Page 30 of Meet Me at the Metro (Gildenhill #1)

30

PROMISES, PROMISES

E L L I E

A n elbow to my ribcage startles me awake as Professor Henderson gives the class a few closing announcements. I catch my head before it hits the table and straighten in my chair while an amused grin cuts across Connor’s face beside me.

“Your essays on ‘Julius Caesar’ are due this Friday before fall break,” Henderson graciously reminds us. “You can either place a physical copy on my desk or turn it in via email. You’re all dismissed.”

“Some of us have already dismissed ourselves,” Connor says out of the corner of his mouth.

“Shut up.” I flip him a discrete bird, rub my tired eyes, and gather my things together. “I slept like shit this weekend.”

“Party a little too hard at Gullie’s, did we?”

“I wish that was the case.”

The events that unfolded after we left the bar come rushing to the forefront of my mind in an angry storm, but I try to hide the sudden uneasiness that settles over me as we leave the classroom.

All this stuff with John this past week has me wound up like a coiled spring. I found myself lying awake the past few nights contemplating what he might do next—wondering if he’ll ever decide to leave me the hell alone or if this is an issue I’ll have to worry about for the rest of my time here in London.

Theo picked up on my restlessness as if it was his own .

I know because he wouldn’t allow himself to fall asleep before me this past weekend. He stayed up with me during the long hours I spent fighting sleep, tracing letters against my back until my eyes grew too heavy to keep open anymore.

Connor’s studying me carefully as we push out of the double doors leading out to the courtyard and approach our appointed refuge on campus—the solid oak tree planted in the middle of the campus’ lush turf.

Throwing our backpacks onto the grass, we both exhale a sigh of relief as we sit down beneath its shade. I lay back, peer up to the overcast sky beyond the tree’s branches, and attempt to steer the conversation away from myself. “How was the rest of your weekend?”

“It was good. I binged a show on Netflix and was an utter lazy arse. You?”

I think of an honest answer that doesn’t mention John.

“I took a trip to a pumpkin patch in Wimbledon.” I smile at the memory of Theo carrying that huge ass pumpkin the entire way back to the flat.

“How many pumpkins did you steal while you were there?”

“Just one—but it was big enough to account for about four altogether.”

“Oh, my days! You’re a bloody pumpkin thief! You should be incarcerated for your crimes.”

“I’ll plead guilty and agree to my sentence if you promise to write me letters from the outside and send me care packages every few months.”

“I don’t engage with criminals, Ellie,” he teases.

“That’s hateful! Here I was thinking we were good friends, Connor!”

He laughs. “I bet you’re the fraud who was stalking the campus and causing all the uproar this weekend, too, aren’t you?”

I sit up on my elbows at that. “Wait, what? What happened this weekend?”

He cocks an eyebrow at me. “You didn’t hear?”

“Hear what? ”

“It’s been all over the news.”

“I don’t keep up with the news! Tell me already!”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. I watch his fingers tap on the screen a few times before he finally offers it to me. “ Here .”

My eyes immediately skim over the article title he’s pulled up, and I pick through the keywords of the article’s paragraphs.

Police begin an investigation after ￡50,000 goes missing from Gildenhill University funds account…

…The University has promised to inform students and staff as new developments emerge in this unfolding financial scandal…

“Oh, shit. This is legit?”

He nods. “They’ve started interviewing staff and everything.”

“Damn. Do they think it’s correlated to someone who works here?”

“Maybe,” he shrugs, ruffling his fingers through his dark hair. “I would think it had to be someone who can access the computer system. Though, my bet is on one of the graphic design students. They have a knack for that technological crap.”

“￡50,000 is a lot of money…”

I continue to scroll through the article, but I’m too eager for quick answers to take my time reading it thoroughly. “Do they have any leads? Any suspects at all?”

“Not that they’ve released to the public. Apparently, the money was embezzled from the school’s tuition account.”

“That’s messed up.”

“Yeah, well, whoever it is is about to spend a good while behind bars.”

I hand Connor back his phone and tease, “Maybe the two of us will become cellmates.”

