Page 108 of Hide and Keep

“If you attended college yourself, you’d know most professors don’t care if you’re a few minutes late.”

The clones’ snickers make guilt race through me, shoving the embarrassment out of its way.

“I’ll be sure to ask Johanna if she’s one of them when I meet up with her later,” he says.

Anger, jealousy, pure fucking hatred replaces everything—my body hot from the abrupt invasion.

Then I remember my talk with the dean and I push off the eel with a secretive smirk.

If Crue thought what I did last night was a fit, he hasn’t seen anything yet.

At the threshold of my first class, Crue smiles at my professor. Or I guess more accurately Cruetriesto smile at her because Johanna Flemming’s positively oblivious to his presence right now. And according to the dean’s promise he made me, she’ll continue to be oblivious to Crue Brantley should their paths happen to cross again—on or off campus. Best of luck to her trying to move on from that divorce she may or may not be going through. It won’t be with my bodyguard.

My smile stretches wider as Crue redirects his gaze to me, the friendliness long gone. As a parting gift to him, as well as a reminder from our talk earlier, I tap on my sternum with my middle finger, and mouth, “Mine.”

I spend the class drawing Crue’s left-side profile on the back of the exam, spending extra time on the crescent scar starting just under the outer edge of his eyebrow, following the orbit to end in the space between his eye and cheek.

“Interesting choice,” I hear above me but don’t take my eyes off Crue’s graphite one.

I didn’t choose him. The universe sent him to me, not once but twice, and I’m going to hold on with both hands until the very last second.

“I’m more curious to see how you did on the front though,” my professor adds.

“I’m not turning this in.”

“I’ll have no choice but to give you a zero.”

“I should’ve drawn you.” Sitting back, I suck air between my teeth, but still, I remain focused on my work.

“Why? So I won’t fail you? That’s not how this works—”

“No, so that the authorities would have an updated portrait of you.”

“Why would the authorities—”

“To put in the paper.” I finally glance at the woman standing above me. “In the event you go missing.”

We stare at each other until I paste on a bright smile and shuffle my stuff into a pile, my exam turned right-side up.

“Have a nice weekend, Johanna. I hear it’s supposed to be beautiful. Might even take the yacht out for some deep-sea fishing.” I’ve never fished in my life, but if she utters another word to Crue, about Crue, or tries to fight me for his portrait, I won’t hesitate to use her as bait in—as my father would say—shark-infested waters.

I leave my speechless professor and join Crue out in the hallway. He doesn’t ask any questions and I don’t offer any answers. We don’t even speak to each other until we’re back at my car and he opens the door.

“What’s that?”

“This?” Reaching in, he grabs the teddy bear sitting on the passenger seat. “It’s yours.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Sure it is.” He thrusts the stuffed animal at me, forcing me to take it.

I inspect the little black bear with his redbreast burnt-orange ribbon bowtie. I’ve seen these around before. He must’ve bought it on campus somewhere.

“You wanted a prop. Something you can dress up.” Crue’s tone is downright scathing but I don’t let it affect me. He bought me a teddy bear. Nobody’s ever bought me a teddy bear.

“Does he have a name?” I ask.

“What?”

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