Page 74 of To Love or to Lose
I become bored by the tour, considering I already know everything I need to know about the university.
If I hadn’t already decided that Oxford was my top choice for my undergraduate studies—which I am fairly certain I will be accepted into—Columbia would be my next choice.Having the notoriety of an Ivy League school, while also being in NYC, has Columbia high on my list of serious university contenders.
“How long would it take for you to read all these books, Gen?” Eloise questions from where she stands nearby.
Genevieve is still not fully attuned to her friends, but rather the surrounding architecture. “I don’t have time to do the math right now.”
I chuckle quietly at the idea of Genevieve—if she had the time—calculating how long it would take for her to read every book in this room.
“I can’t believe this is where you’re going to school,” Logan says to Genevieve in awe. “Like look, Gen. This is where you’ll be studying.” He pats a table, making the lamp sitting atop it teeter.
Eloise slaps his shoulder, “You idiot. Stop touching things.”She reprimands, like he made a grave mistake.
“I’m sorry!” he yells in a whisper. “God, did you join our group today just to give me shit?”
“Yeah, I did.” She smiles.
We haven’t seen much of Eloise this trip because she was the one forced to room with someone else after she lost a game of rock, paper, scissors against Winnie and Genevieve.
She hasn’t seemed to mind, though. Her and Ivy—her roommate for the week—have spent lots of time wandering New York City.
The tour group continues walking while the five of us stand around the table in silence, as if we’re waiting for a librarian to approach and revoke Genevieve’s acceptance.
After a few seconds, we continue walking along with the group, the tour guide not talking as we pass through the library.
“Jameson, who knows, this could be where you end up going too.” Logan nudges me.
I glare at him, seeing Genevieve’s head snap back so fast she’s probably seeing stars.
She starts walking again once I’m standing next to her, making it so she’s walking in line with me. “You got in?”She asks, sounding shocked, even though we both know she shouldn’t be.
“Of course, I did.” My lips tug upward at her annoyance. “You’re not the only smart one, Genova.”
It’s then I realize how pretty she looks. She’s wearing a brown sweater and a neutral-colored plaid skirt. She also has a long, white coat, scarf and tights covering her legs to keep her warm. Her hair is perfectly curled, makeup pristinely placed among her features. The only imperfection I can spot is the slight undertone of a bruise surrounding her eye.
She is absolutely gorgeous, with or without the shiner blemishing her face.
We exit the library, which is perfect timing for her to respond in her genuine tone. “You know what, I hope you’re smart enough to get into Oxford, just so I have the pleasure of knowing you’ll be on a differentcontinent,” she sneers.
I lean down so I’m closer to her height. “You don’t have to lie, love,” I whisper so the rest of the group doesn’t hear. “I know you’ll miss me, at least a little.” A visible shiver runs through her.
“You gave me a black eye last night, asshole.” She shoves me away. “Don’t act like you’ve given me any reason to want you to stay in America.”
“So, you’d be content if I went back to London tomorrow?”
Genevieve hesitates momentarily. “Make it today and I’ll buy the ticket for you.” She finally taunts. Based on the amount of the time it took her to say it, I doubt she actually feels that way.
She can hate me and stomp her feet about how unfair it is that I’m here, but we both know, deep down, that she enjoys having the competition. I’m the only person in this school who is on the same playing field as her, and she gets to prove she’s not only smart among her peers, but amonganyone.
Still, her insinuation has me rolling my eyes.“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Genova.”
“Don’t placate me!” she snaps. “This isn’t about you, it’s about my hatred.”
“It involves me when you’re talking about your hatredfor me,” I remind her.
Genevieve is good at compartmentalizing, especially when it comes to me. She has always attempted to keep me and her opinions toward me completely separated, even though they are synonymous.
On the contrary, I hold Genevieve and my feelings toward her hand in hand. Her personality correlates with everything I know about her, and to separate the two would be a disservice to her.
