Page 19 of Captured Love

Maggie talks about reducing waste and making eco-friendly choices. I try to pay attention, really I do, because I am interested. Plus, the promise of pizza at the end is a strong motivator. But every few minutes, I can't help but sneak a lookback at Knox. He hasn't moved, still standing with that casual arrogance that only someone like him can pull off.

Isla nudges me and I snap back to reality.

“What?” I whisper, annoyed at being caught daydreaming.

“You're going to get whiplash from all that turning around,” she says smugly. “Just go talk to him if you're so desperate.”

“I'm not desperate,” I protest, maybe a little too loudly. Some heads turn in our direction, and I sink lower in my seat. “I’m just curious why he’s here.”

“You'll never know unless you ask.”

I glare at her, then steal one last look at Knox. Part of me knows she's right. If I want answers, I have to be brave enough to seek them out. But another part of me—probably the smarter part—remembers that getting involved with Knox in any way is playing with fire.

And I already learned my lesson in that regard.

I hope.

The presentation continues, and I find myself fidgeting more and more. Hailey is actually taking notes on her phone, which makes sense given she’s an environmental studies major. Isla looks as if she’s paying attention to Maggie even though I know she came for the pizza just as much as I did. My mind keeps wandering back to Knox and I hate myself for it.

When Maggie mentions something about renewable energy sources, I force myself to focus on the slideshow she is presenting. Bright images of solar panels and wind turbines flash on the screen. My stomach growls again, and I start counting down the minutes until we can make a dash for the pizza.

Finally, Maggie wraps up her talk with a heartfelt plea to make small changes in our daily lives. The room fills with polite applause, and I can almost taste the pizza now. People start toshuffle out of their seats and move toward the back of the room where a table laden with stacks of pizza boxes awaits.

“See, that wasn't so bad,” Hailey says, putting her phone away. “And now we're all a little more informed.”

“Definitely, and once my belly is full, I can think about everything that was said,” I say. “Can we eat now?”

We stand and merge into the crowd moving toward the food. I can't help but scan for Knox again, wondering if he's going to make a move for the pizza or if he's just going to bolt. Part of me hopes he'll leave so I don't have to deal with sharing the same air as him.

The line crawls forward, and Hailey grabs an extra plate before I even ask. She hands it over without a word, her attention locked on the pizza like it’s the prize at the end of a marathon.

“You good?” Isla asks, already reaching for a slice dripping with cheese and pepperoni.

“Yeah, I’ll catch up. Still deciding,” I mumble, though I’m not really thinking about pizza. My thoughts are revolving around the one person they shouldn’t be.

They don’t wait. Isla and Hailey head toward an open spot near the windows, already biting into their slices like they haven’t eaten in days.

I jump slightly when Lucas slides in next to me, a grin plastered on his face. We’ve seen each other on campus after he tutored me once. He tried to correct my math homework even though I was already right. Not exactly a highlight of that day.

“Selene, right?” Lucas says. “What did you think of the presentation? That Q&A went longer than expected, but it meant people were interested in the topic, I guess.”

I force a polite nod. “Yeah, it was informative,” I say, trying not to let my eyes wander around the room. But then I spot Knox heading over, and my stomach does a little flip.

He’s wearing a half-smirk, that signature cocky set to his jaw. The second he sees me talking to Lucas, the smirk slips into something way more serious. What the hell is that all about?

Knox doesn’t hesitate. He walks right up to us, like he owns the damn place, and puts himself between me and Lucas.

“Didn’t know you were into environmental stuff,” he says, his voice low as his eyes flicker from me to Lucas and back again. “Thought this kind of thing would bore you.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m full of surprises,” I shoot back, trying to keep my tone light even though my pulse is suddenly racing.

Lucas chuckles awkwardly beside me. “It’s cool to see people from different circles showing up to these things,” he says, completely missing the tension that is now at level one thousand. “You here for extra credit or just the free pizza?”

Knox’s gaze locks onto Lucas, and I swear I see his jaw tighten. “What do you think?” he fires back, the edge in his voice impossible to miss. “I don’t need extra credit.”

Lucas blinks, thrown off by the sudden fire in Knox’s voice. “Right. Well, the pizza’s good, at least.”

Knox doesn’t even acknowledge that. “You’re a math tutor, right?” he asks. “I heard you love correcting people even when they’re not wrong.”