Chapter 67: Chapter 67

Elari

For five whole seconds I let him kiss me, before he ripped his face away from me and hissed. “I can taste another man’s lips on your mouth.” He took a step back, lifting a hand to ruffle his dark hair. “Fuck Lari.”

There was pain in those last two words, so much pain and I got it. I really did. Because I felt it every time I saw him with a girl who wasn’t me.

Panting heavily I leant against the cold brick and pressed my fingers to my lips. They felt bruised. “Kade.” I warned when he took a step forward. I lifted an arm to stop him because as much as I wanted him to kiss me again. We couldn’t do it here. I looked around warily. Double checking to make sure no one had seen him and drag me into the shadows.

I let my eyes sweep over the path again just as the doors swung open and a familiar laugh filled the air as my friends filed out. Kade clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me back. And I knew they wouldn’t be able to see us but I held my breath anyway. My heart hammered so hard that I was sure one of them was sure to hear it.

“She’s acting so strange recently.” Issi mumbled and I didn’t take a degree to know she was talking about me.

“What because she wants to be with me?” Rivans voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Well yeah.” Issi flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I mean you are the one ball wonder.” The chuckled together as he playfully elbowed her. “But that’s not all. I mean sometimes I look at her and she’s not really there.”

Rivan looped his arm through hers. “She’s going through a lot. Her whole life has been messed up in the last few months. She’s allowed to be a little out of it, Issi.”

“Yeah she is.” Their voices faded away as they stepped onto the bridge and the wind picked up. “It’s more than that though. It’s like she has the weight of the world in her shoulders. One second she was a normal girl, one of us and then-“

“She is still one of us.” Rivan sounded angry.

Their voices died completely but Kade didn’t move his hand away from my face. Instead he shuffled me backwards , around the corner of the building and reaching behind his back opened the door to a supply cupboard I hadn’t even known was there.

And still he didn’t let go of me.

“Kade.” My voice was muffled by his palm and he still didn’t let go. I licked him and he whirled me around to face him in a blink of an eye.

“So-“ leaning on the wall he crossed his arm over his chest. “Your friends have a lot to say.”

“Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say. I’d heard as much as he had. They were worried about me. At least Issi knew me well enough to know I was hiding something from her.

Or several somethings.

“Im going to have to-“

“So your boyfriend only has one ball huh?” Kade chuckled. My head snapped up so I could glare at him. But he just leant there, arms crossed his impressive chest and continued to smirk. “Does he?” His dark eyes flickered into something that looked like fire.

“Kade, we can’t do this here. You said so yourself we have to pretend we are immune to each other.” Flicking my hair over my shoulder, I reached for the door. He caught my wrist , spinning me back around to him. “Does your boyfriend only have one-“

I rolled my eyes at the way he said boyfriend. “Is that really what you are worried about? Whether I’ve seen Rivan without pants on?”

He nodded his head once sharply, “yes.”

Another roll of my eyes. Turning to him I placed my hands on his shoulders. “I don’t know Kade. I’ve never seen him without pants.”

“You could have felt-“

“You’re jealous.” There was no doubt about that in my mind.

“Always.” He didn’t even hesitate. “And I know I said this was the only way we could work this but I can’t stand to see his arm around you. So I’m going to-“

The door slammed open and we jumped apart as a janitor stormed inside. His eyes wide as he stared at us.

“Fuck you Kade.” I snapped and watched as his eyes widened in bewilderment. “You don’t get to tell me who I can see. Rivan is my boyfriend.”

“You two can’t be in here.” The janitor said.

Another flick of my hair over my shoulder , I sauntered out. But not before I saw Kade mouth “later?” Silently. I nodded curtly and rushed back toward my glasses. I was going to be late now. And I’d have to make up excuses as I left early.

But there was also another massive problem. We’d almost been caught. And it wasn’t the first time either. We were going to have to be more careful otherwise this was all over.

I was half way across the bridge when I spotted someone on the other end. A familiar figure with wild curly hair.  Rowan stared at me.

“Hey.” I lifted my hand to wave at her. She didn’t move. “Hey Rowan?” I tried again louder but the wind picked it up and blew my voice away.

One last look at me and she turned on her heel and walked away. I froze. She might not have heard me because of the wind but she had seen me. And she had completely ignored me.

She had walked away.

I sighed, thrusting my hands into my pockets and shivering. Rowan was my friend. I had to believe she would come around.

I had to believe that because I needed all the friends I had around me for what was about to come.

“You’re going to be late for class Elari.” A stern voice said from behind me. I spun so fast that I slipped on the icy path and fell.

“Still as clumsy as ever I see.” The dean said coldly, she didn’t even reach down to help me up. “I really do hope you're not this clumsy on your trials. I'd really hate to kick the chancellor's daughter out. Or bury her.”