Page 6

Eve

"Okay so hear me out before you say anything, okay?" Katie slides up next to me and Hunter in the dining room as I am in the middle of chewing my apple, I stare at her for a solid moment before slowly nodding.

"My band is playing in this really cute bar in two days, and-"

"Katie-" I cut her off but don't get very far as she presses her finger to my mouth shutting me up. Okay then.

"I know you don't really like going out but this is really important to me and-"

"I'll go." I blurt out, desperate to erase disappointment off her face, longing to see that bright smile that instantly appears moment I agree.

I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid.

Nick and Maia eventually join our table and the conversation around me starts to flow, allowing me to discreetly check my phone under the table. I scroll through the endless articles of my father, stopping when I find one posted eight hours ago. My heart starts to accelerate, my fingers shaking as my eyes dart around the screen trying to find a location.

A breath of relief floods through me. Washington. I'm okay, he's in Washington, the other side of the country.

I'm not afraid.

Abruptly my phone pings and it nearly slips through my fingers, I fumble around to grab it checking who's messaged me. Knowing there is only a handful of people who actually message me on a daily basis.

Lizzie: How's the princess doing?

I catch myself resisting a smile, Lizzie has always been like an older sister to me. She is family.

Me: was wondering when I would get a text from you.

Lizzie: Stop evading the question

Me: Is Luke making you ask?

Lizzie: Lukes at an away game right now, I wanted to know how my baby sista was doing. I love you always E.

I'm about to respond but a crash and laughter in the opposite corner of the dining room causes me to look up from my phone. The football team is there, laughing and hitting each other, my eyes roam around the table involuntary. An odd pit in my stomach appears when my eyes return to the foo din front of me. Disappointment, I realise.

Fuck no.

No, just no. Disappointed that I can't shout in his face maybe, but I am not disappointed that Carson Blake isn't there. That would be a disgrace to all the bad bitches before me.

"I'm going to go to class, I'll see you guys later."

I keep my eyes in front of me the whole walk to business, my AirPods on full blast or more specifically 0'3 Bonnie & Clyde. I make sure to keep my head down and ignore the passer-by's. Adjusting my bag as I awkwardly walk into class five minutes early, I sit myself in the corner of the very busy classroom.

I pull down my hood, not bothering making greetings with the person next to me. Instead I pull out my phone and scroll through tons of meaningless posts, lingering on the post the New York rangers made about my brother.

"Didn't expect you to be the type to be a puck bunny." I nearly jump out my seat, frightened to my core from the voice to my right.

"Fuck off." I whisper, collecting my dropped phone.

"Stop sweet talking me, baby." No no no no no, squeezing my eyes shut at the familiar voice I prepare myself for my worst nightmare.

"Hi" Carson says, flashing a full on grin. Naturally, he looks ridiculously hot, rocking a backwards baseball cap, grey sweats and fitted top-basically every girls wet dream come to life.

"Quit ogling me in public, Angel." His annoyingly smug voice snaps me out of my trance.

"You wish, Blake." I roll my eyes, keeping my eyes laser focused on the professor who has just stepped in.

"Every fucking night." He winks, his body still turned towards me.

"What's your last name Eve?" My body tenses at his question, I thought he knew. I thought that was the reason he was going after me. Ignoring those thoughts from my head, I quickly become thankful he doesn't know.

"F-U-C-K-O-F-F" I spell out for him with a tight smile on my face, he chuckles at my response and my heart betrays me by fluttering at the sound.

"Patience is my middle name, baby." He says leaning back in his chair, his eyes slowly travel over me and I start to fidget under the weight of his intense gaze.

"Mr Blake, would you like to tell the class what you were whispering about to Ms Beckett." I freeze as all heads turn in our direction, keeping my eyes trained on the professor in front of me and not on the 6'4 quarterback.

"Eve Beckett huh." All instructions I have given myself fly out the window at the sound of his voice, raspy and soft.

I turn my head to stare at him, preparing myself for the snide comments. Instead all I get is intense moonlight eyes staring back at me, I'm trapped, unable to look away, as if those silvery depths are pulling me into an uncharted world, both haunting and beautiful. Yet what unsettles me even more is the spark in his eyes, a hint of curiosity that feels dangerously close to interest.

I cannot be his mystery when I can't even cope to solve myself.