“Maybe so,” he chuckles.

We settle into a comfortable silence as a cool October breeze rushes past. I people-watch the crowds of students walking along the cobblestone sidewalks weaved through campus while Connor pulls his laptop out of his backpack .

I sit up as a flash of bright orange and yellow hair catches my eye among the moving sea of bodies. A set of familiar brown eyes locks on mine from a distance, and the squeal of my name echoes through the courtyard.

“It’s Evie,” I quickly warn Connor.

He quickly shuts his laptop as she hurries over toward us. As soon as his eyes catch sight of her, he’s straightening his back and schooling his face into indifference. “I thought she had teal hair?”

“Dyed it over the weekend.” I glance at him and snort, “Don’t look so threatened.”

He scowls. “I don’t look threatened.”

“ Mhmm .”

“Well, well, well . If it isn’t two familiar faces,” Evie sings when she reaches us, merrily swinging her saxophone case at her side. She centers her attention on Connor. “ Remember me? ”

He smirks, but I can’t tell whether it’s an expression of amusement or indignation. “No, I don’t think I do?”

There’s a spark of challenge in her eyes and a saccharine smile on her face as she patiently reminds him, “Evie.”

“Oh, yes. That’s right— the loud one . Must have been the hair that had me confused.”

“You didn’t tell me your friend had amnesia, Ellie. Bless his heart,” she tuts. “I commend him for managing to survive through uni with such a piss poor memory.”

He laughs genuinely at her dig. “It’s nice to see you again, Evie .”

“Fuck you, too.”

Before they get an opportunity to egg each other on anymore, I ask her, “What are you doing out so early? I thought you and Grumpy Boy had music rehearsal until 5:00 today.”

“Got dismissed early. And speaking of Grumpy Boy, he’s requesting your presence. Figured I’d try to come and find you so I wouldn’t have to hear his whining anymore.”

My phone dings in my pocket, and I’ve got an inkling of who the text is from before I even read it.

Dare you to come see me in the music room.

Be there in 5. :)

There’s a stupid smile glued to my face as I glance up, finding Evie and Connor watching me. My colorful-haired friend smirks at me knowingly with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “To be young and in love.”

Connor forces his attention toward his belongings and starts gathering up his things, and I feel obliged to ask, “Wanna meet up at Costa later to get coffee and copy each other’s essays?”

“Yeah, ’cause Henderson wouldn’t notice that at all.”

“We can swap out every other sentence, and he’ll never suspect a thing.”

Connor huffs a laugh. “Sounds like a plan.”

I pick my backpack off the ground and stand just as he does. “I’ll text you a time, alright?”

“I’ll be waiting.”

“ Bye-bye, Connor ,” Evie lilts.

“Bye, umm—Evie, was it?”

She flips him the bird before we all part ways. “See you at the flat, Ellie. That is unless you had other plans than sleeping in your bed tonight.”

I shrug. “We’ll just have to see!”

“You horny bastard!”

Getting to the music room across campus is not a long walk. The strumming of piano keys rings through the air as I push through the building doors. Theo’s sitting at the antique grand piano situated at the front of the room as I step inside.

I watch him quietly for a moment as I walk toward him, admiring how his fingers glide smoothly over the ivory and black keys—as if playing this instrument was second nature for him. A warm melody echoes through the room as he plays the final line of the music sheets strewn out in front of him, and I wait until the ending chord dims to silence before I introduce my presence.

“So beautiful, Theo. ”

He looks back with a handsome grin—so soft compared to the sharpness of his nose and jawline.

“There’s still a few fucked up chords here and there, but—”

“It’s getting there. It’s sounding really good.”

Theo humbly bites back his smile as he kicks his legs over the piano bench to face me. “Come here, you pretty thing.”

He opens his arms wide, and how quickly it feels like my limbs turn to gelatin is pathetic. It’s even more pathetic how eagerly I obey.

Theo’s fingers grasp onto my waist as I plop onto his lap, melting into the warmth of his body. I glance at the sheets of music on the piano’s music rack.

