Page 42 of Kings of Desire
‘Cole is....,’ I tried to explain our connection, but nothing plausible managed to rise in my mind. He’s what, my new best friend? My tutor? My boyfriend? Nothing that I could come up with would really make sense.
‘Trouble,’ she cut me off, giving me a pass from the lie I was about to say. ‘Trouble, written with capital letters... In bold!’
‘Ok, ok I got the message, don’t go over the edge about it.’ Like the turmoil threatening to break me wasn’t enough. She had to spell it out for me!
I wished she was entirely right, that he would be just that, trouble. I could handle trouble, but for me, he was so much more than an inconvenience. He was the fucking devil.
Next class, Marketing. I messed up signing in for this course since someone from the Pit could never find a job at this level. This is where the big money came from, and the social division made sure we had no access to that. Ironic, since they let us study this in college. I guess they let us hope. Because hope is the most treacherous thing. Hope kept the rebellion from igniting for now, and the Pit under total control.
I took my usual seat in the back of the classroom. No one I knew came to this course, except for the elite society. All Cole’s jockfriendswere here, yet he was missing. It wasn’t unusual for him to skip courses, but I found it strange that he chose toseeme in the next one and not now.
Not that I was complaining.Neverseemed to be the best time for this encounter and if there was any chance in hell that I would run and never look back, I would take it.
I tried focusing on demographics or whatever our lecturer was putting in the effort to teach us, but Ace’s cold gaze incessantly staring at me was driving me out of my mind.
I felt so small, to the point I wanted to crawl under my desk just to avoid it. What the hell was he even gazing at with those wicked eyes!?
Yes, he had something on me, but he also signed a bulletproof contract that was assuring me he’ll keep quiet about this. There was no way he would defy Vanya, and even Cole’s reaction assured me of that. Though it didn’t stop him from attempting to mess with me at a psychological level, trying to make me feel the tramp he now thought I was. It didn’t come as a surprise since thegolden boyssaw every breathing female as that, so I shouldn’t really feel directly offended for joining the pack - in his opinion.
The class ended as it began, under Ace’s careful supervision and with that putrid feeling still twisting and turning in the pit of my stomach. What could happen during a course? It couldn’t be that bad, could it? It wasn’t like I haven’t already zombied through today’s classes, so worst-case scenario he will say some dumb shit and get me all twisted up.
Still, I needed to recollect myself. I was starting to be a mess and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of pulling the strings to my emotions. It was enough that at a twisted level he owned my body. I didn’t need him to also feast on it.
I almost ran to the bathroom, stumbling on Jenna on my way there, but managed to ignore her in my rush to feel the water dancing on my face.
My palms formed into a bowl, splashing so much cold water over my face that at one point I thought I would drown. I wish I did, that way I would be spared the embarrassment of what I will need to go through.
A soft hand found its way on the back of my neck as I was still trying to use all the water of the planet to calm my nerves. ‘Are you ok?’ Jenna’s friendly voice reached my ears, only then recognizing the person behind me since I couldn’t see even see straight.
‘Y..yes. I need to get to Finances,’ I felt the question that was coming my way and I was dodging it with all costs, besides, I was convinced that the courses were about to start.
‘Class started like ten minutes ago.’
I babbled ‘What!?’ I was confused. For how long have I been here? And what was she still doing here with me?
As if hearing the questions piling up in my mind, Jenna decided to spare me the interrogation and throw some light on my present. ‘It’s Monday. I get off an hour earlier than you do, remember?’
She was right, we don’t have the same schedule on Mondays and she always ends up waiting for me to hang out.
‘OMG,’ I ran out the door, hoping that it won’t be too late for the teacher to let me in. I may not want anything to do with Cole, but the reality was, I needed everything to do with him.
‘Should I wait up for you?’ Jenn called out after me, but the truth was I had no idea what Cole’s plans were for today, and I had no intention of letting her be wrapped in them.
‘No, we’ll talk tomorrow,’ I called out, almost reaching the classroom.
I slowly pushed the door open, like a thief trying to sneak in, only I was sneaking into a class of twenty-plus people in broad daylight.
‘Excuse me for being late,’ I apologized to the teacher, hoping that she will still let me attend the course.
‘My lectures aren’t based on excuses, and if you can’t arrive on time then I don’t have words for you to hear,’ the old hag didn’t even look my way as she was speaking, as if the ultimate trash just dropped in.
I scanned the area, to find a very annoyed Cole sitting in the back of the classroom, eyes betraying every single thought. He shook his head in disapproval as if he was scolding me, but before I got to turn and leave the teacher had a sudden change of heart ‘Go to your seat, and do it fast, you’re already interrupting my class.’ Was the disproving gaze meant for me? Or for the teacher!?
‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, not having to be told twice, then headed towards the two-seater desk Cole was already at.
The pulsing jawline and clutched fists were announcing the trouble I was really in ‘You kept me fucking waiting. No one does that.’
Oops... I just have offended thekingof EMA.
