Page 152 of The Genius
If Solomon had seen the surprise on Archer’s and Raven’s faces, maybe he would have seen through Hunter’s lie, but Solomon didn’t turn around to confirm that he’d heard right. He was already moving away from the school in long strides.
“I didn’t know Willow and Tristan were a couple,” Archer said when it was just the two of us in the kitchen.
“They’re not. I’m sure Tristan would love it, but Willow doesn’t like him that way.”
“Hunter is playing a dangerous game.”
“I know, but Tristan volunteered to play the role.”
“Brave fool.” Archer sighed. “Do you think Willow will forgive Solo?” The question hung in the air as we watched the giant of a man duck his head under a branch hanging high over the path leading down to the lake.
“Even if she wanted to forgive Solo, she couldn’t.” I exhaled noisily. “We all know Hunter would never forgive her if she did.”
CHAPTER 33
Love Declarations
Shelly
It was close to noon, and Marco and I were on the grass soaking up sunshine.
Others were sitting around in groups enjoying the last hours with their old friends before we would all split up and go back to our normal lives again.
“Marco, I haven’t seen Hunter for a while. Do you know where he went?”
Marco was flat on his back, his eyes closed.
“I asked you a question.”
His voice was low and drowsy when he answered, “Magni, Archer, and Hunter are keeping an eye on the situation by the lake.”
“They’re spying on Willow and Solomon?”
“Shh… keep your voice down. You didn’t expect them to let Willow be unprotected, did you?”
“It’s been hours. Do you think everything is all right?”
“I don’t know. They must have a lot to talk about. Solo said that he was going to apologize to her, that’s all I know.”
I nuzzled my body into the crook of his shoulder and rested my head on his chest. “Willow told me about what happened before she left the school. It’s sad, because there used to be so much love between them.”
“Please.” I snorted. “They were just kids.”
“Don’t say that. He was seventeen and she was fifteen when they ran away together.”
“My point exactly. Fifteen is still a child, Shelly.”
“I remember being fifteen and having strong feelings too. May I remind you that in this country women used to marry at the age of fifteen?”
Marco squeezed an eye open. “We fixed that. Now women have to be twenty-one.”
“You’re changing the subject. You might have been twenty when I was fifteen but I was way more mature than you.”
“Ha! Not even close. I was an adult.”
“Were you really? I remember you as being juvenile, with you and the boys competing about who could eat the most disgusting things, make the longest yellow line in the snow in the wintertime, and make the smelliest farts.”
Marco laughed. “Okay, so I was a little immature.”
