Chapter 38
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
MILES
Campus feels empty without Blue's presence.
Crazy how Annie Kirkpatrick wasn't even on my radar when this semester started and now I spend more time on campus thinking about her than about great Russian literature.
She never texted me yesterday after I left campus. She didn't come back to my place, either. Luca let me know she stayed at his place last night with her mom so I wouldn't worry but that reassurance didn't go far. I thought maybe she needed space after what happened with Parks; I didn't expect her to stay away this long.
Apparently, she's better at not thinking about me than I am about her.
I'm so used to ignoring the other people around campus that I almost miss the sound of Annie's name floating around when I enter the Sociology building. There's no mistaking who they're talking about because they're full-naming her. I slow my steps to eavesdrop on the group of students crowded around the bench seats near the coffee kiosk.
"I can't believe he would target Annie Kirkpatrick . I took his class sophomore year and I always knew there was something off about that guy. I couldn't believe how many people fell for his narcissistic shtick." The woman who's speaking flips her hair over her shoulder haughtily.
I lean against the wall as if killing time before class so that I can keep listening.
Another guy speaks up. "Didn't you spend half of that year talking about how much you wished he would notice you?"
The woman blushes furiously. "Shut up, Josh."
Josh does no such thing. He smirks as he shrugs his shoulders. "I mean what happened to her is shit, but I get why she caught his eye. The Kirkpatrick girl is hot. Smart too, from what I hear."
"Isn't she dating Cameron Hartford?" someone else asks.
I bristle as much to my chagrin, Cameron materializes and strolls over to the group with a smirk. He doesn't seem to notice me as he leans in and winks at the woman who just said his name.
"You rang?"
She shrinks a little under his attention. "Oh... We were just discussing whether you're dating Annie Kirkpatrick or not..."
He straightens up, the smirk falling from his face. His head turns on a swivel, checking out his surroundings, and his gaze falls on me. He must have sensed the death glare I'm shooting his way.
"Not anymore," he answers slowly, his gaze still pinned on mine. "I messed that one up. She has a new boyfriend now, the guy that helped take Parks down for trying to fucking mess with her. The new boyfriend is a good guy. His uncle is Luca Duffy."
"The hot lawyer?" A guy gasps.
Cameron snorts. "If you say so." He shakes his head. "Anyway, I better get to my next class." He waves to the group and moves toward me. Everyone turns to watch him as he hesitates beside me and nods toward the door. "Walk with me?" he asks.
"No thanks." I'm glad he seems to be backing up Annie over what happened with Parks, but I don't owe this guy shit.
He rolls his eyes. "Just walk with me, asshole. You got the girl; I'm not the enemy anymore."
I stay put.
Cameron lowers his voice, "Fine, I was hoping to earn some good karma by giving you a heads up about what happened to keep Annie's reputation as good as gold on campus. If you would rather stand there eavesdropping while looking dumbstruck, that's on you."
He shoves out the door. I don't know why he's even in the sociology building because there's no way that guy attends any of his classes.
I also don't know why I let myself be goaded into following him.
As if he expected as much, he's walking absurdly slowly away from the building to give me a chance to catch up. I hate this prick but he's right to think I'm curious about the talk on campus. I overheard a couple of people in the parking lot saying Professor Parks was a creep but I didn't imagine the consensus would be to label Professor Parks a certified creep on Annie's behalf. The hive mind usually loves to victim blame too much for that.
Cameron pauses and turns to face me when I reach him.
"The Kirkpatricks have spoken." Cameron smiles with a shake of his head. His smile is self-deprecating, a slight wince as he continues, "The grandparents stepped in on Annie's behalf and are throwing their weight around socially. Anyone who speaks out in support of Professor Parks is presumed persona non grata. Have you read the president's statement yet?"
No. I didn't even know a statement went out already. I expected that to take days before the college would make a formal statement.
"He threw Professor Parks under the bus wholly. Named him and asked other victims to come forward." Cameron's grin widens. "The Kirkpatrick's have quite the reach. Not only is everyone going to be too afraid to insinuate anything negative about Annie with what happened, but she's also about to see her star power soar. You don't get more high society and old money than the Kirkpatrick name. Most victims wouldn't come out so unscathed. I'm glad her grandparents got involved on her behalf."
How the fuck did all of this happen and I know nothing? If Annie got her grandparents' help, I hope that means her mom has warmed up after the debacle of Annie searching them out in the first place.
Also... "Why are you telling me any of this?" I know Cameron has no reason to do me any favors. Even if he wants to be back in Annie's good graces, he's not finding that fucking path through me. Over my dead body will he have a chance to reconcile with her.
