Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
It’s actually funny. Julian’s one of the most powerful men I know, but he doesn’t scare me. Not when there’s a faceless man out there intent on killing me.
Maybe it’s also because I got used to being around Carter and his friends.
“Is it true?” A random girl suddenly falls in next to me.
I glance over my shoulder at Hayden and Max before I frown at her. “What?”
“Is there a murderer on campus?” She glances around, looking at everyone with suspicion.
Not wanting to start a wildfire of rumors, I lie, “No, there’s no murderer.”
“Why do you have guards then?”
Before I can try to think of another lie, a group of girls block our way. “She’s dating Julian Reyes.”
Oh shit. I don’t know which rumor would be worse for CRC.
“I’m not dating Julian,” I quickly deny.
A girl with black hair steps a little forward, and lifting her chin, she says, “I saw the two of you together near the music center a couple of times.”
I can’t hide the irritation in my voice when I explain, “He’s a friend of my family.”
“No need to be defensive. We’re just trying to get to know you better,” the girl says, and when she tries to stand next to me and take hold of my arm, I pull away from her.
I can see where this is going. They think hanging out with me will give them a boost in status.
“I’m late for class.” Pushing by them, the girls scatter to the side so Hayden and Max can pass.
“The two of you are going to have to hold me back, so I don’t throat punch someone today,” I mumble at them.
“Just keep your thumb on the outside of your fist,” Max says, which has me chuckling.
I’m so annoyed by all the whispers and everyone staring at me. When I’m done attending all my classes, I decide to go for a jog before I start with an assignment.
I have a truckload of work to catch up on.
Hayden and Max left me with the two other guards, Joseph and Brian, and I can see they’re not happy about jogging with me, but right now, I couldn’t care less. I need the exercise, so I can unwind before my piano lesson tonight with Julian.
I can think of other ways to unwind, but…
I let out a frustrated sigh as I take the path into the woods to the left of the campus.
I don’t feel as comfortable with Joseph and Brian as I do with Hayden and Max, so I only jog two miles before turning around and heading back in the direction of Trinity.
When I reach the suite, I go to my room and shower quickly before dressing in a pair of skinny jeans and a loose-fitting top that hangs off my left shoulder. Opting for boots, I forego my favorite pair of sneakers, and when I look at my reflection in the mirror, I grin.
I wonder if Julian’s going to remember this outfit from the first night we met.
I walk out into the living room and sit on the sofa opposite Layla. She glances up from her laptop, then wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Someone looks good.”
“Thank you.”
A knock at the door has me jumping up. When I open it, my eyes go to Julian’s face, and I watch for his reaction.
His gaze slowly moves down my body, and then the corner of his mouth lifts. “This outfit looks familiar.”
“Yeah?”
He leans down and presses a kiss to my mouth before glancing over my head. “Hi, Layla.”
“Hey, enjoy the lesson.”
As we walk down the hallway, Julian takes hold of my hand and interlinks our fingers. Stepping into the elevator, I remember the incident from earlier. “People are starting to talk about us.”
“Oh?” He lifts an eyebrow at me.
“Yeah, I told them you’re a family friend, but if you hold my hand on campus, the lie’s not going to stick.”
“Why didn’t you tell them the truth?”
We step out into the lobby, and the guards fall in behind us as we leave the dorm.
“I didn’t know whether you were ready to go public.”
Julian doesn’t let go of my hand as we walk up the path to the music center, and it makes a warm feeling spread through my chest.
“Let’s make it public,” he murmurs as a group of students approach us.
“You sure? There’s still time to back out,” I tease, but I tighten my grip on his hand.
“I’ve never been surer.”
The students give us a wide berth, but I notice how they look at our joined hands.
“Well, at least they’ll have something new to talk about tomorrow,” I say once they’re out of earshot.
“What’s the topic of gossip for today?” he asks while the guard goes into the building to check it.
“Whether there’s a murderer loose on campus.” A worried look flashes across Julian’s features, which has me saying, “But that’s old gossip. The way news spreads around here, I’m sure everyone knows by now that we were holding hands.”