VERENA GRAVENHURST
Students stagger through the door, one by one, setting up their tables for today’s lecture. When I’m not lost in a daydream, my eyes roam towards the entrance as soon as someone new appears, hoping to see that handsome face that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the rest of the weekend. The professor arrives and closes the door behind him. I sink down in my seat, feeling a little disappointed.He’s not coming.
I’m lost in a spiral of my own thoughts when the door swings open and my heart stutters. Reed Sullivan, fashionably late, casually strides through the rows of students. He greets a few of his friends as he walks by, but his attention keeps flickering towards me at the back of the room. He plops down beside me, dropping his books haphazardly on the table. His hand drapes around the back of my chair as he leans in to whisper against my ear, “Hello, beautiful. Miss me?” I can feel his lips lingering in the crook of my neck, and his warm breath sends shivers down my spine. I peer into his dark eyes, and my lips slightly part. The urge I have to lean forward and pull his lips to mine right here in the middle of this class has me clenching my thighs a little tighter.
Swallowing a hard lump that has formed in my throat, I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and shrug, trying to hide the effect he so clearly has over me.
“I tried calling you yesterday. I wanted to see you again. Was our datethatbad that you won’t take my calls?” He chuckles. My brows pinch together. Weird, Archie never said anything about Reed calling, and he’s usually on point with relaying messages. My thoughts wander to my encounter with Loxen, his devilish grin as he hung up the phone without telling me who it was.No one important.
Shaking my head, I stifle a smile. “Not even a little bit. It seems I never got your message.” I reply with a little too much annoyance in my tone.
“Well, that’s a relief.” He places a swift kiss on my cheek, and we open our books to follow along with the professor.
We listen to the lecture on Hollowcrest Historical Tragedies. A subject that would normally have my undivided attention, but it’s next to impossible to keep up with what the professor is saying when I can feel Reed’s eyes glued to the side of my face. The intensity of his stare makes me squirm. I try to be subtle when I peek at him from beneath my lashes, but he still has his eyes fixed on me, sending a blush straight to my cheeks. A coy smile spreads across his lips as he leans back in his seat, the tension between us growing each time our eyes connect.
He pulls his chair in, dangerously close to my own, and the sides of our legs brush together. I suck in a breath, suddenly feeling nervous with how close his body is to mine. I try to focus on the lecture, try to steady my breathing and think about anything else other than the gorgeous creature that’s currently reaching for my hand under the table. He laces our fingers together, and the warmth from his touch sends an electric current through every neuron in my body.
“I can’t stop thinking about you—about our date.” His voice is delicate. Low enough so only I can hear. I stare at his mouthand pull my bottom lip between my teeth, remembering the feel of them gliding against mine. The way his body felt beneath me as I straddled him. He catches me staring, and a cocky grin grows incredibly wide across his face. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me, and he’s enjoying it.
His thumb caresses the top of my hand, a sweet gesture that oddly brings me comfort. I’ve never been keen on public displays of affection, or affection at all in actuality. But Reed makes it easy. I want him to do so much more than simply hold my hand.
“Are you busy tonight?” He pulls me away from my inappropriate thoughts.
I shake my head, giving him a shy smile. “That depends, what do you have in mind?”
“I want to bring you somewhere after class. I’d like to spend more time with you, if you’re interested, of course.”
I pretend to think about my answer, pursing my lips and tapping a finger against my chin. “I guess I could find room for you on my busy schedule,” I tease.
He bites back a smile, poking his tongue into the inside of his cheek, then leans forward, placing a gentle kiss on my lips, so brief, yet it has me immediately yearning for another taste. “Do you have an opening for today, after class, perhaps?”
I nod, biting my lip, and that dimple I’ve come to love shows itself. “Meet me in the basement tunnels after hours, and if you’d like, we can pick this up right where we left off. You still have your campus map, right?”
I nod, tapping on my shoulder bag. “I do.”
“Great.” He smiles and turns back to hisnotes.
I would meet himanywhere.
Standing before the old cobblestone staircase leading to the basement tunnels, my pulse races faster than the speed of light as I ruminate about being alone with Reed again. He’s down there, waiting for me, and that thought alone both terrifies and excites me all at once. All of the students and staff members have retired for the evening, leaving the academy empty and unusually quiet. I look in the direction I’m about to head and take a moment to regain my composure.
From what I know about Reed, he’s charming and dashingly handsome. He’s well-loved by his peers and is an exemplary student. He’s everything I could have dreamed of for myself in this lifetime or the next, but Loxen’s voice is a nuisance in the back of my mind, like venom slowly poisoning my every thought. I freeze at the top step of the basement, my feet refusing to carry me further.
Shaking my head, I rid myself of unwanted thoughts, not letting myself be swayed by an obnoxious nagging voice that apparently has zero interest in anything that has to do with me. I let loose a breath, exhaling the negative energy that momentarily took hold of me and begin my descent down the winding staircase. My hands trail along the cool stones, skimming the rough edges.
My feet touch down on tunnel grounds, the echo of empty sound travelling through the corridors, sending goosebumps down my spine. My shallow breaths sound way too loud for the stillness around me. I listen for a shuffle of footsteps indicating Reed is somewhere nearby waiting for me, but I don’t hear a thing. Wrapping my arms around myself, I shiver, unsure if it is from the cold of the damp underground of the academy, theeeriness of the vicinity, or my excitement to lay eyes on him again.
“Reed!” I call out in a whisper, hoping if he’s near, he will show himself and ease my discomfort. I listen again, thinking I may have heard a slight movement.
“Boo,” a deep voice says from behind me. I nearly go into cardiac arrest as large hands grip me by the waist, hauling me back into the shadows and startling the ever-loving shit out of me. My back presses against their hard body, and as I twirl around, Reed is hunching over in hysterics, finding amusement in his little prank. I steady myself and swat at his arm.
“You almost gave me a heart attack, Sullivan!”
“Oh, come on. That was funny!” He continues to chuckle. I can’t help the smirk that creeps onto my lips.
“Fine. It was a little funny,” I admit, with a giggle. My eyes drink in the enormous space. “We shouldn’t be down here, we’re going to get caught!” I can feel the worry lines etched on my forehead. Reed brings his hand back to my waist, pressing his warm body into mine. His tall figure looms over me as he backs me against the wall, and I peer up at him. He presses a finger to my lips, and they part slightly at his touch.
“Shh,” he orders. “Come with me.”
