Page 167 of Ruthless Chaos

She’s oblivious to my internal turmoil.

Her eyes light up with excitement. She starts talking about the fact that she’s never been to a hot spring before, and how she can’t wait to enjoy it. Her enthusiasm is my reward for not telling her my thoughts.

I bask in it for as long as I can.

After dinner, when Alize has gone ahead with Nya to get ready for their trek to the springs, I pull Tara aside. She seems startled by my hand on her arm. Her eyes instantly flick to Alize’s form retreating down the hallway.

I let go of her just as abruptly.

Tara Garcia Vásquez is notorious. In her Freshman Year, her fucked up relationship almost got her expelled from Saint Frederic. It was a nine-day wonder on campus, though I never did find out how she managed to stay.

If I had to guess, it had to do with Professor Holmes’ ties to the Chancellor.

“What do you want?” she hisses.

I’m taken aback by her open aversion. I don’t care for people’s opinions of me, but she must know of the situation between Alize and I by now—I sent her back to their dorm room with evidence of it almost every night this past week.

Does this mean that she doesn’t approve?

“What’s with the attitude, Vásquez?” I fold my hands across my chest, narrowing my eyes.

Tara is taller than Alize, but she can’t even see over my shoulder. She doesn’t seem the least bit intimidated by me, though. There’s a fire in her eyes.

“You’re either going to tell me what it is you want, or I’m leaving,” she says. Her hands fall to her sides. She’s got them clenched lightly into fists.

I guess she thinks she has the upper hand because I clearly want something from her.

“I need you to take care of Allie in my absence,” I say.

Asking her for a favor is the last thing I want to be doing, especially since I have no faith in her ability to protect Alize. I’ve run out of options.

Tara scoffs. “You think I need you to tell me to do that?” She sucks her teeth. “Believe it or not, I actually care about her wellbeing, unlike you.”

There’s a challenge in her eyes, like she’s daring me to say something else, to prove her wrong—or right, depending on how you look at it. I won’t fall into that trap though. For now, she spends the most time around Alize.

It will do me no good to make an enemy of her roommate.

“That’s good to know,” I say with a slight smile. “I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.” I put a hand over my chest. “Alize is very important to me.”

The last part of my sentence doesn’t land the way I hoped. Instead, it seems to make her angrier. What the fuck does she want me to say?

“Is that all?” she asks. I nod.

She turns on her heels and leaves without another word or glance in my direction. I watch as she disappears down the hallway, left with more questions than answers. What the hell is she on about?

Ezra comes up behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

“She hates you,” he says.

I turn to him, my lips slightly agape. “Was it that obvious?”

Vance guffaws behind me. “She looked like she wanted to deck you, to be honest.”

“Maybe she would have if you guys were alone,” Ezra adds, with too much delight in his voice for my liking. “I heard she packs a mean punch.”

I give him an exasperated look and turn towards the group of them.

Cesare is watching us, amused. He’s so quiet that sometimes I forget he’s there. It’s weird. Now that I know only he and Keller stand between me and Head Kingmaker, I’ll keep track of him more.