Page 20 of The Deception You Weave

The overpowering scent of lemon floor cleaner mixes with the musty old wood smell as I make my way deeper into the room.

I've got my sights set on the very back seat, right out of the way and where I'll be able to watch everyone enter.

Lowering myself down, it takes me an embarrassingly long time to catch my breath after the energy it took me to get myself here.

I pull out my books before dragging the cereal bar Ellis threw at me from my pocket and ripping it open.

It's not ten minutes later when voices begin to get louder out in the hallways and in only seconds students begin filling the seats around me, ready for a new week to get underway.

As the clock ticks around to the start of class, I start to wonder if they're not going to show, but then a minute before class is set to start, the door opens and Colt, one of the guys from the team, steps in, quickly followed by the Dunns who are once again flanking Letty's sides.

I ignore them and focus on her.

Her hair is flawless, as is her makeup, but I can see everything she's trying to hide.

Her eyes are bloodshot and the circles beneath them are dark despite the makeup. She chews nervously on her bottom lip as she walks into the room, but she doesn't look up. She just lets Luca and Leon guide her toward a row of empty seats.

She's not expecting me to be here. If she were, then I have no doubt she'd be scanning the room trying to find me. Needing to know where I might appear from.

It's not until she stops on the steps to allow Colt and Luca to walk down the row that she looks up.

I like to think it's because she can feel my stare, that I affect her just as much as she does me, but it might be wishful thinking.

But then her eyes lift higher and lock on to me.

She might be at the other side of the room, but I swear to God I hear a shocked gasp as her chin drops.

A menacing smile curls at the corner of my mouth in greeting. This right now… this moment, her shock, her fear. It makes all the pain of getting here so fucking worth it.

Leon rests his hand on the small of her back to get her attention and she quickly rips her eyes from mine to stare up at him.

The way she looks up at him makes my chest ache. I can read her like a book and the feelings she has for both Dunn boys are clear.

It makes me wonder—and not for the first time—what the reality is there. I've taunted her about fucking them. But has she? Do they really think they own her in any way? Do they really believe they could take her from me? And do they think for even one second that they could give her what I can?

Thoughts of the marks I left on her body make me smile. If they've got anywhere near as close to her as I fear they might have, then they know. They know exactly who's capable of making her lose her mind. And it sure as fuck isn't them.

5

Letty

My heart slams against my ribs as I allow Leon to usher me forward into a seat beside Luca, ready for our lecture to start.

Everything around me blurs as the scorching heat of his stare burns my back.

He shouldn't be here. He should be at home recovering.

But—

Fuck.

"Shit," I snap as my pens all clatter to the floor at my feet.

"Are you okay?" Luca asks, snatching up my trembling hand as I reach down to grab one by his foot.

His soothing touch relaxes me a little and I lean into him, needing him to wrap me in his arms and tell me that everything is going to be okay.

"Of course." I smile at him but he can read me better than to be fooled by it.