Page 11 of Love, Academically
“She’s over with our friends,” Jason said, waving a hand over his shoulder. “Li, can I speak to you,” he hesitated, “in private?” Jason jerked his head, indicating a quieter area by a corner.
Li? What kind of stupid, unimaginative nickname was that?
Rhys could see the cogs working in Lila’s mind as she glanced at Jasmeet, whose eyes were impressively hard, boring drill holes into Jason’s face.
“Sure,” she said, sliding from the stool and adjusting her dress. That colour blue really did suit her. “I won’t be long,” she said to Rhys, squeezing his forearm. Good, that was an excellent boyfriend/girlfriend interaction.
Rhys turned back to his drink as Lila wandered away with Jason.
“What?” he asked, feeling Jasmeet’s scowl turn on him.
“What type of boyfriend are you?” She leaned across the table at him, nostrils flaring.
Rhys was unimpressed. “Uh, the fake type.”
“A real boyfriend wouldn’t let Lila deal with that wanker by herself.” Rhys wondered vaguely what Jason had done so Jasmeet wouldn’t even say his name. “You should go over there. Now.”
Rhys frowned. “Lila can handle herself.” And he certainly wasn’t going to jump in the middle of whatever that was.
“She may be able to deal with twatty lecturers at work,” Jasmeet said pointedly, confirming Rhys’s suspicions that Lila Cartwright had been gossiping about him. “But she can’t deal with Jason. He has a habit of crushing her confidence and destroying her self-esteem. So, be a good little boyfriend and go over there.” Jasmeet flicked her fingers at him. “Now, please.”
Rhys scowled at the woman across the table, but she just held his gaze. She was Eleanor of Aquitaine, the She-Wolf of France, and he couldn’t fault her in trying to protect her friend.
“Fine,” Rhys grumbled and stood.
Looking around, he spotted Lila and Jason. He had both hands on her shoulders and his mouth was moving quickly. Rhys could practically see him sucking the life out of Lila.
“Hey,” Rhys said as he approached them, sliding his arm around Lila’s waist and pulling her to him, away from Jason’s grip. “You okay?”
Lila nodded, her lips pulled into a tight line, a poor semblance of a smile.
“Are you done here?” Rhys asked Jason, eyebrows raised, not really expecting an answer.
“Look, man, I’m just telling Lila that she shouldn’t take too much on. You must know how she gets, she doesn’t do well with a lot on her plate, and this new job…” Jason trailed off with a worried look at Lila.
What was he expecting? Some solidarity in putting down a woman he supposedly used to love? What the hell was this guy’s problem? Besides, Lila’s life was none of his business.
“No, I do not know ‘how she gets’. She’s doing amazingly in her new job, and has been for the last couple of months.” He looked at Lila with a confused frown. “I’m not really sure what your point is?”
“Hey, man, I’m just looking out for her,” Jason put his hands up defensively. “Lila shouldn’t take too much on. She can’t cope.”
“Look man, I don’t know who you think you are, but you don’t talk about her like that.” Because what the actual fuck. Rhys knew full well that was not how you talked to, or about, people. He’d learned that through horrible experience. “We’re done here,” he said, turning Lila away from her ex.
“I’m just looking out for her,” Jason called after them as he led Lila back to the table.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“That’s what boyfriends do.” Rhys bristled. “Why does he put you down all the time? What’s all that about not being able to cope? I think you cope just fine.”
Lila rewarded him with a beautiful, bright smile. “Do you?”
It was a real question; she was looking for affirmation as she climbed back onto the stool, smoothing her dress over her legs.
“Yes, of course I do.” For all her scatty featherbrained ways, he begrudgingly had to admit the department ran much more smoothly with Lila as coordinator.
He settled his arm across the back of her stool and let his thumb graze the skin of her arm again.
“You don’t have to keep your arm round me, Rhys,” she said kindly, letting him off the hook.
