning black diamond engagement ring. I can't help but wonder the reason behind the color of the stone. It's stunning, unique and I just know there's a story there for him not to have gone for the standard.
"Yeah. Not one of those guys though."
Relief floods me. I have no say in what Luca does or who he's attached to anymore. That ship has long sailed but I can't help wanting to hear that he's not a player, that he's single, that he's held out for me.
I almost laugh out loud at my thought—okay, fantasy.
I already know it's not true, I've spent enough time scrolling through his social media over the years to know that he's always got a girl on his arm.
"Kane's… different," Ella explains, making Letty snort a laugh.
"You can say that again."
With a soft smile playing on her lips, Letty gives me the CliffsNotes of her relationship with her fiancé. The story makes my chest ache hearing about how they grew up together but spent most of their teen and young adult years at each other's throats before figuring their shit out after finding themselves at MKU together unexpectedly. I'm sure there's a hell of a lot more to the story than she lets on in her five-minute run down, but even still, it gives me hope. Probably naïvely, but my teenage heart still craves my all-American boy from the fancy house a few streets over who stole my heart with one cheeky smile.
"Sounds like you two have quite the story," I force past the giant lump in my throat.
"It wasn't love at first sight, that's for sure. So what about you? Got a boy on the scene?"
I chuckle, thinking of the boy who's taken over my life recently. "Nope. Boys are off my radar right now."
"We'll fix that Friday night, right, Let? You got the night off, right?"
"Umm…" I hesitate. "My boss wouldn't let me switch," I lie, guilt eating me as I do. I really want to make the most of this budding friendship, but equally, I don't want to be at a party where he's likely to be. The longer I can remain hidden in the shadows the better.
"Damn, girl. You're just going to have to come after. We're going to sort our costumes tomorrow after class. Wanna join?"
My lips part to refuse, but tomorrow is my night off and I'll feel like a jerk if I pass up this opportunity.
"S-sure, I'd love to," I say, not having to force the smile that appears on my face at the thought of spending time with them off campus.
"Perfect. We'll have you looking like such a goddess that all the boys will be tripping over themselves to get to you," she says, rubbing her hands together as if I've just turned into a little pet project for her.
"Uh… that's okay. I don't—"
"You can argue as much as you like," Letty interrupts. "But I should warn you that she'll still get her way."
"Hey, you make me sound like a control freak," Ella argues.
"I'm not trying to make you sound like one, you are one."
Ella huffs in frustration but movement outside the window stops me from focusing on her response to Letty.
My heart picks up speed as the guys head this way.
My pulse thunders through my body and my chest begins to heave as panic assaults me.
He can't come in here. He just can't.
I wring my trembling hands under the table, my eyes tracking the group’s movement as they get closer.
My eyes flash to the only door, the one they're about to walk to.
I can't even escape.
My head spins as the thought of coming face to face with him once more in public becomes more and more a reality when he claps his hand on one of his friend's shoulders, says something briefly and then takes off in the opposite direction without looking back.
