Page 22 of Keeper of Hearts
I'm a little afraid of it and not nearly afraid enough at the same time.
We don't say much on the way to school, but halfway there, he reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers together. I glance over at him to find a tiny smile on his lips. It makes my heart race even harder.
By the time we pull into the parking lot, all the happiness has turned into a knot in my stomach, though. I'm not looking forward to whatever fresh hell Victoria has planned for me today. With her, it's always something, and it's always worse whenever Gage shuts her down or stands up for me. I'm sure today will be awful, and then he'll probably follow through on his promise to tell everyone what she did.
As much as I dislike her, I don't want to see her whole future ruined because she's a bitch. She could be expelled for what she did or face jail time. I don't want to be the reason Gage spills her dirty secret and her life falls apart before she's even eighteen.
"You're thinking loud, butterfly," he murmurs, killing the ignition.
"Maybe we should skip today."
"Why?"
I shrug instead of answering. I'm not a very good liar. Shrugging is safer.
"You worried about Victoria, baby?"
"Maybe." I lick my lips. "If I'm not here today, she can't bother me, and then you don't have to follow through on your promise to ruin her life."
"Look at me, Troian." He curves his hand around my jaw, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Everything is going to be fine. You and I are going to walk into that school, and Victoria won't say a single word to you. Do you trust me?"
"That's not the problem, Gage. It's her I don't trust." Not even to save herself, apparently, because IknowGage, and I know he meant it yesterday. If she bothers me again, he will follow through.
"Then trust me." He runs his thumb over my bottom lip. "Otherwise, I'm going to have to distract you right here in the truck. You can't worry and stress if you're coming all over my fingers again."
I whimper embarrassingly loud, suddenly thinking about other things—things Victoria has nothing to do with.
Gage chuckles in response. "I'll make you a deal. If you get out of this truck right now, we'll have lunch in the library again today. I'll make you come all over me before the bell rings."
"What if we get caught?"
"In the four years you've been hiding out in that alcove, has the librarian ever once come back there to check on you?"
"She might."
He quirks a brow at me.
"Fine. No."
"Then we won't get caught." The tip of his thumb dips between my lips. I'm not sure why I do it, but I rake my teeth across it, biting down.
He growls, a feral sound I've never heard, his eyes darkening. "Get out of the truck, Troian. Before we give the whole fucking world something to talk about."
I don't climb gracefully from the truck. I throw myself out like salvation waits outside the door. His soft laugh follows me.
God. This day is going to be hell. But I'm suddenly a whole lot less worried about Victoria than I am about surviving until lunch.
To my utter shock, Victoria doesn't even look in my direction when we pass her. She pretends I don't exist at all. So do her friends. It's almost more uncomfortable than being their constant target.
"Told you," Gage murmurs, his lips brushing my ear. "She's done tormenting you, butterfly."
I'm not convinced but…I can live with her ignoring me.
I'm not sure how I feel about everyone staring at me and Gage, though. As we pass by with his arm around my waist, literally everyone stops to stare. It makes my stomach churn, both because I'm not accustomed to the attention and because I'm unsure of our current status.
We're not dating, but we're not really just friends, either. We're…something else. Something that has no name. It's new and terrifying and beautiful and exhilarating all at once.
Unlike yesterday, I don't sit at the back of the class today. I take my usual seat, which Gage immediately drags a whole foot closer to his with a grin on his lips.