"What. You want me to call up my brother and get you an autograph." I sneer, the word dripping with disdain and a hint of disappointment. A brief frown flickers across his lips but before I have the chance to dwell on the sting of my own words, someone interrupts, cutting the tension between us.

"Mr Blake! Ms Beckett!" Abruptly I turn my body towards the professor, lowering my head trying to ignore the stares of the rest of the class.

"My fault, professor." Carson says, his eyes and face still trained on me. I try go through the next twenty minutes without peaking in my peripheral vision, focusing on my notes and looking up every once in a while. I'm staring at the clock watching the seconds tick by, wondering, thinking, when a crumpled up stick note gets pressed in front of me.

'I'm sorry' I turn to Carson who stares right back at me with a slight smile, with a quiet nod he turns back to the professor while I snatch the pen out of his hand ignoring the grin overtaking his face.

'For what?' I rip the note off and place it in the middle of us, dropping the pen in front of him and turning back to the professor, trying to act like I am doing something when instead I'm obsessing over the fact that his handwriting is so neat.

'Upsetting you. I didn't mean to.'

'You didn't.' I write back, intending to end this sticky note conversation here before I learn more about Carson Blake that makes me change my mind about his entitled self.

'Look, I don't normally commit myself to apologising to people and I would like to know if that means you've forgiven me.' I can't help the snicker the comes out of my mouth as I read his writing, quickly covering my mouth hoping he didn't hear It, except the devastating smile on his face as he stares at me proves otherwise.

'The only reason I was surprised about your last name is because I briefly met your brother and you don't look a lot alike.' He adds as he scribbles down on the note, a small part of my heart begins to trust him but I push it back down.

I'm not afraid.

'Right, well, I am sure my brother liked you a lot.' I lower my head down, ready to jot down random facts about my brother just like how it always ends up.

A sinking feeling of disappointment settles in my stomach, but I convince myself it's because I'm tied of this. Not because I liked Carson a tiny bit, not because I hoped he as more.

'No offence but I could not give two shits about your brother, I want to know you, angel.' A jolt of surprise rushes through me and I feel the smile that spreads on my lips the second the note is stuck in front of me.

'What do you want to know, manwhore?' I wink at him getting a grin in return, feeling safer falling into these teasing habits.

'Favrioute Ice-cream flavour'

'Chocolate'

'The hell is wrong with you?! A million ice cream flavours in the world and you choose the most common one'

'Fine, big man. What's yours?'

'Mint chocolate chip'

'That's foul' I scribble back as I fate gag with my middle finger.

'What can I say, I don't reform to societys rules' he grins, flipping his baseball cap around to face forward. This time I put both of my middle fingers in my mouth and fake gag at him.

"Never ever say that again." I whisper, we lock eyes for a moment, and I can tell he's trying to read me. My story, my life, as if he would ever understand the ten year old girl crying in her room begging the universe to kill her before her father could raise his hands on her again. Before he gets the chance, I look away, glancing at the rest of our classmates only noticing that they are packing up and leaving.

I follow their lead, placing my laptop and notebook away in my bag, about to grab the note and tuck it away when a large, veiny arm reaches out and snatches it from my hands.

"I have a football game in a couple days, will I see you there?" Carson asks, towering above me.

Say yes, you obviously don't mind him, live your life.

He'll figure you out your messed up life eventually-better to get ahead of it before he walks away.

"I-um, I don't think I'm gonna go." I reply, avoiding his gaze. When the silence stretches between us, I glance back at him, only to find him staring past my shoulder, his jaw clenched tight.

I follow his gaze and find Will standing at the doorway, waiting for me. He told me this morning he'd wait since our lectures are right across the hall. He waves at me, his brows furrowed as he shifts his gaze between Carson and me.

"Boyfriend?" Carson asks, his voice suddenly laced with disdain, his jaw ticking.

What's his deal? We were fine a moment ago. But this...this is the reminder I need. Our worlds are so different. He's the golden boy of the school, while my name gets dragged through the tabloids. I refuse to anyone else down with me, any association with me could ruin his chances at the future he is aiming for.

"No, just a friend." I say, my tone cool. "Next time, Carson, there are a thousand other seats you could choose."

With that, I turn and walk towards Will, walking away from Carson once again.