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Groans filtered through the room, but none from me. I shook in my seat, wetness rushing down my cheeks to leech wetness from the horrible words.
Snickers floated up to me and got no response. Neither did my classmate, Oliver, setting that day’s prompt in front of me.
“Luna? Luna.”
I jerked, snapping my head up to an irritated Victor. Vision blurred, it took me a second to realize we were the last three people in the room.
“You have ten minutes before the next class comes,” Professor Ross called as he walked out.
The only two people.
“Luna? What is that? The truth about—”
I snatched it up and crumpled it in my fist, throwing it as far as possible. I forced myself to pull it together as I stood. “Thanks for staying, Victor. I’ve got your—”
“Where the hell is your ring?”
“That’s what I was about to say.” I drew it from my pocket. “Here. Tell Martha the delay in getting it back was due to a vicious harpy stealing it off my finger. That should be all the information she needs.”
Victor eyed the ring, making no room to take it. “Why are you giving that to me?”
I frowned. “Because we’re over. I wouldn’t feel right keeping this. It was your great-grandmother’s.”
Victor hitched his bag higher up his shoulder, jaw clenching as he looked away. “We’re not over, Luna. The wedding’s still on.”
“But you said we were done.”
“And you kissed my brother!” he exploded, blowing me back. “So we both said and did stuff that we shouldn’t.”
My head spun. “I don’t understand. You’re clearly still mad at me. Why do you want to go through with the wedding?”
“Because,” he forced through gritted teeth, “I don’t have a choice. Mother made it clear this wedding is happening, and I had to work this shit out with you. She won’t accept another match. Won’t accept it as in... I’ll end up in the same place as Adonis.”
I gaped at him. Disowned? For not marrying me? What is wrong with this family?
“So, put the ring back on. We’re doing this.” Victor looked me in the eye. “The only thing I want less than being with you, is losing everything because of you.”
Anger bit at my regret. “I wasn’t exactly falling over myself for your proposal, Wilson. I get why you’re upset, but I didn’t set out to hurt you intentionally. Actually, ever since we agreed to be exclusive, I’ve respected that—despite you not acting like a man I want to be committed to. You’re even less that man today.”
Something flickered in his eyes. It was gone as quickly as it came, leaving behind unreadable, frozen pools. “Then, this is your lucky day. We’re done with the rules and the deals and all that shit I said. The two of us can do what we want, with who we want before and after the wedding. I don’t need five years of pretending. This will never be more than what it is.”
“Then, let me do you a favor you don’t deserve, asshole.” Victor paused turning away. “The wedding isn’t happening, and Martha can’t blame you. My mother changed her mind about everything. The engagement. My enrollment in Regalia U.
“She’s pulling me out of school and the engagement is off. So, congratulations.” I slapped the ring on his palm. “Now you can fuck your way around campus as a free man, instead of a bitter man trying to get back at me.”
“Wait, she can’t— Stop.” Victor thundered down the steps after me. “She can’t end the engagement, Luna. That’s not how it works.”
“Obviously it is because we’re over for good this time.”
“Luna, listen.” Victor closed the door shut when I opened it, and got between me and the knob. “If this wedding doesn’t happen, they’ll come after your family—hard. These marriage negotiations are like contracts. Both sides have a lot to gain, and both have a lot to lose if it doesn’t happen. Your mom may believe you and she can handle the fallout, but I have a feeling Jack Bowden will help her see she’s wrong. This is Regalia. You’re playing by different rules now.”
He opened the door, stepping out, his eyes fixed on me. “Put the ring on, wifey. That’s rule number one: never let them see you’re cracking.”
I stood there until Rafael came to find me.
What did any of this mean? I didn’t push Mom because it’ll break me if I set back her progress.
What’ll it do to her if the Wilsons come after our family, and my mom can’t save another daughter?
Chapter Twelve
I woke the next morning with Cato’s arm snug against my stomach and his head resting between my shoulder blades. The guy didn’t tiptoe into my bed. He climbed in and wrapped me up like a burrito, and I snoozed through it every time. What did that say about my awareness?
