Page 67 of The Casualty of Us (Philosophies of the Heart Duet #1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

By the time October rolls around I’m a lot edgy for a variety of reasons, but mainly three. One, I know Thanksgiving is almost here, which means checking the PO box and that entails a mindset shift that I’m already gearing up for, and two—

“Stop it.”

“What?”

“You know what.” I scowl, lifting my head off the arm of the guys’ couch to look down at where Hayes’s head is resting on my stomach with the rest of him sprawled out between my legs.

Hazel eyes waiting for mine with far too much innocence in them to ever be believable.

“ That .” Lifting a brow, I nod down to where his finger is sliding back and forth underneath the top of my leggings.

“Is not allowed when you’re failing, Hayes. ”

His brows fall, the innocence leaving as he immediately falls back into a full-on pout. “You’re cruel.” Completely ignoring me, he lifts my shirt up a bit to press his lips against my skin with each word that follows. “So, so, so cruel.”

I snort at the show he’s putting on, rolling my eyes and reminding him, “Then get your poli sci grade up and maybe you’ll understand how you’re supposed to be protected from such a thing.”

He lets loose a frustrated sigh against my stomach, and a giggle escapes me before I drop my head back down.

Looking back at my phone to read through the last few lines of the report concerning problem number three.

I already deemed extreme measures necessary about six reports ago and have proceeded accordingly, but I also haven’t seen the point in stopping them either.

At this point I’m just stockpiling evidence in case the moment comes when he needs it.

Still, though.

This new information has me quickly typing out a response for them to investigate further because it could be exactly what I need to put that final nail in her coffin.

It has me glancing down at the head lying across my stomach, one of his arms wrapped fully around my waist and his other hand still playing with the top of my leggings.

“Hey.” I click the side of my phone, setting it down and waiting until his eyes find mine to run my fingers through his hair. “You’re not going back to your mom’s for Thanksgiving, right?”

“No.” He tenses against me, and I don’t stop him when he pulls my shirt up some more before dropping his head back against my skin. “No, I won’t see my mom again until Christmas, like usual.”

“Oh.” I pause, a little lost on how to approach the topic but still pushing. “Do you really think she’d send you to jail or something if you stopped going back? Can’t you just talk to your dad?”

Because I need to know all the aspects of this before deciding what to do next, and his thoughts will play a huge part in that.

“Probably.” He shrugs, the arm around my waist squeezing as his voice drops to something tight.

“I don’t know, I guess I could, but it’s just easier this way.

” He presses another kiss right below my belly button.

“Sometimes I still just wish that she— that things would be different like she said,” I run my fingers through his hair and fight a scowl as he turns his head, nestling down against me again while finishing.

“So I guess I keep going back to see if she’s changed, regardless of the fact I don’t really have much choice. ”

No voice in the matter at all. Not even to call her out. God, if I hadn’t already started working on managing my instant hate for that woman about six reports—

“Freckles.” I blink back to see his eyes running over my face with concern. “Please don’t worry that I’m going to do something stupid, okay? I’m not going to fuck this up.”

“I’m not.” I shake my head, realizing where his head went, and give his hair a little tug while informing him, “Because if something happens, you’re going to come to me this time, right?”

Trying to make it sound at least semi-hopeful while still getting my point across.

“Ophelia Sage.” His dimples flash, eyes filling with delight as he pushes his head back against my hand like a freaking puppy. “Are you worried about me?”

“Always,” I scoff, sarcasm heavy, and I see the narrowing of his eyes that comes with the spark of mischief there.

“Hmm.” He hums before dropping to swipe his tongue across my belly button, making me suck in a sharp breath that I almost choke on as he blows across my skin. “That’s sweet, O.”

I watch as he dips his head and presses a kiss just above my waistband, drawing it out and making everything there pay attention. Mind immediately going to the thing we haven’t done yet and torturing myself right along with him for a couple of seconds before sighing grumpily. “Stop it.”

I hate problem number two.

“It’s been two weeks,” he groans. “ Weeks , Ophelia—”

“And somehow you went an entire year—”

“That was before—”

I snort. “Before what?

“Before you let me get all addicted.” His eyes come up to mine, and he runs his teeth over my skin. “Just a little taste, baby, that’s all.”

Oh, fuck it. I’ll make him study for like three hours afterward.

