Page 85 of Love, Academically
Lila’s throat thickened with emotion. God, she was awful. Her friends did love her. It’s just that she was so used to being last, to being let down, to being swept under the carpet. Technicolour Lila went a bit overboard. She was new and bright and fresh, and not restrained or refined at all.
“Jas, are you okay?”
“Of course, babe. What time are you home and sorted out?”
“About six?”
“See you then,” Jasmeet said. “Oh, and Lila?”
“Yeah?”
“Talk to Rhys. He’s miserable and that makes Dan weird,” she said. “I’ve got to go. Love you.”
Lila stared at the phone on her desk. Fuck.
Firstly, she was a grade A bitch for thinking solely of herself when Jasmeet was obviously going through something bad enough to require Comfort Carbonara. Maddy was struggling with the baby and also had a relationship to maintain.
Secondly, she was going to have to talk to Rhys. It was inappropriate to drag their friends into the situation, but somehow a niggle in the back of her brain told her it was her fault. If she had just talked to him when he came to her yesterday instead of being all aloof and professional, then no one else would have brain space taken up by their little spat.
But that could wait until after a little trip around the lake. It was bright and fresh and soon it would be dull and wet and not nice enough to get out in her lunch break, so she’d make the most of it now.
Autumn was by far her favourite season. It was all reds and oranges, comfy wool dresses and ankle boots, crunchy leaves and low, bright sunshine. The trees around the lake were exploding with colour, still some bright greens clinging to the branches, lush evergreens, but maroon and yellow ochre were simply everywhere. Nature made her smile.
She was so fixated on getting to the lake that she didn’t see Rhys until he was right in front of her.
“Oh, hi,” she said, her lips stretching into a tentative smile.
“Hi,” he said, eyebrows rising in surprise that she’d not blanked him.
“Um…” She gestured to the lake. “Walk with me?”
A slight look of hope crossed his face and he nodded, falling into step with her, his hands clenching in his pockets. They walked in silence until they were halfway around the lake. Yeah, she’d invited him to walk with her, but he was the one that wanted to talk to her, so she’d let him take the lead.
“I’d like to take you out on Saturday,” Rhys blurted, a faint blush colouring his neck.
Lila stopped and jerked her face up to his.
“Why? We’ve already been out. The deal is done. There’s no need.”
Rhys’s eyebrow rose.
“I would like to take you on a date. A proper date.”
Wait a second. He’d gone from not wanting her to touch him, to wanting to take her out on a date? Oh, perhaps he was a virgin. Perhaps he didn’t do one-night stands. Perhaps she had moved too fast for him.
“You want to take me on a date?”
“A date where there is no obligation to…” Rhys winced slightly and let his sentence hang.
“Oh.”
He didn’t want there to be anyobligation. They’d only been together because of their bargain and having sex wasn’t part of it. If they had, he would probably feel it was forever tainted by the overhanging agreement they had. It was actually quite gentlemanly. Damn him.
“Is that why—”
“Yes,” he interrupted.
“But I didn’t feel that there was any—”
