Page 6 of Heir of Darkness

“Exactly,” Blair said, giving her a bitter look.

Luna shook her head, grabbing her tote bag and entering the elevator to go down to the lobby with everyone else. The sun warmed her skin as they walked outside. The sky was a bright blue without a single cloud to be seen. The trees were blooming and bright green, the summer plants and flowers still blooming. The rest of New York City looked nothing like this, but Grand Willow University was outside of the city. The founders found it necessary to keep the private school on neutral acres of land as an attempt to keep civility between all the influential students and their families. That was the only way students could attend the school; otherwise, every day would be a bloodbath.

Even though it was farther from the city, the campus itself had more than enough amenities for students: apartments, cafes, restaurants, clothing stores, bookstores.

The girls’ apartment wasn’t far from the actual campus, so the walk didn’t take long. In no time they were saying goodbye to Cecilia, who groaned while walking to the science building.

Luna couldn’t focus in any of her classes for the life of her. Her mind constantly replayed the night before, how Valerio had put his hands on her as if he could, how he just spit out that annoying word, not caring who heard or that it wasn’t true.

She practically ran out of the lecture hall when her last class ended, starving after missing breakfast that morning. She and the girls would be going to a restaurant on campus once they finished, but there was still another hour until then. With the list of books her professors required for the semester, she thought it would be smart to get them ordered before the rush swept through.

Surprisingly, the library was busy for the first day, but it would die down eventually. Most of the students that came to school only did it because their parents forced them. They had trust funds and future businesses they would be inheriting no matter what, so they showed up the first week and partied for the rest of the semester, living off of their parents’ money.

“The books will be delivered to your apartment in a couple of days,” the woman behind the counter told her. Her glasses hung low on the bridge of her nose, her hair perfectly wrapped in an updo that Luna wouldn’t have known how to do herself. “It also looks like the payment will be taken out from the card on file.”

She nodded, giving the woman a smile. “Thank you for your help.”

Her dad probably wouldn’t blink at the cost of the books, so Luna threw in a couple extra for her own personal reading. It was the least he could do.

She walked farther into the library, desperate to find a way to spend another forty minutes. Most of the tables were taken, so she found herself in the fiction section, losing herself in the tall bookshelves filled with multiple editions of books she had never even heard of. She ran her finger across the spines, feeling every indent and crack in them.

The library smelled old, comforting in a way. It felt lived in like most of the books were, and Luna couldn’t help but smile. She wasn’t a book nerd by any means, but she enjoyed the craft enough to want to study it.

“Wuthering Heights? I would have pegged you for aPride and Prejudicetype of girl.”

Luna’s eyes widened as she turned around frantically. Valerio leaned on the bookshelf opposite of her, his arms crossed over his chest. She caught the way his eyes trailed her body.

“What are you doing here?” Luna asked.

“Looking at books.”

His voice was nonchalant. Valerio moved to the bookshelf beside her, skimming the books as if he cared.

“As if you read.”

“Of course I read. I keep up with all of those smutty books you buy at the bookstore. I have to say, Luna, some are far too scandalous for a girl like you,” Valerio said. She hated the smirk on his face.

“So you follow me around?” she asked, her voice hard.

“No. I was in Italy,” he said, shaking his head. “I had you followed and it was reported back to me.”

Luna’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

She tried to move around him, falling short when Valerio grabbed hold of her arm, pushing her back against the shelves. “You should have answered my calls and texts.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Luna bit back. “And your number is blocked.”

“I’ll get a new number.”

“I’ll block that one too,” she said, crossing her arms. “Can you move back? You’re invading my personal space.”

“I like having you so close to me,” he said, stepping even closer. His chest pushed against hers, allowing her to feel the rigid muscles he held under his plain white T-shirt. His body emanated too much warmth for Luna’s already burning body.

“Well, I don’t,” she snapped.

“How were your classes? Anyone I have to take care of for bothering you?” he asked, changing the subject.

Luna grinned. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t really call all the cute guysbothers.They were more of a distraction if anything.”

---