The looming structure rises against the gray sky, cold and imposing.
Eulogia.
My breath catches. My pulse spikes.
“Hayden.”
Nothing.
I turn fully to face him. “You told me no. You shut me down before I could even argue.”
Still, no response.
A hollow laugh escapes my lips, bitter and disbelieving. “And now we’re just, what? Going back?”
His jaw flexes. He exhales, finally glancing at me. “You wanted to go back.”
“You didn’t.”
His fingers tighten on the wheel. “I changed my mind.”
I shake my head. “No. You don’t just change your mind. What happened?”
A muscle in his jaw twitches. His grip on the wheel tightens, his knuckles turning white. “You don’t need to concern yourself with why I do what I do.”
A chill skates down my spine. “So I’m just to be whipped around like a pet?”
He grips the steering wheel as I stare him down, giving me no answers to my questions. His resolve doesn’t crack; the cocky bastard simply smirks as I sit here more confused than before.
The car rolls to a slow stop outside the entrance to Eulogia, the drop-off zone, not the parking lot. The iron gates stand tall, the emblem carved into their surface catching the faintest hint of morning light.
Hayden shifts the car into park, but doesn’t move to turn off the car. His voice is quiet, but there’s a warning laced beneath it. “Remember, I always have eyes on you.”
I whip my head toward him, studying him carefully. “Wait. Are you actually letting me go to class? Aren’t you coming?”
His eyes stay on the road. “I have other places to be.”
Suspicion curls in my chest. I watch him, waiting for the catch, the inevitable shift. “You’re just letting me go?”
His lips twitch slightly, but the smirk doesn’t reach his eyes. There’s an edge to it. “I’ll pick you up from your last class of the day.”
I frown. “I never told you my schedule.”
Hayden finally glances at me, something dark flickering behind his gaze. “I know it.”
Of course he does.
Without another word, he reaches into the center console, pulls out a small Hermès leather purse, and tosses it onto my lap.
I blink at him. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
I hesitate, but eventually unclasp it. Inside, neatly placed, is a black unreleased Amex Unlimited card with his name embossed, along with a sleek, brand-new Nokia cellphone.
I exhale sharply, gripping the purse tighter. “Hayden…”
“Use it if you need something.” His voice is calm, casual, like it’s not the most absurd thing in the world. “And if I call, you answer.”
