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“You did.” Jace raises his eyebrows as if that should’ve been obvious. “I didn’t say anything. I just scoffed. And you asked me to elaborate.”
“Jace,” I cut in before Lionel can retort.
He turns to me. “What? You didn’t think the picture idea was good either. None of you did.”
Lionel turns to us, as if expecting us to defend him. Jenn and Aurora grimace apologetically when he looks to them.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say to Jace. Annoyance ripples through me. Because he’s right. The picture idea was terrible. But I don’t want to admit that. So instead, I finish with, “Just drop it.”
“Exactly,” Lionel says, turning back to Jace again and flicking a dismissive look up and down his body. “Why are you even here?”
“Why are you here?” Jace counters, fixing him with a hard stare full of contempt. “Have you actually contributed anything to this group project? Or are you just skating by on all of their hard work?”
Anger and indignation flash across Lionel’s face, turning his cheeks and neck red. Curling his lips in disgust, he keeps his eyes on Jace as he says, “Can’t you tell your dog to go home, Kayla?”
Jace moves before the final word has even left his mouth.
Lurching forward, he grabs Lionel’s wrist and yanks it up in the air behind him while gripping Lionel’s neck with his other hand.
A bang echoes through the library as Jace slams Lionel’s cheek down against the table.
Jenn and Aurora jump in surprise, and every single person within range turns to stare and gasp at us.
“Call me dog one more time,” Jace says, forcing Lionel’s arm farther back. “I fucking dare you.”
A cry of pain rips from Lionel’s throat, and he whimpers on the table.
I shoot to my feet and lock furious eyes on Jace. “That’s enough.”
“It will be,” Jace replies, his own merciless stare still locked on Lionel. “When he apologizes.”
All around us, people are staring at us and filming us and whispering behind their hands.
Mortification crashes over me like a tidal wave.
People are going to be talking about this for weeks.
I just wanted a normal fucking university experience! And yet, I constantly end up drawing attention. Everywhere I go. All the time.
Because of him.
Because of all of them. The middle-aged men in suits who stood out like signal beacons on campus. And now Jace with his overprotective hitman bullshit. I just want him gone. I want them all gone. I want my fucking life back!
Spinning on my heel, I start stalking away from the table without a word.
“Kayla,” Jace says.
The command in his voice makes me grind my teeth in annoyance. Ignoring him, I simply continue striding towards the doors.
If I stay, Jace is going to force Lionel to grovel for forgiveness. And I’m done being a spectacle for all the shocked students in this library. The only way to separate Jace and Lionel right now is for me to leave. Because then, Jace will follow.
“Uhm, Kayla,” Jenn calls after me. “Wait. I have a venue for us to look at tomorrow.”
“Great,” I reply without slowing down or turning to look. “Just text me the address and I’ll be there.”
“Oh. Uhm. Okay.”
The sound of a table scraping against the floor comes from behind me. Then Jace’s footsteps echo against the marble. I simply keep walking.