It’s all I’ve been able to think about lately anyway. “Fi—”

“Goddammit!” Ollie’s shout suddenly fills the dorm. “My fucking eyes, guys!”

I can’t help but laugh as Hayes drops his head back down to my stomach with a truly tortured groan, flicking my eyes to where my brother is glaring at us from his now open door and shooting him an apologetic grin. “Sorry.”

“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes at me, but I can see the way he softens too, only half-heartedly grumbling something about thin walls under his breath while heading to the door.

“Where are you going?” I frown. “It’s Saturday.”

“I’m aware of the day.” He reaches down to grab his shoes before looking Hayes’s way nervously. “I have to go have lunch with fucking Kyler so he’ll finally shut up about it.”

Shit.

“Oh.” I swallow with the same nerves filling Ollie’s eyes as the body wrapped around mine goes perfectly still. “Well, good luck with that.”

“I want to go.”

My eyes snap to the head already lifting off my stomach, and I frown as he pulls my shirt back down. “Dimples.”

He brings his eyes up to mine with the same determination filling them that had him chasing me for months. It’s a wall that instantly clues me in that there will be no stopping this. Only mitigating it.

I still try, though. “Don’t you want to stay and—”

“I’m going, O.” He lifts up, pressing his lips to mine absentmindedly before standing and tossing out tightly, “I don’t trust the guy, but that doesn’t mean you have to be there.”

Ugh.

I dart my eyes to Ollie, hoping to find an ally there, but he just looks on with a bemused face.

Not helping me out by, I don’t know, mentioning that Hayes’s distrust of Kyler is probably stemming from the fact that he’s more than a little possessive and instead just giving me a quick shrug while tying his shoes. Proving himself to be utterly useless.

“No, I’ll text Marley and see if she wants to join too.” I push up off the couch, snagging my phone while mumbling. “Let’s all go have lunch with freaking Kyler.”

Despite the fact it’s the last thing I want to do with my Saturday, he still just won’t take the hint. Asshole.

Hayes

I come up behind O as we make it to the table, bringing my hand to the small of her back and steering her toward the seat next to mine.

Knowing that she tenses because it’ll throw everyone else out of order and be very noticeable, but the thought of the blond fucker has me not really caring right now.

I continue to move her exactly where I want and toss Ollie a look behind her back before pointedly jerking my chin to make sure he ends up on her other side.

Happy that he at least immediately complies as O slides into the seat and I set the tray down.

Because there’s no way that bottle blond is sitting anywhere near her.

Marley gives me an amused look while taking a seat in Ophelia’s usual spot and sipping at the smoothie she ordered before sighing. “Oh, whatever shall I do by myself over here.”

“Don’t worry,” I scoff, reaching for O’s leg and already frustrated her leggings aren’t letting me feel any skin. “G.I. Ken will be here to keep you company soon.”

“Dimples.”

“What?” I narrow my eyes at the scolding look she throws my way because it’s all complete bullshit in my not-so-humble opinion.

He makes her uncomfortable. I can tell.

No matter how much she repeats to not make a big deal out of it or that he’ll go away eventually…

the piece of shit is starting to make her feel really uncomfortable regardless of what she says.

Not that he didn’t from the start, but lately I’ve noticed her shifting more when he’s around.

Restless, I guess. Her blue eyes flashing with something that tells me it’s passed the casual annoyance category and jumped to something in her head that she hasn’t shared yet.

It unintentionally drives me a little insane, not because I think she has any feelings for him but because I just don’t trust him.

There’s something off there. It’s in the way he stares at her when he thinks she’s not looking, and it’s not in the way I used to, regardless of whatever the fuck Holden says when I mention it.

The possession in his stare is more like she’s…

I don’t know, an object, something to own instead of a person to love and cherish.

But something is off, and I would know, considering that I’ve spent my life making split-second judgments on my mother’s multitude of houseguests.

And the fact that I can’t just pull her into my lap every time he’s around because there’s a second psycho out there that wants my girl isn’t helping keep me sane.

Like at all. Half of me wonders if they’re one and the same, and the other half regularly contemplates how mad she would be if I just said fuck it .

It’s also why I’m failing poli sci and almost advanced debate too, since they’re the only two classes where I can openly observe both of them.