Chapter 24 FADED
MERRIELYNN.
With the lights reflecting on my face, I sat absentmindedly in front of the vanity while Emorie sat in front of me, dabbing a small amount of concealer on my eyes.
I winced slightly as her finger brushed against my cheekbones, and I caught the grimace on her face before she muttered a quiet “sorry."
“All done,” she said, stepping back to let me admire her work. I leaned closer to the mirror, letting my fingers graze my face.
I was grateful that she had managed to hide the purple bruises under my eye. I thought it was healing, but it seemed like it was going to take forever. I mean, it’d been more than twelve hours yet the bruise remained stubbornly visible.
I could feel Emorie watching me. I looked at her through the mirror and I could see the worry in her gaze. She had been like this since I returned to the dorms the night before.
I sighed letting my hand drop as I looked away. “For the millionth time, Em, I fell,” I said, trying to sound convincing, but her heavy stare made it hard.
"Bullshit." She replied, crossing her arms.
I took a deep breath, feeling the frustration building inside me, but I let out a soft laugh, attempting to just mask it. “I tripped and fell while washing my hands in the bathroom,” I insisted, trying to sound casual. “Got soaked in the process, too!”
I knew I needed to ease her worry. Yeah, my story was a lie but I wished she’d just let it go. “Seriously, Em, it was just a clumsy moment,” I added, hoping to sound convincing. “You know how I am.”
As the words left my mouth, I could feel how half-hearted and unbelievable they sounded. The truth was too complicated to share.
Did I really want to tell Emorie that Cormac was my mate? Dragging her into my messed-up life crisis felt like the last thing I wanted to do. So, I’ve chosen the next best thing—lying.
And I felt terrible about it, but some things were just better left unsaid.
Emorie immediately pulled me out of my thoughts with a sharp, “If you don’t want to tell me the truth, that’s fine, but don’t insult my intelligence, Mere.”
I sighed, turning back to the mirror, avoiding her piercing gaze. Emorie was not done yet. She continued, but this time with concern. “You can’t blame me for being suspicious, Mere. The committee meeting was suddenly canceled by Chaos, who showed up earlier than everyone else and sent us all away. Then you show up at the dorms after being AWOL for hours, drenched and with a black eye.”
Before I could respond, she leaned forward, grabbing my arm suddenly, startling me. Her eyes were serious, searching mine as she said, “Tell me Chaos didn’t do this to you. Tell me he’s not that kind of person.”
“Em, I—” I started, but the words caught in my throat. “I promise, Cormac wasn’t behind this,” I told her.
She narrowed her eyes at me, almost making it seem like she didn’t believe me. “Then who was it, Mere?” She pressed. “You can’t just leave me hanging like this.”
I shook my head again, and then I stood up, wanting to escape the intensity of her gaze. But before I could take a step, Emorie jumped down from the table, blocking my path. She suddenly grabbed my shoulders in a way that startled me.
“Look me in the eye,” she demanded in a low and serious voice. “If he did this, you and I both know he might face no consequences. But you need to tell me so we know how to move forward, so I know how to protect you.”
I felt a flash of frustration surge through me as insult prickled my skin. “I don’t need protection, Emorie,” I replied, shaking off her grip. I turned toward the door, desperate to escape the conversation. “We’ll be late for class,” I said without looking back.
As I walked away, I could feel her eyes on my back. The air was heavy, and I started to feel terrible for not being able to share what was really going on. It was like a weight pressing down on me, knowing I was leaving her in the dark while I struggled with my own thoughts.
Later that day, when Emorie and I walked toward the auditorium, I felt a knot of nerves tightening in my stomach.
Today was the day I was supposed to present alongside Cormac, but deep down, I knew he’d bail on me.
Just like always.
“Are you ready for this?” Emorie asked, glancing sideways at me.
“Ready? I’m not even close,” I muttered, suddenly feeling irritated by the whole situation.
We, the chairs, were expected to showcase our progress on the auction event to one of our main patrons, and I was flying solo. Yesterday’s meeting was supposed to help us prepare, but of course, Cormac, the bastard, had canceled it last minute.
“Son of a—” I quickly stopped myself, knowing Emorie was just behind me.
As we reached the auditorium, I took a deep breath as my eyes scanned the room. Almost everyone was already there, seated and chatting, and everything was set up perfectly.
But it only made my anxiety worse.
“Everything seems to be in order,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “What am I even supposed to say?”
Emorie squeezed my arm reassuringly. “You’ll figure it out. Just be honest about the progress. You’ve got this.”
