Page 52 of The Casualty of Us
“Deal.” He smirks, lowering his hand from my face to slide the bag down my shoulder. “Full disclosure though, you’re not the only one trying to make someone jealous here.”
I snort softly. “That’s fair.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
“You know, Graham,” I muse, falling into step beside him as we start to walk through the mess hall. “I think we might have to extend this alliance to a lifelong one.” His sharp laugh has me looking over to lift a brow at him. “Just saying, we could be invaluable to each other.”
“Oh, Ophelia Fitzroy.” He swings an arm around my shoulders, bringing his lips down to whisper in my ear. “I already decided that about one minute after you sat down at my library table.”
I toss back my head with a laugh that’s definitely louder than necessary, counting down the ten remaining steps to the door that will take us outside.
But it only takes two more for the crash to sound behind me.
Then only one more for my head to turn back, seeing the tray and mug that are split and shattered on the ground beside my usual table. The food and liquid are strewn all around and I catch the black-haired figure just as he raises a hand to tug at it while storming away to the opposite side of the mess hall, slamming his other fist into the door to throw it open.
“You okay?”
Graham’s whisper has me swallowing against the revolt happening in my stomach and trying to make myself believe too. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
But six steps later, when the cold air finally hits me and I step outside…I still can’t get the image of that damn shattered mug out of my head.
Chapter Fourteen
OPHELIA - JANUARY 2013
I skipbreakfast the rest of the week.
Surviving off scones and snacks that I stockpiled before coming back to school and straddling a very fine line on all fronts. Dodging Evie and Kennedy’s questions about both my status with Hayes and Graham. Evading Marley and Holden’s knowingly cautious eyes during the times we’re all in the dorm. Carefully keeping any interaction that Graham and I plan just overly friendly enough to keep people guessing without any other real commitment to the part. Ensuring that we can both claim that it fizzled out to a friend situation in a couple of weeks.
And most importantly…
Paying absolutely no mind to Hayes’s intense hazel eyes as they track me anytime we’re in even the slightest proximity. The new shade of intensity in them sets me even further on edge with their sense of assessment.
Surprisingly, Ollie’s the one who leaves me alone, mostly. Not even commenting on my behavior with Graham or mentioning Hayes once. Going right along with myeverything’s finedecree to a degree of perfection that has me resolving to immediately forgive him the next time he pisses me off. He even goes so far as to bring me dinner a couple of nights that I hadn’twanted to brave the mess hall or sit with Graham, who made clear that it’s an open invitation.
But Ollie…Ollie situated himself between me and Hayes in classes, checked in every night before bed, and overall went straight into full brother bear mode.
I really don’t know what I’d do without him.
“Ollie! Ollie! Please get up! Ollie!”
“Earth to Fitzroy.”
“Huh?” I blink, turning to look at Graham, where he’s walking beside me. “What?”
“You got a little lost there.” He smirks.
I open my mouth to apologize at the same time he reaches up, fingers barely brushing the ends of my hair before I’m pulling back. “Don’t touch my hair.”
Unable to help the weird reaction that’s been around since the kidnapping.
“Whoa.” His brows shoot up. “Boundary noted.”
“Sorry.” I blow out a deep breath, trying to ease the way my heart is suddenly all over the place and stopping as we come up on the one classroom I’ve been dreading going into all week. Really hoping Hayes decided to drop debate instead of continuing with it like he planned at the end of last semester. “I do that sometimes.”
“Ah.” He gives me a knowing look. “Are we fizzling already then?”
“No.” I laugh softly, propping myself against the wall. “I really do zone out sometimes, but.” There’s some truth to his question, though, that has me shrugging. “Yeah, probably, I think another week is all I have left in me.”
