My body stills at the familiar voice filling the quiet alley, and my urge to run melts away. I open my eyes to see Reed giving me a smirk, a clear indication that he has bested me. He removes his hand from my mouth in good timing. I was just about to bite.
“You knew I was trailing you all along, didn’t you?” My eyes narrow into slits, not at all happy that he beat me at this little game of cat and mouse.
“Of course, I knew. I’ve noticed you following me around the academy for days. The question is, why?” His eyes narrow.
I shrug, feigning innocence. “Boredom.”
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” He tilts his head. “Stop following me around, Gravenhurst. You’re only going to land yourself in trouble.”
“Oh? How so? Enlighten me, Sullivan. Any secrets you’d like to share?”
Reed’s jaw tightens, and I can see the veins in his neck tense with my questioning.
His eyes darken. “There are things you don’t understand. Things that you have no business knowing.”
“Why are you keeping things from me? It’s like you’re trying to push me away. I know there’s something going on, and I don’t understand why you insist on leaving me in the dark.”
“Drop it, Verena.” Reed turns away, annoyed.
The sound of my first name leaving his lips ignites a fire within me that I’m not sure I like.
“I will not.”
Reed releases a sigh, and when he turns to face me, I can see his mask slipping.
I spin on my heel, but Reed catches my arm.
“There are things you can’t unknow, once you are privy to the information given.”
“Iwantto know. Please. I don’t want there to be secrets between us. A disconnect that keeps us on two separate sides does not make for a strong relationship. Just let me in, Sullivan.” I’ve been kept in the dark most of my life, and I can’t bear it any longer.
His eyes soften as he pulls me in closer, his words a hushed whisper.
“I would tell you if I could. But it’s not my secret to share, Gravenhurst.” I peer up at him, frowning, and he softly taps a finger against my nose. “You’re just going to have to trust me.” He winks, and I know I should trust him, that his soft display of affection should soothe my worries, but they don’t.
TWENTY-ONE
VERENA GRAVENHURST
“There’s my girl,” Reed murmurs into the crook of my neck. He nuzzles his nose against my flesh, inhaling a lungful of my perfume. Reed’s warm hands slink around my stomach, brushing against the sliver of exposed skin between my blouse and skirt.
“What do you want, Sullivan?” I roll my eyes.
“You know what I want,” he whispers against the shell of my ear, his voice as smooth as silk. His hands roam over my hips, gripping them firmly before pulling my body flush against his. “How about we make a deal?” His voice drops low enough so only I can hear him. “You skip your last lecture of the day, and I’ll make you come so hard you’ll forget the plethora of useless questions swirling around in that pretty head of yours?” he suggests, placing a soft kiss on the sensitive flesh below my ear.
“Hmm,” I pretend to debate his offer, pressing my ass into his already swelling cock, “that does sound tempting…but you know whatIwant, Sullivan.”
“Fuck, Gravenhurst, not this again, please,” he groans, running his curious hands over my thighs. “I’ve missed you.”
Spinning on my heel, I break our connection. “Do you missme enough to spill your secrets?” I raise my brows, crossing my arms.
Reed tips his head back, dragging his hands over his face. “Come on, Gravenhurst, I’ll die without you!” he whines dramatically, ignoring my question, as I back away from him, smirking. If he wants to play games, then I’ll be his greatest opponent.
I raise my brows suggestively and shrug. “Then die.”
Reed stands in the middle of the hallway, dumbfounded, but amused. “You can’t be serious!” he shouts after me, despite the busy hallway. This might be the first time in history Reed Sullivan has ever been rejected, and satisfaction blooms inside of me as I spin on my heel, flipping him the finger.
“See you later, Sullivan!”
