Page 45 of Hidden Lies

Micah laughed. “Devan always skips breakfast and then complains about how hungry he is until lunch.”

“Why don’t I find that hard to believe?” I smiled. “And Garrett?”

“He just subsists on coffee.”

“He’s right,” I said with a sage nod. “Coffee is the best breakfast.”

Micah, it seemed, didn’t agree with me, because when we reached the dining hall, he loaded his tray up with more food than I could imagine ingesting this early in the morning, or ever, for that matter—eggs and bacon, potatoes, waffles, French toast and fruit, plus a yogurt parfait and orange juice.

I eyed his plate. “You planning on sharing that with like six other people, or do you just get your eating for the day all out of the way at once?”

He smiled at me without comment, and dug in as I stirred milk into my coffee, then sipped carefully on the scalding liquid.

I still wasn’t sure what had triggered this strange change of routine, but breakfast with Micah was nice. As was often the case when we were alone together, neither of us felt the need to fill the silence with mindless chatter. It was peaceful sitting at a quiet table, only the two of us, as I warmed my hands on my coffee mug and Micah ate enough food for a football team. He finished every bite, too.

After breakfast, he walked me to art class as well, and we shared a set of oil pastels as we worked through the day’s assignments.

It was only when I left the art room at the end of class to find Devan waiting for me that I knew something was up.

“At least Micah had the excuse that we’re in class together,” I told the huge red-haired man, snickering as he offered me his arm with a courtly bow. I took it anyway, threading my arm through his. “But unless you’ve changed your schedule halfway through the semester, I’m pretty sure you’re not in my precalc class, which means I have no idea why you’re here.”

“What?” he said, leading me out of G-B Arts and turning toward the science building where my math class was located. “I can’t spend time with my friends?”

“I wasn’t aware we were allowed to be friends,” I teased, only half-joking.

He grinned down at me. “Garrett’s not the boss of me,” he said. “And besides, I think you’ll find he’s coming around.”

I raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

I let go of his elbow and he flung his arm over my shoulders instead. I couldn’t help but notice he looked just as good as Micah had. His shoulder-length hair was tied back, but his jaw was still scruffy with stubble, giving him a manly sort of woodsy vibe I hadn’t realized appealed so strongly to me. Despite the cold weather he had his sleeves rolled up, exposing his forearms, which were corded with thick muscle. It reminded me of the way Micah always kept his sleeves down to cover his tattoos. It made me wonder…

“Do you have any tattoos?” I blurted out, embarrassment coloring my cheeks the second the question was out of my mouth.

Devan laughed and shot me a smirk. “Why, Millie, that’s not a first date question. But if you stick around, maybe I’ll let you check for yourself.”

My cheeks heated further. “I wasn’t aware we were on a date,” I countered.

“What, you think I walk just anyone to class?” His wide eyes sparkled as he blinked them innocently at me.

“And did you just call me ‘Millie’?” I asked.

“You need a nickname. I’m trying it on for size.”

“It wouldn’t be my first choice,” I said with a wince.

“Well, Camilla doesn’t give me a lot of options to work with. Cam? Mila? C?”

I shuddered. “Please, no.”

“I’ll keep working on it.”

He left me at the door to my classroom, and the lingering warmth in my chest stayed with me all through the lecture.

While I probably should have seen it coming, I definitely did not expect to see Garrett sitting against the wall waiting for me when class let out.

“Okay, that’s it.” I eyed him suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

“You’re going to come eat lunch with us,” he informed me.

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