“I’m serious. As someone who’s invested in your future success, I’m telling you that you need to stay away from him. It’s best to keep your head down and just keep focusing on your studies,” he said.
Something in my gut twisted. I wasalwaysfocused on my studies. If there was anything worth knowing about me, it was that.
“With all due respect, Professor Blackwell, it really was just harmless fun. I think you’re reading too much into it,” I answered, keeping my voice as nonchalant as possible.
Lucas’s mouth tightened but he didn’t say anything else, simply dismissing me and I left the lecture hall under a cloud of confusion.
I was grateful for rowing practice after the disaster of a class. I needed something to take my mind off of the awkward encounter I’d had with Lucas, and Coach Hayes yelling at us to push ourselves harder and harder was almost sure to do the trick.
Another day, another land session.
“I’m starting to think she has a vendetta,” Madison said through gritted teeth as we finished the last round of drills. I laughed, grateful for the distraction. The coach stood a way off, looking pleased with our performance.
“Okay ladies, great job today. Rest up because our next practice is going to be on the lake,” she said, making a note on her clipboard.
Madison mumbled something that sounded rather profane before walking off to get our water bottles and then handing me mine.
“I am considering quitting,” she announced before gulping down a mouthful.
“No you’re not,” I said, taking a few desperate sips of my own.
“Okay fine, no I’m not. But I was very, very,veryclose to considering it.” She splashed some of the water onto her face. Just as I was about to answer, I noticed someone sitting beneath a tree near the edge of the field. A man, his frame newly familiar to me.
Oren Reed.
He had a book in hand but even though he appeared to be reading, I could swear I caught his gaze drift up from time to time, discrete as it was brief. A spark of electricity seemed to move down my spine.
I immediately thought back to Saturday night, the quiet way he carried himself and joined in the conversation occasionally. But those intense blue eyes were enthralling, and I could feel them on me now.
Madison had no idea what was going on and I mentally shook myself to re-engage my focus. “I’m sorry, I spaced out for a second. What were you saying?”
She raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t comment on it. “I said that it’s easy to get lost under the weight of everyone’s expectations. My parents haven’t stopped talking about graduation this year and what my plans are gonna be after. The semester’s barely even started. I think if anyone knows about that kind of thing, it’s you.”
“Oh. Yeah,” I said. “Have you told them about your plan to take a year off to travel?”
“Not yet,” she replied, sounding as though it was going to be a rather insurmountable task. And knowing the Ashfords, she wasn’t wrong. “I’m warming up to it.”
“The longer you wait the harder it’s going to be, Mads. You know that,” I reminded her.
“I know, I know. But look, it’s hard to explain to them. They don’t get it. They don’t understand that sometimes the things we want aren’t always practical. Just because I have the means to keep studying, doesn’t mean I have to,” she said.
“It’s your life at the end of the day. I’ve always admired how strongly you set your boundaries,” I told her, meaning every word. She smiled at me.
“You could do with some of that yourself. Even if the person you need to set the boundaries for is you,” she said. “But I’m so sick of it, June. All the expectations and pressure. I have no idea how you do it.”
My eyes drifted once more to Oren. He was now staring right at me intently, his hand raised in a small wave of greeting. I returned the smallest of nods, one that Mads didn’t notice.
“But you’re right, especially this year being our last. I say we both have every right to live life to the fullest and take whatever we can get,” she said. “To hell with what everyone else thinks.”
Oren’s head tilted to the side in a gesture that I understood to mean he wanted to speak to me.
“Yeah,” I agreed with her. “I think you’re right about that. I’ll meet you later, okay? I have someone I need to go see.”
Mads and I split ways and I began walking towards Oren, who’d also started moving towards me. We met halfway on the field. I briefly wondered if he was also going to give me a warning like Lucas, or maybe reprimand me for something else.Even as I approached, he guarded his facial expressions so well that I couldn’t tell what to expect.
“Good to see you again, Miss Price,” he said. Like Lucas’s laugh, Oren’s voice had the effect of being disarming, especially because it was so rare to hear. “I didn’t mean to disrupt your day, I just wanted to discuss something with you. You mentioned that you were interested in working for Muller & Co., correct?”
I nodded, my mind suddenly fully snapping to attention at the mention of the company.
