Page 77 of The Genius
My smile grew as the thought crystallized and filled every part of my being.…you…
I love you.
“Time’s up.” Tristan called but Shelly and I kept looking into each other’s eyes, just smiling.
“I have nothing,” Storm said. “I’m clearly not a mind reader.”
“What are you talking about? You were supposed to send me a message and I was going to readyourmind.”
“Fuck.” Storm laughed. “That explains why I didn’t get anything. I was worried that you didn’t have any brain activity at all, my friend.”
“What was my message?” I asked Shelly and stroked her knee discreetly with my thumb.
“You like me.”
My smile grew. “I do.”
“Was that the message?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you guess it?” Willow asked Shelly.
“I did. Marco was being very friendly and said that he likes me.”
“Aww, that’s sweet.”
“What about you, Hunter, did you guess Willow’s mind?”
“Not even close. But she’s a woman, so it’s no surprise. It would be a fucking miracle if any man could figure out what’s going on inside a woman’s head.”
“You’re right about that,” I agreed and truly wished I knew what was going on inside Shelly’s head. Did she feel anything close to how I felt about her? And if she did, would she move to the Northlands and be with me?
“Hey, Tristan,” Willow called out and distracted me. “Hunter was talking about the drone you designed. Will you take me flying in it one day?”
“Sure, I can arrange that. You like fast drones?”
She smiled. “Who doesn’t?”
Willow’s words hit me hard. I had an old, crabby drone that couldn’t fly fast for shit. I was grateful when it chose to start in the morning and take me to work. Shelly deserved the best of everything, and without the million dollars I could win in a tournament, I couldn’t give her that. But if I won the million dollars, I couldn’t have her.
I want to be with Shelly.
I love Shelly.
Loving a woman so far out of my league was depressing. She’d already made it clear that she’d never marry me, and still I was falling hard for her.
Get your shit together,I scolded myself.It’s never going to happen, so stop fucking dreaming.
“So Marco, if Shelly could read your mind, does that mean there’s a special connection between you two?” Willow teased.
I could feel Shelly’s eyes on me when I answered with an overwhelming powerlessness pressing in my chest. “I doubt it. Shelly would probably be able to read your mind too. It’s her super brain. No special connection here.”
“You wanna try, Shelly?” Willow asked and soon the two of them were staring into each other’s eyes. I felt a prick of jealousy at Willow. My minutes with Shelly had been wonderful. To have her undivided attention like that had made me feel like I was special to her. For two full minutes, I’d fooled myself into thinking that she loved me too.
CHAPTER 16
The List
