Page 14 of The Invite
The letters on my notepad, where I made notes of the chapter I wanted to discuss today, blur in and out of focus.
I sense the students getting antsy and low murmurs filling the air. I’m too unsettled to teach them, not when I can feelhiseyes boring holes into my back, watching and dissecting my every move.
They were not at all afraid that I knew it was them behind the masks.
Almost as if they were confident I won’t call them out. Even if I did, I still have no proof. Nothing besides my gut intuition and the look of familiarity on their faces.
Taking a deep breath, I quickly reach into my purse and switch on the recording device I brought with me. Afterward, I face the crowd while avoiding Augustus’s gaze.
“We’ll be beginning withThe Great Gatsby,” I inform the class. “Would anyone like to read for the entire class?”
A single hand rises.
“Please come forward.”
The slim wrist glinting with a colorful bracelet lowers and a beautiful curvy blonde girl stands. Her eyes remain downcast as she maneuvers her body through the rows before reaching my side with her book in hand. Although her demeanor conveys she’s shy, her actions indicate the opposite. A strange paradox.
“What’s your name?” I softly ask.
Her head lifts to mine, and she replies, “Capri.”
Smiling, I nod for her to start. The moment she opens the book and begins reading, I’m immediately impressed and mesmerized. Her voice is loud and firm, yet light and sweet. There’s an instant spark in her posture and face like she’s lost in the fictional world she’s reading.
Meanwhile, I give a cursory glance around the room. My heart skips a beat when I catch Maverick smirking rather than paying attention to the chapter. I glare and skirt my gaze to the side, and frown upon noticing Augustus writing on his notebook.
He is sitting relaxed back against his chair, one hand on his chin while the other is wrapped around a black pen.
With his suffocating attention elsewhere, it allows me to study his dark features. Wavy black hair pushed back over a wide forehead, dark brows slashed over naturally narrowed eyes, angular cheekbones, and a Roman nose. Light stubble frames his square jaw, adding to his raw appeal.
He’s a devil in disguise personified.
Courtesy of his devious power, his gaze suddenly lifts to mine, heating when they catch me staring. A traitorous throb ignites in my clit when he glides his thumb across his full bottom lip intentionally.
I feel like a trapped prey.
Breaking our connection, I focus on listening to Capri. I sneak a glance at Augustus once again and he’s back to scribbling. I hate how I’m drawn to him.
He just appears so… normal.
Do his classmates know about his double life? Do they know he strolls in the woods at night, wearing a mask and trapping innocent girls? A deadly game of cat and mouse. Predator and prey.
The normalcy he’s portraying is alarming.
For the rest of the class, I force myself to pretend he doesn’t exist and only release a relieved breath when the bell rings. I quickly tell the class to write a summary of the part we read today for tomorrow’s discussion. As everyone filters out, talking among themselves, I collect my things and switch off the Dictaphone in my bag.
“Capri,” I stop her before she leaves.
“Yes, Miss Davenport?”
She’s back to being shy, which makes my lips quirk. “Do you love to read?”
“Yeah.” Her tone is surprised. “How did you know?”
“I could tell. It’s a great hobby to have.”
Her cheeks pinken at that, and she whispers, “Thanks.”
“See you tomorrow.”
