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We follow them for a few paces until I recognize the hall to our right. Tugging Adrian’s arm, we split off from the group of students as we near Nelle’s dorm.
I raise my arm, poised to knock on the wooden door, just as it swings open. I stop my momentum, barely halting my fist before it connects with Nelle’s face. Her bright smile suddenly pops up before me. She wastes no time pulling me into a tight embrace.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to see my bestie, but—something’s going on, isn’t it?” she asks, reading me like an open book. I pause, racking my brain, for a way to explain something she couldn’t yet understand.
“Well, yes and no,” Adrian offers casually from behind me.
Nelle stiffens in my arms, pulling back from me at the sound of his voice. Her gaze darts to Adrian, eyeing him warily over my shoulder.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Nelle drawls in her withering tone. “If it isn’t the man that spirited Liv away without a word.”
Her gaze hardens on him, and I wince at her words. Reminding me how upset she was when she learned I had just left, supposedly of my own free will.
“The one and only.” He chuckles, giving me a wink. Nelle goes to open her mouth, my chest tightening at what she might let slip, just to spite him.
“Can we come in?” I blurt, cutting her off before she has a chance.
“Of course.” She blinks in surprise, shooting me an apologetic glance—before swinging the door open further—letting us pass inside.
We walk into the small room, Adrian’s hand moving to grip my shoulder, lending me his strength. I look around at the familiar door room, remembering all the days spent here with Nelle, getting our glam on before a night out.
Despite my father’s large house, it never truly felt like home. Especially since I was usually the only person there. My stomach twists at the thought, not letting my mind wander to him. I hold enough guilt in my soul already. I can’t let that be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Otherwise, I would end up a sobbing mess in the middle of the room.
Nelle shuts the door behind us, moving back to face me. She eyes me suspiciously, seeing me chewing my lip.
“Okay, what’s going on? You’re really starting to freak me out.” Her ordinarily cheery tone oddly serious as her gaze searches mine.
“We need to—” Adrian starts.
“No,” Nelle says firmly, placing her hand up in front of him. His brow furrows at Nelle’s interruption. Her eyes shift between Adrian and me, assessing.
“She doesn’t need you to speak for her. I want to hear it from Liv.” With that, she dismisses him, her gaze firmly planted on me.
I swallow thickly, nervous energy buzzing around me like a swarm of bees. Wishing Nelle just left it alone. The coward in me loves that Adrian would come to my rescue, sensing my distress at revealing this to my best friend.
“There’s something I’ve been keeping from you,” I start.
“Not by choice,” I add, my words coming out in a rush at her incredulous stare.
We never kept anything from each other. Rehashing every minute detail of our lives before my twentieth birthday, when my world—and hers by association—was turned on its axis.
“Is that why he has you dressing up like a schoolgirl? What the hell are you wearing, girl?” Her face twists in horror as she surveys my uniform. “Could you not subject me to your role-playing, please?”
Shit, my thoughts were in such disarray, I forgot to change out of my uniform. I guess we didn’t do as good of a job as I thought we had, blending in with the crowd. It probably also didn’t help that Adrian looks like walking sex. How had I not noticed his tight black slacks and his navy blazer stretching across the taut muscles of his back?
My eyes connect with his, catching his hungry gaze trailing along my body. The heat in his gaze lights me up. I can only imagine the thoughts running through his head. Nope—hell no. Not going there. Now is definitely not the time for thoughts of dragging him back to that supply closet to be drifting through my mind.
“Can you stop eye-fucking each other and tell me what the hell is going on?” she prompts, crossing her arms. Her gaze hardening on me breaks through the hazy fog of lust clouding my brain.
“I can’t tell you just yet,” I continue, cutting off her immediate objection, her lips pursing. “I want to tell you, that’s why we’re here.” I gesture to myself and Adrian.
Her gaze cuts to Adrian, narrowing on him. I shake my head, moving towards her. My gesture has the opposite effect than I intended, seeing now that she blames him for my secrets.
“Adrian isn’t to blame. He’s actually the reason why I’m able to tell you now.”
She quirks a brow in question, and I sigh in frustration, realizing my words make absolutely no sense right now.
“There’s something we have to do first, to be able to tell you—show you.” My eyes plead with her, begging for the trust I no longer deserve. I reach out for her hand. My heart breaks at the hesitation I see on her face as she pauses a moment before accepting.
