Chapter Thirteen
“I love this look on you,” Lily admitted happily.
“Stress? Blood shot eyes?”
Classes were kicking Severine’s ass. Hard. She was keeping up as best she could, and from her haggard appearance, it was her body that was taking the toll. Thanksgiving break was coming up, less than a week away. She kept repeating those words in her head. A break from school was what she needed so much right now.
Lily hip-checked her and adjusted her bag slung around her shoulder. “No, you in a relationship. You’ve been so quiet and content.”
“It’s something new for me, that’s for sure.” Severine looked down at the ground. She needed a break from all the books. And if she read one more note card, she was going to flip out.
Ben walked toward them and kissed the top of Lily’s head. “Hey, baby.”
Thayer was with him. He looked close to bolting. Severine wanted him to stay.
“So have you decided if we’re going tonight?” Ben asked excitedly.
Lily smiled back at him. “Not yet.”
Now Severine’s curiosity was piqued. She walked back in step with everyone. “Where?”
Ben’s head peeked around Lily. “I want to try a new bar out near The Ville. Lily was supposed to ask you to come.”
“I’m getting ready to ask, psychopath. You just snuck up on me like a ninja.” Lily flashed Severine a small smile. “You up for going?”
Severine was opening her mouth to say no. Thayer laughed lightly. It was acerbic, filled with bitterness.
Looping around Lily and Ben, Severine walked in step with Thayer. For a quick second, her body brushed against Thayer’s. He clenched his lips tightly and kept his gaze forward. “What, Thayer? Enlighten us with your words.”
“Macsen? Going to a bar willingly?”
“Who said I was taking him?” Severine sniped out. She was still talking to his profile.
It was theatrical of her, but he seemed different in her eyes. A sharper edge was laced within his words and expressions. Maybe Severine was really seeing how it was to be hated by him.
“I assumed since you’re attached at the hip he’d tag along like a puppy dog.”
“You realize that’s your brother, right?”
Thayer barely looked interested in their conversation. “Severine,” he sighed out, “that means nothing in our family.”
“What does that mean?” Severine pounced on his words with eager determination.
When he kept walking without answering her question, Severine reached out and grabbed his arm. It got his attention immediately.
“Tell me,” Severine demanded. “What makes you two so hateful with each other?”
His hand grabbed each of her fingers, one by one, extracting them away from his arm. He stared at her the whole time. At the end, her hand was cradled inside of his own. Severine felt paralyzed. “Am I with you?”
Thayer’s words made her feel empty. Instead of responding, Severine stayed silent, keeping her hand enclosed in his.
“You just answered your own question,” he said as he broke their contact. His fingers brushed her skin as he retreated back. “Ask the one you chose.”
He walked away, and Severine watched him. She was a coward for saying nothing back, but her pride stopped her from admitting he was right. Everything he said was the truth.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Severine jumped and answered it without looking at the screen.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded raw and unused.
“What’s wrong?” Macsen asked on the other end.
Severine stared at Thayer’s back as he extended the distance between them further and further. “Hey, let’s go out tonight.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand. She wanted to prove to Thayer that she and Macsen could mix their two worlds together, and that he didn’t know his brother as well as she did.
“Ah...” Macsen said slowly. “What are you thinking?”
“Ben and Lily are going to a new bar that’s just opened.”
“That seems fun to you?” Macsen teased.
She wasn’t smiling. “Yes.”
“That’s not really me, Sev.”
Severine leaned against a tree and glanced up at the bare limbs. “I saw you at that frat party, and you got drunk with Thayer and Chris a while ago,” she pointed out.
“I think I’ve only been to about four parties in my entire college life.”
“So that’s a no?”
“You can still go,” Macsen offered. “I’d rather see you, though.”
“I’m not studying. My brain is about to explode,” Severine warned.
Macsen laughed. “We won’t study. I promise.”
“Where are you?”
“Walking,” Macsen said evasively.
“Walking where?”
“Toward you.”
A big hand pushed her into a body. Macsen. “Yuck! My face is in your armpit!” Severine’s anger slowly disappeared as she looked up at Macsen.
“Then it’s probably bad I forgot deodorant?”
Severine made a face as she dropped her phone into her coat pocket and peered back at him.
Macsen looked almost anxious as he smiled at her. “Come over instead. I’ll let you watch some stupid reality show or whatever you want to do.”
“Why are you in such a chipper mood?”
“It’s almost break. I know we’re both ready to leave this f*cking campus.”
Severine mussed up his windblown hair. “You sound so torn up over being apart from me.”
His arm wrapped around her shoulder. This time, he kissed her head. “That will be the only shitty part about break. I’m hoping you’ll send me lots of sexy texts.”
“Sexting? Yeah. That’s not gonna happen.”
“Video chat?”
Severine bent her arm back to link their fingers together. “Maybe. Between turkey day and listening to my mom, grandma, and Aunt Rachel bicker about things, it might be hard to squeeze you in.”
“Then I should probably make the most of my time with you now?”
“Uh, you should always do that. Every day you should be kissing the ground I walk on,” Severine teased.
“I should just quit studying and follow you around everywhere?”
Severine reached up and nudged the bill of his cap. Sunlight shone brightly in his eyes, and he squinted at the light and immediately lowered it back down. “I’d love for you to follow me everywhere. You can sit behind me in class and give me all the answers to my test. I won’t have to study so freakin’ much.”
“I can’t do that. But I can take you somewhere tonight.”
“Where?”
“Do you always need to know what I have planned?”
“Yes, all the time.”
Macsen rolled his eyes and wrapped a hand around her waist. “It’s a fun place. Trust me, you’ll enjoy yourself.”