Page 58 of The Genius
“I see.” Intellectually his words made perfect sense but they still hurt. I might not want to marry Marco, but I wanted to be with him. Laugh with him. Explore sex with him. If only there was a way that didn’t include children and marriage.
I hurried into bed, holding back the pain in my heart.
The blanket was pulled up high and my back was to the door when Marco suddenly spoke from the doorway.
“Hey, Shelly?”
I didn’t turn around but made a sound to let him know I was still awake.
“You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”
“No.”
“Good, ’cause people wouldn’t understand and it could blow my chances with Louisa if she hears that I was sleeping with a Motlander. She might think I’m in love with you and pick another champion because of it.”
Why did he have to drill it in that he wasn’t in love with me? It was the second time he said it within a few minutes.
“I understand.” My voice sounded deceivingly unaffected, and Marco left with a small whistle while I ignored the tear running over the bridge of my nose and landing without a sound on the pillow.
CHAPTER 12
Reunion Plans
Marco
Tristan couldn’t take his eyes off Willow, and I didn’t blame him. Willow had been the prettiest girl at the school ten years ago, and now at twenty-two she lit up the whole room when she walked into Tristan’s apartment with Hunter and me.
“I heard you fainted,” Willow said with concern and sat down on the armrest of the sofa where Tristan was occupying half of it with his feet up. “How are you feeling?”
“Willow?” Tristan pushed himself up, his smile growing. “I didn’t know you were in town.”
She gave him a blinding smile and pushed her long shiny hair back over her shoulder. “I’m trying to get Hunter to move to the Motherlands so we can be closer, but so far I’m the one who has to travel up here to see my brother.”
Hunter, who had the same spectacular green eyes as his sister, crossed his arms. “We swung by Storm’s place, but he wasn’t home, and Marco told us what happened so we came by to check up on you.”
“Thank you. I’m doing a lot better.” Tristan reached for a glass of water on the table next to him. “If only my head would stop hurting.”
I was angry at Tristan for having been so reckless the day before and gave him a hard time. “You deserve to be in pain after putting Shelly in danger like that. What were you thinking, taking a woman to a bar? Do you realize what could have happened to her?”
“What happened to Shelly?” Willow asked with a frown.
I told the story of finding Shelly half naked and surrounded by a group of drunken males.
“Oh no, poor Shelly, she must have been so frightened,” Willow exclaimed. “I would have gone into hysteria.”
“Shelly isn’t like that.” Storm tucked his shoulder-length hair back behind his ears. “She was scared, but she didn’t panic or cry like other women would have.”
“I saw tears in her eyes,” I added. “Not a lot, but she was terrified.”
Willow scratched her collarbone and Tristan’s eyes followed her every movement. “Shelly was always tough. I remember thinking of her as an adult back when we went to school, even though she is only – what? – three years older than me.”
“That’s because she’s so different from the rest of us.” Hunter pulled a chair over to sit close to the couch. “I mean with the way her brain works.”
“I wish I had a photographic memory.” Storm sighed and then he lit up. “You know what? Since we’re all here, you can help me plan the reunion party.”
“What reunion party?” Willow asked.
“We were the first students to be mixed together from each side of the border. I thought it would be fun to get everyone together again and celebrate that it’s been ten years.”
