Page 8 of One Lovely Lie

Carter turns on him. “Don’t think for a second I don’t know how he got into our room, Mag. I swear, I hate it when you pick sides!”

“I’m not picking sides!” Magnus laughs, throwing his hands up in surrender. “I’m game if you want to do something equally hilarious back.”

“So, Thaxton, then?” Ozymandias starts, subtly throwing a look my way. “That’s new.”

“Yeah, he’s nice,” Magnus says, sinfully biting down on his bottom lip. “He has the tightest—”

“We don’t really need the details,” I blurt out, shoving my plate away because I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. I whip out my textbook instead and hope that calculus is a good enough distraction. “I’m trying to do my homework.”

“Take a break.” He smiles, wrapping his arm around me and squeezing me tight. “You’re always studying. Have some fun for once.”

“I don’t want the kind of fun you have,” I mutter under my breath, wriggling out of his hold and grabbing my stuff. I don’t even bother looking back as I take off, trying to create some distance between me and Thaxton-loving Magnus.

But, of course, the universe doesn’t want to betookind to me because Magnus is already on his feet, following me.

“Hey, come back here. What’s wrong with you today?”

“It’s nothing. Just leave me alone, Mag.”

“Never, you know that.” Suddenly, I’m stopped by a hand on my elbow dragging me back to him. He looks confused, his brow wrinkled, until something seemingly pops into his head. His frown transforms into his trademark cocky smirk, and I dread whatever is going to come out of his mouth next. “Are you jealous?”

“Jealous,” I seethe, scoffing at the audacity he has. “I’m not jealous. Why would I be?”

Jealous? I’m not jealous. How can I be jealous? I’m his best friend and he’s living his best life and I should be happy for him.

Well, yeah, fuck. I’m jealous.

“I’m not saying you’re jealous of Thaxton. I think it’s something else.”

“Like what?”

“You’re hot. You know that right?” he asks, pinching my cheeks that have flamed red at his compliment. “If you just put yourself out there, you’d be swimming in guys.”

Does he really think I’m jealous ofhim? Of the fact that he gets some and I get none? It’d be a little ridiculous if I wasn’t so relieved he hasn’t caught on to the truth.

“Sure, let’s go with that,” I say as I try to back away.

He stops me again, hands cupping my neck as he tilts his head to the side. “Okay, enough of this. Tell me what’s wrong.”

I grit my teeth because I won’t. Confessing my feelings will do nothing but damage. I’ll tell him I’m in love with him, he’ll tell me he doesn’t feel the same way, and everything between us will be ruined. I won’t even have the scraps of him I get now. I’ll have nothing.

That’s something I’ll never let happen.

“No,” I whisper. “I’ll say it one more time. It’snothing.”

He doesn’t look convinced, not at all. But he rolls his bottom lip in his mouth, his dark eyes flickering with something akin to hesitation. He looks around for a second before dragging me behind a tree in the courtyard. My breath hitches as he pushes me behind it, trapping me between his arms.

I can’t breathe. He’s so close and he smells so fucking good. All I wish is that he would press the hard planes of his body against mine, that he’d lean in and brush his lips against me, that he’d tell me I’m the only one for him.

And he does, in his own way.

“I’ll let this go because I don’t want to push you, but you need to remember that I’m still all yours. We’re cradle to grave. Forever and ever.”

I gulp. “Yeah.”

He smiles that brilliant smile at me and presses his forehead against mine. He brushes our noses together, innocent to him but everything to me. “While all these lovely men come and go like the seasons, amazed by my magnificent skills, awed by my humongous—”

“Do you have a point?” I ask, and I can’t help but laugh nervously. The last thing I want to think of right now is his humongous…well, you know.

---