“Is this what you’re performing for your senior critique?”

He nods. “Yeah, it’s his— Dad’s. ”

“Oh wow. He wrote that? It sounds like something you’d hear on a score to a movie soundtrack.”

His chest shakes with a laugh. “He’d have definitely loved you after hearing you say that.”

“Good to know I’d have his approval. And this is his, too, right? His piano, you were telling me about?”

“It is.” Theo’s expression so quickly turns solemn. “All I have left of him… this and his music.”

“How come you keep it here? Why not keep it at your apartment?”

“You think this massive thing could fit through my front door?”

I nudge his forehead with my own. “Don’t be a smart ass.”

“I do plan on getting it out of this shitty music room when I get a bigger space, and I want to get his name engraved on it somewhere. You know? Just a staple to always remind me that it’s his.”

“That’d be beautiful.” I adore the admiration he has for his dad. As my eyes inspect the weathered stain on the piano’s wood, I’m prompted to ask, “How old is it? It looks like an antique— it looks expensive .”

He nods. “It was made in the 1960s. It’s a Steinway & Sons, too, so it’s got to be worth at least several thousand quid. I’ve never really looked into its price, to be honest. Someone would have to pry this thing out of my cold, dead hands before I would even think about selling it.”

“I wouldn’t sell it either. ”

After that statement, there’s so much warmth in his eyes as he looks at me. There is always so much his gaze says without him having to speak a word.

It’s like Theo and I have our own silent language.

The pads of his fingers trace the ridge of my jaw, trailing along my skin until they reach my lips. His stare lingers on my mouth for several seconds, and a familiar rush of longing tingles down my legs.

“You drive me mad, Nora.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you ,” he smirks.

“What did I do?”

“I can’t get you off my mind. Ever . You’re all-consuming. I’m starting to think you’re a damn witch.”

“Maybe I am. What would you think of me then?”

“I’d think you’re the sweetest fucking witch I’ve ever known.” He repositions me so that my legs straddle him and brings his mouth near my ear. “And I think I’d probably let you cast whatever spells you wanted to on me.”

I lose every ounce of control that was in my body seconds ago when his tongue runs along my neck.

“ Teddy… ” I attempt to fight every hormonal urge inside of me as his mouth drags along my skin. “Someone could walk in.”

“We’ll give them a show then.”

I can’t say that I’m disappointed with that response either because how his lips feel on me right now is clouding my mind so thoroughly that I can’t even think straight— I can only react.

So naturally, I find my hips moving in tandem with his, desperate for more pressure as he laces his fingers into my hair. Before I can even stop myself, my greedy mouth finds his, kissing him as if every worry I had a moment ago ceased to exist. Clutching onto my waist, he pushes me down further against him until I can discern just how turned on he is right now.

“We shouldn’t do this here again,” I whimper.

“So now you want to be a good girl, do you?”

Oh, my freaking God.

I blush. “Don’t do that. ”

“ Do what?” he smirks, placing an all-but-innocent kiss along my jawline as he presses himself against me— again . “You don’t want me calling you a good girl?”

He grips the nape of my neck and grazes his teeth along my skin in a cruel tease. I could cry with how good it feels—how hard he’s making it to pull away right now. I let out a groan that’s half-frustration and half-pleasure, and he chuckles.

“You want me to stop, pretty thing? I will if you want me to. Just say the words.”

I say absolutely nothing.

So he continues, kissing me like there isn’t a single person on this campus besides us. Claiming me with his mouth until—

“Am I interrupting something?”

I jump off of Theo instantly, my panicked heart racing as I stand and turn to find his stepmom, Kimberley, eying the two of us from the doorway.

“Mrs. Pearson. I–I’m so sorry. We, umm —were just—”

She holds up a palm, and I take my cue to be quiet and smooth down my disheveled hair.

“Theo left out how close the two of you were when he came and asked me to sort out your schedule.”

“I didn’t think I had an obligation to tell you,” he bites back, abruptly rising from the piano bench. He doesn’t spare her a single glance as he gathers up his things.

There’s a long— long —beat of silence.

