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He shook his head back. “I’m good. That person would kill me if I didn’t get you to school safely.”
She didn’t ask whothat personwas. She and the others had come to an agreement aboutthat person’sname not being mentioned. It was the only way she could move on. Rolling her eyes, she told Yuri, “The worst that could happen to me is embarrassing myself when everyone learns I got cramps because of walking to class.”
Falling into step next to her, he replied pleasantly, “Even so. Just humor me and that person.”
MJ didn’t say anything after that.
Stealing a look at his companion, Yuri observed the dark bags circling MJ’s violet eyes. It had been over two weeks since she had been discharged from the hospital and had moved out of the club’s headquarters. Two weeks of MJ determinedly distancing herself from everything that had to do with Afxisi...and two weeks of Helios Andreadis struggling to give his ex-girlfriend the space she needed.
As they came nearer and nearer to her school building, they passed by more people, and all of them had curious looks on their faces. News about Helios and MJ’s breakup had broken out like wildfire, and Yuri knew that rumors about him going after MJ had also started to spread.
Was MJ aware of it?Yuri wondered. He stole another look at his companion. Dressed in her usual plaid shirt, tank top, jeans, and Chucks, she looked more like a tomboyish rookie about to try out for a spot in the varsity team rather than the girl who had captured the heart of one of the most sought-after bikers in the entire world.
MJ caught him looking, and blinking in confusion, she asked, “What?”
“Do you know that people have been talking about us?”
“Us?” she echoed blankly.
He said easily, “They think we’re dating.”
MJ tripped, and Yuri automatically reached out for her. Somewhere around them, a girl gasped out, “Oh my God.” This time, MJ heard it and now knowing what it meant, she blushed and quickly freed herself from Yuri’s hold.
Face burning as she looked up at Yuri, she said guiltily, “I didn’t know.”
“They also think you dumpedthat personfor me, and people have been making jokes about it.” MJ didn’t say anything, but the way she paled told Yuki she was far from being unaffected. But when he started to speak again, MJ shook her head.
“Yuri...it’s really over.” She managed a smile. “I don’t know why you want me to believe that person cares about me the way...the way I thought he did, but he doesn’t. And I...I can’t afford to keep running after him.”
“You’re wrong about him, MJ. If you just gave him the chance—”
“I’ve moved on. That person’s part of the past.” MJ spoke in a robotic tone. It was all she could do to talk about that person without remembering. She had to do it this way because remembering hurt. Too much so.
The pain underlining her voice silenced him, and when she changed the subject by talking about mundane stuff in a determinedly bright voice, Yuri let her. He knew when a person was close to breaking down, and MJ was a textbook case for it.
By the time they reached her class, Yuri could see that MJ had completely relaxed, the shadow of her past with Helios having faded almost completely. It left him uneasy. What if what MJ said was indeed true? What if his friend had hurt her so much she had found it easier to forget about him? If MJ found another guy to love, it would cripple Helios – but would she care about that?
Upon reaching the back door of her classroom, she turned to Yuri to say goodbye. That was when she caught sight of the poster behind him. It was for a free therapy session for those suffering from mood swings, and it made her smile. She turned sideways, intending to tease—
Her lips parted in shock and then she snapped her mouth shut.
Following MJ’s gaze, Yuri had no trouble interpreting the stunned look that appeared on her face afterwards. Between the two of them, he could only think of one person who had a need for therapy on mood swings.
He said quietly, “You see?”
She said in a low, desperate voice, “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“You are not as over him as you hope you are.”
MJ shook her head fiercely. If there was a way to make herself forget Yuri’s words, she would have gone for it, even if it meant sacrificing half of her life. “I have to go,” she said without looking at Yuri. “Thank you for your time.” She turned around right after, no longer able to afford waiting for him to speak. It would hurt too much this time. He was Helios’ friend, and anything that had to do with Helios would kill her right now.
When she had her back to Yuri completely, that was when she saw...
That person.
He stood at the end of the hallway, taller than everyone, more gorgeous than everyone, his presence so strikingly powerful it was difficult to look away. His golden hair was tied back, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses. He only had on a shirt and jeans, nothing fancy at all, but somehow the clothes looked elegant and glamorous on him.
Mr. Sunshine, MJ thought dully.
