I press my back into my chair and stare at the front of the class. Where the hell is the professor? I don’t want to talk to this man for another second. I’m going to switch partners even if it kills me.
“Wow.” He barks out a cold laugh. “I had no idea you’d be that stupid.”
I grit my teeth and tell myself not to bite. Instead, I clutch my pen and try not to break it in half. I refuse to give him any sort of reaction he’s craving. I’ve never given him the impression that I’m into him; I’ve only been kind since I met him.
“And you didn’t even have the decency to tell me?”
I can’t stop myself. I turn to face him with blazing eyes. “You asked me on a date, and I declined. Don’t you think that’s enough to know that I wasn’t interested?”
Alfie scoffs and swipes a hand over his jaw. “I thought that was because of Skye. You have so much going for you, and you wanna settle down with that loser?”
The back of my neck starts to sweat. “Keep my baby’s name out of your mouth, and don’t talk about Finn like that.”
“Or what?”
God, I’m so close to tackling him to the ground, and I’m not a violent person.
“Or I’ll show you how fucking psycho I can be when it comes to my family.”
The look on Alfie’s face twists into amusement, and I despise myself for giving in to his stupid words.
“You two are perfect for each other, then.”
I stare him down. “Yeah, I guess we are.”
I ignore him for the rest of the class. I’m relieved when we’re not forced to work on our projects together. Instead, it’s a rundown of the next term and what to expect.
When the class filters out, I head over to the professor and ask if I can change groups. He informs me that I can’t change groups, and I resist the urge to let out a scream. He mutters something about getting ready for the real world and working with people we don’t like. It’s that or fail the project.
Goddamnit. As much as I’d love to never turn up to this class again, I need to get this grade. I bite my tongue and leave without kicking up too much of a fuss.
The second I step outside and allow the cool January air to hit my sternum, I know I need a few minutes to myself before I drive home. I don’t want Finn and Skye to see me all riled up.
“Maya.” I hear Alfie’s voice.
My shoulders immediately tense. “Come near me, and I’ll scream.”
Without hesitation, I walk as fast as I possibly can, and when I glance over my shoulder, Alfie is nowhere to be seen. There are only a few months left, and I’ll be leaving this place for good with the two most important people in my life.
CHAPTER 48
FINN THOMPSON
Itake Coach’s advice, and I give football another go. He advised I turn up to standard weekly training for those not on the actual team. As much as I love football, it’s nothing more than a bit of fun and a stress reliever right now.
If I was on the team, I would have to go to away games and train a few nights a week, and quite frankly, I’d rather spend time with my girls.
So a little kick around for an hour or two when I can seems perfect to me.
“Thompson,” Coach calls as we finish up our session for today. I head over to him as he watches me carefully. “Good to see you back.”
“Thanks for having me back after everything. You don’t realise how much you miss it until you’re actually on the pitch and feel that adrenaline again.”
“Looks like you’ve got your spark back, kid,” he says before slapping a hand down on my shoulder. “Keep it up. You’re looking strong out there, considering you’ve nearly been out a year.”
“Thanks, Coach,” I say with a nod. “I really needed this.”
“Exercise really does give the brain some breathing space.”