“No, I guess not.” Returning her attention to me, she inquires, “How are you enjoying your new class, Ellie?”

“I love it,” I skittishly answer. “Thank you so much for helping me with that, by the way. I—”

“Do you need something, Kim? Or did you come all the way here for small talk?”

I stiffen uncomfortably at Theo’s brash remark.

Kimberley narrows her eyes. “Well, no. If I’m being honest, I came to discuss those dinner plans we agreed to. I thought I might find you here.”

“I told you I’d reach back out to you about that. You didn’t need to track me down.”

“Well, I know you’ve been busy with your final year of school and work and that it’s hard to get a hold of you over the phone, so I knew it’d be easier for you if we discussed plans in person.”

Theo scoffs, and Kimberley lets out a heavy sigh. The tension in the room is as sharp as a knife, so I nudge Theo in a silent plea for him to lighten the mood a little— dull the knife .

Kim says, “Fall break is next week. I figured since school was out, we could try planning our dinner for some time then.”

I brush my fingers along the back of Theo’s hand as his jaw tenses, hoping that the next thing out of his mouth isn’t something snarky. When he looks over, I hope that he can read the request in my eyes.

Be nice.

“We could do next Friday.”

Kimberley cocks her head to the side. “ We? ”

Oh my God, he hasn’t even asked her if I could come yet.

“Nora and me. Is that a problem?”

I think I might actually strangle this man.

“Well, I thought it was a family affair.” Kim forces a pleasant look on her face as she looks me over. “But of course, I’m happy to make room for Nora if she’d like to come.”

Theo smiles insincerely. “Perfect.”

I force myself to swallow the sudden lump in my throat. My cheeks are burning hot with embarrassment, but I do my best to mirror Kim’s unbothered composure.

“Perfect. So, next Friday—6:30, at the house? How does that sound?”

“ Sublime .”

Desperate to quell the uneasiness of their— our —entire exchange, I ask, “Is there anything I can bring to contribute to dinner, Mrs. Pearson? ”

She gives me a terse smile that’s full of pity. “Your presence is contribution enough. And please, call me Kim. Mrs. Pearson makes me feel so old. I’ll see you both next Friday.”

“See you Friday,” I nod— for Theo and me .

Kimberley turns on her heel, and as soon as she disappears through the music room doors, I whirl back to face Theo with a scowl.

He laughs and sits back down against the piano bench.

“Don’t you dare laugh right now.”

“What?”

“What the actual hell was that?”

“I don’t know what you’re on about,” he snorts.

Actually fucking snorts.

“You couldn’t have made that even just a little more bearable?”

“Kim will be fine. Trust me. You don’t know her like I do. She only reaches back out when she wants something.”

“It seems like shewants to spend time with you—reconnect. You don’t think so?”

He shakes his head as though he completely disagrees with that notion.

“Maybe I shouldn’t come to the dinner, Theo. You should let it be a family affair like she said.”

“Fuck that. I want you there.”

“When you first asked me to come to this dinner, you told me she was okay with me coming.”

“She is.”

I roll my eyes. “She didn’t even know I would be coming until like five seconds ago. I don’t think she wants me there.”

“Come. Please .” He says the words so gravely my chest aches. “I want you there.”

I sigh, “I don’t want to make things awkward or more tense than they already are.”

He tugs me toward him and breathes, “ Please … I want you there with me. I need you there, Nora. ”

My chest aches .

There’s absolutely no way that I could deny him—not with all the worry and angst lingering in his eyes or the desperate pleading in his voice.

“Promise me, then. Promise me that you’ll be on your best behavior if I go.”

He chuckles with relief. “ My very best behavior.”

“I mean it, grumpy boy. None of that ass-hat shit you just did. Promise me.”

“I promise I’ll try to be on my best behavior.”

He put way too much emphasis on that ‘try’ for my liking.

“Try that again.”

“Nora,” he laughs amusedly. “I promise that I’ll be on my best behavior.”

But despite how convincing he made that sound just now, I pray that his promise is true because if not, this will make for one hell of a family dinner.