Page 61 of Colton

He ends the call, and puts his phone down. Immediately, I feel shy. With everything going on, I haven’t had the chance to see him. This time, it wasn’t avoidance, it was just business.

“Artemis stuck me with this box,” I sigh, a small chuckle following, and I take a step further into the room. After ensuring the door’s entirely closed, I walk forward, until I find myself in front of him.

Memories of how that night began flash behind my eyes, though I don’t let it distract me. Instead, I hop onto his table, crossing my legs. He quirks an amused brow, and I fold my arms in front of my chest.

“I hear Ms. Ellie got fired,” I state, trying to pull more information from him, than what Sophia had shared with me. “So, it’s true it was her in the video.”

Colton sighs. “Yes, it was her, and yes she was fired, effective immediately.”

I hum. “How strange. Weren’t you also involved with her?”

Colton freezes. Slowly, both of his brows rise up to his hairline, and he’s staring at me, entirely bewildered by my audacity. He blinks a couple of times, then laughs, shaking his head.

It irritates me because deep, deep down, I’m still rather intimidated by him, and obviously completely insecure to be even asking this. The fake courage and bravery are bound to disappear soon, and having him outright laugh isn’t helpful.

“Did I say something funny?”

He laughs again, and my brow twitches in annoyance. “Not at all. However, I didn’t peg you for the type to believe such rumors.”

“Well, there were rumors about Soren and Ms. Ellie, too. Look where those ended up.”

He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, then pulls his chair closer to his desk. His hands reach for my thighs, uncrossing them, and resting his chin on my knee. He tilts his head, ever so slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Did you truly come here to interrogate me about my former sex life? If so, it’s a discussion that should happen elsewhere, don’t you think?”

“It’s hardly an interrogation,” I roll my eyes. “I was just curious to know if you’re involved with anyone else at the moment.”

Colton doesn’t move, but his expression shifts. The humor vanishes in an instant, as if it was never there in the first place, and the way he’s looking at me makes me slightly nervous.

“I’ll tell you this once, and once only,” he says, slowly massaging my thighs. “I don’t have that much free time to engage in multiple relationships at once, nor would I ever want to. If I’m involved with you, I’m only involved with you. Do you understand?”

My throat goes dry, and when he kisses my inner thigh so tenderly, I seem to forget the topic of conversation. I can’t look away, and he isn’t either. He’s staring at me like I’m a star he’s plucked from the sky, something precious and fragile, and it’s a feeling I can’t describe.

It makes me feel worthy and stupid for even questioning him.

“How busy are you this weekend?” He asks, and I blink, taken aback by the sudden question.

“I have nothing planned, why?”

“I’m taking you somewhere for a weekend getaway,” he says, and it’s not a question. “Be ready Friday, after classes.”

“Are we not going to get caught like that?”

He chuckles. “You worry too much. You’ve been riding in Sophia’s cars, where her driver has been picking you up and dropping you off numerous times, and this won’t be any different.”

How the hell does he know that? It’s not something that’s been happening frequently as of late, given that Sophia hasn’t been home recently. I want to ask, but somehow, I highly doubt he’d tell me anything.

“What should I pack?”

“Nothing,” he murmurs. “Absolutely nothing.”

◆◆◆

“God, Sophia will kill you if she sees the state of your dorm.” Grace states, with such amusement that it makes me want to cry. She’s sitting on Sophia’s bed — the clean, pristine side of the dorm, and is scrolling through her phone. She thrives on chaos, and since she’s the only person who knows about Colton and myself, I needed an outsider’s perspective on this matter.

“Would you focus?” I hiss, pulling out another dress out of my closet. “What should I bring?”

“Did he, or did he not tell you not to bring anything?”