Chapter 38 THE CHAOS OF A DECISION
CHAOS.
After school hours, I strolled through the empty halls, the echoes of my footsteps bouncing off the walls.
A few students hung around, their chattering fading as I turned the corner.
My heart pounded with each step I took toward my destination as I thought about her.
Elizabeth Steinfeld
I had been avoiding her for what felt like ages, but now I found myself needing something from her.
As I pushed open the homeroom door, the creak of the hinges sliced through the silence. She glanced up from her school bag, surprise flashing across her face. The moment she saw me, a warm smile broke out, lighting up her features.
“Well hello! I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said in a bright and inviting voice as she leaned against the table, eyeing me with a hint of longing.
I swallowed hard and then smiled at her. “Yeah, I know. Just needed to talk.”
Elizabeth tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
She was beautiful and that was a fact I couldn’t deny. I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone as vain as my father anyway. But despite her striking appearance, I felt no emotional connection to this woman.
A part of me—not even the cocky side of me, but the realistic, observant part—knew that Elizabeth had more affection for me than for my dad.
It was probably because I was younger, and she was the type of person who derived a sense of… accomplishment from being with someone a little below her age.
I didn’t know, and I wasn't sure, I thought as I ran my eyes over her. But I sure had my reasons for engaging the woman.
Despite her attractiveness, if it weren’t for the relationship she had with my dad, I wouldn’t have spared her a second glance.
Yet right now, her connection to him was about to be of real use to me.
Elizabeth closed her bag and slowly walked over, a sultry smile playing on her lips. She gently tugged at my shirt, pulling me closer, and wrapped her arms around my neck before pressing her mouth against mine.
I let her, slowly parting my lips to make the kiss more... well, whatever. She needed affection, well I was willing to give it to her. Not entertaining her would make her unhappy, and that’s not something I wanted when I hadn’t gotten the information I needed yet.
When she finally pulled away, she smiled up at me, clearly satisfied with herself.
“How have you been?” she asked, keeping her voice light while she bit her lower lip. “I can’t remember the last time we were alone together.”
I could see how her gaze lingered on my lips, perhaps expecting another kiss. But I just tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to keep my focus. “You hardly care. Aren’t you going on a little getaway with my father soon?”
The warmth in Elizabeth’s expression faded, a subtle shift that didn’t escape my notice. She dropped her hands to my chest, tapping me lightly, as if to brush off my words. “Won’t be for long, just a couple of days. He says he’s overworked.”
“Hmm,” I murmured thoughtfully as I leaned in, trying to make my voice sound casual as I asked, “And what days might that be?”
Elizabeth shrugged, her eyes darting away for a moment. “We’re leaving on Friday and won’t be back until the weekend is over.”
I made the calculations in my head, then pressed, “Give me a particular date.”
But Elizabeth was getting suspicious already.
Her brows furrowed, and she pushed away from me, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “You’re being extra curious today. You fishing for information?”
Something like that, I thought with a shrug.
But of course, I wasn’t going to tell her that. I kept my expression neutral as I tucked my hands into my pockets. “Monday? Tuesday? Sunday?” I pressed.
Elizabeth pushed further away from me and then walked back over to her table. I watched her movements, graceful yet guarded, as if she was intentionally withholding the information I needed, and it was borderline frustrating.
“Since when did talking about you and my dad become such a sore topic?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
Funnily enough, I was actually curious enough to hope she gave me a real answer.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and I could see her weighing her words. “It’s not a sore topic, just… complicated, especially since you’re the one I’m having the discussion with. I don’t want you getting uncomfortable.”
Did I look like I cared? I almost blurted, but I managed to keep a straight face, watching her as she continued packing up.
She finished packing her bag, the sound of zippers and rustling fabric filling the silence. “We won’t be back until Wednesday,” she finally answered my question, raising her brows at me. “Happy?”
Not even close, I thought. But I kept that to myself as well as I watched her clear her table.
Idling for a moment, I finally said, “No goodbye kiss?”
Elizabeth paused, pursing her lips. “You really think you deserve one?”
I might not have actually wanted one, but I was suddenly wondering what I'd done to make me not deserve one.
I'd gotten what I'd come for anyway, so it didn't hurt to give her one of my charming smiles. But she just rolled her eyes, walking past me with her nose in the air. I could feel the saltiness wafting off her, but I didn’t turn around to watch her leave. I didn’t need to deal with that, at least not today.
Once I was alone, I ran a hand through my hair as I began my calculations again.
I was torn—fifty percent of me wanted to keep Merrielynn Forbes as far away from that part of our lives as possible.
But the other half of me couldn’t shake the memory of her looking at me the way she did when I called off our deal.
“Fuck.” I cursed.
If I was following through with this, then nothing could go wrong, I thought to myself.
Nothing at all.
No matter what.