Page 30 of Ghost
Bianca had enough to worry about. I refused to get her involved in the Montrone family’s drama.
Chapter Twelve
Bianca
Girls
“This is a picturesque place.” Maria was looking around the cafe with mild curiosity. “To afford such upgrades… The owner must be doing well.” She nodded toward the crystal chandelier.
“We’re on campus,” I pointed out. “It’s owned by the owner of the school. I think.”
“Exactly.” Maria studied the modern artwork hanging above our table. “And he’s generally stingy with money. I wasn’t aware that he approved this kind of budget.”
I wouldn’t know, but apparently Maria did. I wondered if that meant Titus knew the president of our university personally. She was his personal assistant slash secretary, as she explained. Perhaps it was business.
Regardless, that was the least of my concerns. The thing weighing heavy in my mind at the moment was the reality of how badly I messed up.
“Do they hate me now?” Despite Damen’s words, I still couldn’t control my insecurities.
Maria rolled her eyes. “Ihighlydoubt it. I’ve known Titus my whole life. Hate isn’t the word to describe his feelings.”
“But they were so angry.” I blinked into my cup, feeling more pathetic with each moment. “They were fighting. And sent me away before Mr. Weaver returned.”
“Not to worry, if Caleb told you that he’d be back, he’ll come to you. You are correct, they were angry. But not for the reason you think.” Maria frowned as she stirred her tea. “You need to understand, Titus’ instincts don’t come out for most people. And the scene that we walked into wasn’t the most pleasant. He was having a bit of a control issue.”
Self-loathing washed over me—I had caused problems for Titus. I was the worst person ever.
Maria continued speaking. “What you should have done was let Damen handle it.”
And now I felt worse. Iwantedto obey Damen’s words, but simply couldn’t. It wasn’t something I could explain away with logic. “I couldn’t! Damen—”
“Damen would have been fine,” Maria said. “Damen Abernathy was never in danger of being eaten by a hyena. We avoid his type—they are crispy.”
My eyes shot toward her, because avoidance was not the scene I witnessed. Besides, how did she know what histypetasted like? “I saw them attacking him…”
“To get him away from you.” She ran her hand over her face. “Hyenas hunt in a pack. One of the first things they do is to isolate their prey. You were the target from the beginning.”
My heart sank as realization closed in. I had been closer to death than I knew. The thought made my hands cold.
“Eat.” Maria pushed a small plate toward me. “It’ll make you feel better. And don’t waste your time worrying about those two. They’ll get over it.”
I began to nibble on a danish, shooting her a grateful look. It was like she understood me so well already. Still, it was difficult to ignore the stone that had settled in my stomach.
“So,” Maria changed the subject. Her eyes took on a calculating gleam, making me feel as though I was being evaluated in some manner.
I couldn’t imagine what she was looking for, but there was something sisterly about her gaze. It was rare for me to be able to talk semi-comfortably with another woman. My heart began to pound as I realized what this might mean.
Could we possibly become… friends?
I had never had a female friend before. Most of the other children in my foster homes had been males and weren’t the kindest sort. And considering the circumstances, I hardly had the environment to forge bonds.
When I was adopted, I hoped things would change. My new family also included a sister, after all. But Hanah was eighteen when I moved in, already a student at college. She rarely ever visited, except once. Which was the last time my parents ever mentioned her. That ordeal ended badly when my mother noticed Hanah had a pentagram tattoo.
And the girls at school only wanted to hang out with me for one reason—to try and get close to Finn.
But Maria didn’t share that motive. She was different—I knew it. She didn’t need to use me in order to get close to a boy. She was able to do well-enough on her own.
Plus, since she was Titus’ assistant, I’d probably see her around a lot.
