Page 181 of The Revenge Plan (Forbidden Descendants 1)

“What?” Cannon demanded through the phone. “What happened?”

“I gotta go,” Wick croaked, his eyes glued to me.

“Why?” Cannon sounded alarmed. “Web? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Haven just walked into the room,” I answered for Wick, speaking up so Cannon could hear me from the doorway. “So Wick knows I’ve been standing in the hallway, listening in on your entire conversion. I heard everything.”

Absolute silence followed for a beat before Cannon said, “Talk to you later,” and hung

up.

47

Haven

“HayHay,” Wick whispered, his voice broken and full of pain and misery. He started to stand, but I held up a hand.

“No, don’t get up. I think… I think I’ll just come down there with you.” And I sank to my knees right where I’d been standing in the doorway. Bingley wiggled in my arms. I let her down, and once she hit the floor, she bounded over to Wick, who picked her up and cuddled her gratefully.

Gripping the tops of my thighs, I rocked back and forth and I watched the kitten comfort the man.

“So,” I started, swallowing hard before glancing around the room and settling my gaze back on him. “You liked me three years ago? When we were freshmen?”

“I…” Pain slashed across his features before he gulped and nodded. “I shared a class with you. The first time I saw you across the room, I thought you were pretty. So I told some of my friends on the team about it.”

From the expression on his face, I knew he was downplaying it. Big-time.

“Why?” I croaked, wiping wetness from my cheeks. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Tell you what?” he rumbled out miserably. “That I saw you first? Or how he treated you behind your back? That it was all my fault you even ended up with him? Or that I’m pretty sure I’ve been stupidly, hopelessly, irrationally in love with you for the past three years?”

I squeezed my eyes closed. Only for them to pop right back open. “Hopelessly?” I repeated, zipping my face up again. My mouth fell open and I began to shake my head slowly. “No,” I gasped. “That’s not even possible.”

He winced in apology and swallowed visibly. “I didn’t think it was possible either. I didn’t even know you. I don’t understand why I—”

But I held up my hand. “No,” I told him, only to lift my voice and repeat, “No. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

Canting his head to the side in confusion he watched me, waiting for me to explain.

“Tell me,” I said. “The first time you saw me… Was it… Was it because you noticed a...a certain shirt I was wearing that you liked or something like that?”

Wick pulled back and blinked at me in shock. “Yeah,” he answered a little suspiciously. “A Stranger Things shirt. It showed a picture of the guy who played Steve and said ‘Pretty damn good babysitter’ under that.” He squinted and tipped his head to the side. “How did you know that?”

Wrong shirt, but the same general idea.

I nodded. It was close enough to be possible.

“Lucky guess,” I said before mournfully adding, “Topher burned that shirt, you know. I thought it was an accident at the time. We were at a bonfire, and I spilled something on it, so he gave me another shirt from his truck to wear instead. Before the night was over, my Stranger Things shirt ended up in the fire. He acted so sorry, apologized like crazy, and swore he’d get me a new one. But he never did. He kept putting it off and distracting me every time I brought it up until I forgot about it entirely.” I shook my head and gritted my teeth. “I loved that shirt. I wore it all the time.”

“Yeah,” Wick said softly. “I know. I loved it too.”

“He burned my shirt because he knew you liked it, I bet. Son of a bitch.” Pressing my hand to the base of my throat, I tried to swallow, only to find it impossible. “So you… Were you there that night? The night I first met him?”

“I… Yeah.” Frowning, he focused intently on me. “How did you know that?”

“Because I read about it,” I confessed. “In ‘Hopeless Henry.’”

Wick shook his head, his expression one of absolute confusion. “You mean the fiction story in the University Gazette that you like? About the tuba player?”

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