But as I stepped inside, the sense of being unprepared hung over me like a dark cloud, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was on the verge of making a complete fool of myself in front of everyone.
As Emorie whispered a sharp “goodbye” and joined the other students, I took a deep breath and made my way to the front. The sight of the officials, the principal, and finally Cormac, sitting there with his arms folded made my heart race. He was surveying the crowd like he was judging a competition, and for a moment, I felt invisible as his gaze skimmed over me.
I let out a quiet exhale when he looked away, but the relief was short-lived. When he turned back to look at me, I froze, my heart pounding in my chest.
I kept my gaze straight ahead, refusing to meet his eyes as I took my seat next to him. I could feel the heat of his stare, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
What’s he looking at? I thought to myself while fighting the urge to glance over.
As the meeting began, I focused on the presentation ahead, trying to block out the distraction of his presence. But deep down, I couldn’t shake it.
I wondered if Cormac was secretly hoping I would lash out again, just so he could twist it into another excuse to belittle me.
The thought made my stomach churn, but yesterday had taught me a lesson—I was done with Cormac Graves.
When he finally turned his head away, I felt a rush of relief, like I could finally take a breath without thinking of his gaze on me.
The principal called the meeting to order, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress, trying to calm my racing heart. “You got this,” I whispered to myself, summoning every ounce of courage I had.
Just as I was about to push myself to my feet, I froze.
Cormac stood up instead, striding confidently to the center of the stage.
I wasn’t sure how to react as my eyes remained glued to him.
“Morning, everyone,” he began in a clear voice. “Today, I want to share our progress, and the goals we’ve set moving forward.”
I couldn’t help but stare, captivated despite myself.
Cormac exuded confidence, making eye contact with everyone in the room, and I could feel the energy shift as he commanded their attention. It was infuriating how effortlessly he could shine while everyone else felt like a shadow in the background.
I noticed the headmaster nodding in approval a few times as Cormac spoke, and when he finished, the applause echoed around the auditorium. He strolled back to his seat beside me, not sparing me a glance. I straightened in my seat, not sure if I was hoping for some kind of acknowledgement, but he didn’t meet my gaze.
The headmaster took the stage again and mentioned how impressed he was by our progress so far. "An unexpected level of dedication, but I don't expect any less from the students here. Very well done. " He said, glancing around at us. His gaze lingered on me and Cormac. "I’m confident that this auction is going to be a huge success." He added, and then finished with two nods of acknowledgment, "Mr. Graves, Ms. Forbes."
“That’ll be all for today, everyone,” the headmaster said. “It’s a wrap for now.”
As the meeting wrapped up, the auditorium began to empty. I decided to stay behind to tidy up, after telling Emorie not to wait for me.
I grabbed a trash bag and started dumping empty water bottles inside, but a tingling sensation crept up the back of my neck, making me pause.
Slowly, I exhaled.
I didn't need to look around to know we were alone.
I didn’t turn around when I heard a low, “Who?"
Would he ever let me catch a break?
I turned slowly to see Cormac standing there, his expression dark and unreadable. My lips parted in surprise at the intensity with which he looked at me.
“What?” I whispered.
He strode over, and suddenly, I was pressed against the table behind me, trying to create distance but finding none.
I didn’t expect it when he reached out, his hand closing around the back of my neck, holding me in place. My breath caught as his other hand came down slowly, his thumb hovering over my cheek. I flinched as he glided it softly over the bruise, the touch both gentle and jarring.
“Who did this to you?” he asked, his voice low and serious, a hint of something raw clawing beneath the surface.
My eyes shifted between his is surprise.
Emorie covered it. She did a good job.
Didn't she?
I forced myself to swallow, "Let go of me, please."
"I want a name."
Why?
Was I some fucked up favorite toy of his, and he was the only one allowed to break me?
"Cormac Graves" I spat.
And then I struggled. Struggled hard till I tumbled out of his grip.
"I didn't do that to you." He said the moment he let go of me.
"But you did." I said, "You keep inserting yourself into my life. Other people see that. Other people... you..." I shook my head as I trailed off, remembering Juniper's face.
Her friends.
How they attacked me while I was licking my wounds.
I shook my head again, trying to clear it of those thoughts.
"Keep your distance from me. That's all I want. That's all I'm asking for."
"I don't give a fuck what you want." He seethed, looking me dead in the eye. "I don't give a fuck what you're asking for. Tell me who did it. Give me a name."
My lower lip trembled as I watched him.
What was his endgame?
I picked up my bag and walked in the direction of the door, putting as much distance between us as possible.
Before I left, I looked him dead in the eye. "I already did."