Page 44 of Tempting the Player
I hate admitting that. I feel like an idiot for letting myself get so caught up in things that I couldn’t discern what was happening.
“Your judgment is just fine. You trusted your gut, like you should.”
“I wasn’t in danger.” I throw my hands up in the air.
“Maybe not, but something was off, and you felt it.” He blows out a breath. “You’re dealing with a lot, that’s true. Way more than any of your friends, and yet you’re still trying to pretend that your life should look the same as theirs. You’re not like everyone else. For better or worse, you need someone looking out for you. Let me be that person.”
A small part of me wants to immediately say yes, but it feels so unnecessary.
His gaze pleads with me as much as his words. “I’ll be invisible, just like before.”
“It’s an illusion of normalcy,” I reply quietly. “I never should have told everyone that I’m Ivy. Things were going just fine before then.”
He stays quiet, letting me deal with the consequences of my actions.
It’s either let him follow me around or spend my days looking over my shoulder. Or I guess I could call Grady. All three options make me want to stomp my feet in frustration.
“Fine. You can have your job back, but only so that I can get back to some semblance of a typical college existence.” I look him over. He’s devastating in his simple jeans and T-shirt. “You fit in a whole hell of a lot better than Grady.”
He smiles, looking like I just took a weight off his shoulders instead of handing him the job of keeping me safe. “You won’t even know I’m there.”
That seems highly unlikely.
16
JANE
Tuesday morningI walk to campus with Daisy and Jordan.
“Where’s your first class?” Daisy asks as Jordan swings their joined hands together between them. They’ve been dating since last year and seem to get more adorable each semester.
“Diction in the Billings building.” I point to the brick building ahead of us.
“We’re going to Moreno Hall, so we can walk you.”
I nod, and the three of us continue walking down the busy sidewalk with the rest of the students heading to early morning classes.
I look past all of them, searching for Hendrick. My skin pricks with awareness and I know he’s watching me from somewhere. Daisy and Jordan chat happily, including me by asking questions occasionally, but I’m too busy scanning every dark head in front of me to find him.
My phone vibrates in my hand.
Hendrick
Relax. I’m here. Two o’clock. Gray sweatshirt.
I smile as I look to the right. It takes a few seconds, but then there he is. He’s dressed in torn jeans and a gray Valley U sweatshirt with a white hat, carrying a black backpack and staring down at his phone. He fits in a little too well.
Me
Did you borrow Archer’s clothes?
Hendrick
I was in college once, remember?
Me
That’s assuming I believe any of what you told me before was actually the truth.