Cameron's smile fades. "I just thought you might prefer a head's up instead of being in the dark. Especially since now, you'll have to decide if you're up for the kind of attention Annie is going to get. After all, the Kirkpatricks will be watching everything you do from now on."
Fuck.
Cameron begins to back away, his mouth spreading wide again as he runs his hand through his hair. "I'm sure you'll love living under a microscope, Duffy." He pauses, putting his hand on his chin and pretending to think hard for a moment. "Oh right, sorry, it's Morino , I guess, huh?"
This motherfucker. I knew he wasn't signing up to be altruistic for the hell of it. Good karma my ass.
I force a shrug so he doesn't think he's getting under my skin. "Eh, if my last name situation is too embarrassing, I'll just ask Annie if she wants me to take hers when we get married." I do an exaggerated wink, mocking him.
"She's never going to marry someone like you. What the hell do you have to offer to a Kirkpatrick heir?" He laughs but the humor doesn't reach his eyes. His expression has turned blank as his jaw twitches uncertainly.
I turn my back to him to walk away. "I've got more to offer than you," I call back as a parting shot.
Cameron is right. I can't offer Annie much that she couldn't get for herself with her family resources. I'm rattled by hearing him voice the fear I've carried in the back of my mind since I joined Annie meeting her grandparents for the first time.
I'm just a smart asshole with bad people skills—is that going to be enough to keep a woman like Blue?
As embarrassed as I'm going to be, I need to talk to Lainey.
I don't know her schedule off the top of my head but I make my way to the library anyway. She spends so much time there that I'm not sure she ever actually attends any classes. Though I imagine her mom, the dedicated professor, probably wouldn't let her get away with hiding out in the library if she found out Lainey was skipping.
I spend twenty minutes scouring the first and second floors before catching a glimpse of Lainey's obscure style through the window of a study room. I tilt my head as I stare—not at Lainey's choice of 80s throwback outfit but at the person sitting across from her.
She's alone in the study room with Seth. Interesting.
Under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't barge in on them. Hell, under ordinary circumstances I probably wouldn't be seeking Lainey out like this in the first place. She's my only direct line to Blue's brain though. I'm not stupid enough to think Luca's loyalties would lie with me over Hannah given the choice. He's deep in the quicksand over that woman.
Lainey though... she's rooting for Annie and me to work out. I'm confident she'll be able to tell me how Annie is doing until Annie is ready to tell me herself.
Seth and Lainey both jerk in their seats when I knock on the study room door once before letting myself in. Soft lo-fi music plays from Seth's laptop speaker. Both of them have textbooks open in front of them even though they don't seem very invested in studying anything besides each other.
I can't help but grin as I raise an eyebrow and tease my cousin, "Funny seeing the two of you here together in the most hidden study room in the library. Are you hiding or something?"
"Uh, well, kind of," she admits sheepishly, glancing down at her lap.
Seth's eyes go wide as he blurts out, "Not from you though. Only from Lainey's mom!" He pauses, mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish a few times before he tries to save himself. "Not that there's anything to hide. All we're doing is studying."
I wouldn't believe that's all they're doing even if his voice didn't turn high-pitched and crack as he tells the lie.
"Eh, I don't really care either way." I help myself to the free chair between them and clasp my hands behind my head. "I'm here on a mission. Lainey, have you talked to Annie?"
She stares at me like I'm growing a second head. "Yeah, of course. Haven't you?"
Well, that's an unexpected question. I tilt my head and conjure up a quick response so that I don't let on that there's trouble in paradise. If Annie hasn't mentioned to Lainey that we haven't talked, maybe I'm overreacting about the current silence.
"Yeah." Right, super convincing of me.
"I think she was smart to skip classes today while the news hits." Lainey studies me carefully. "And I'm glad her mom decided to begin reconciling with Annie's grandparents so they can help make sure the narrative about what happened sticks to the truth."
She's trying too hard to be conversational when she's obviously feeling out how much I know.
I nod calmly, not surprised by this revelation. After all, I surmised as much after Cameron told me the Kirkpatricks had involved themselves on Blue's behalf. Lainey's face relaxes as she realizes the news isn't groundbreaking for me.
"I mostly just wondered if from your point of view... Do you think Annie is coping okay?" I need to know she's okay—even if she's not interested in talking to me or coming back to my apartment. Even if she isn't mine .
"Honestly? I think she's doing better than I would be in her shoes."
"Yeah, okay, thanks." Somehow, I got the answer I most wanted, and yet feel like I have no real answers at all. "I'll let you two go back to studying ."
Both of them sheepishly tell me goodbye as I leave, giving them space to figure out whatever they're doing. If Lainey could support me dating her best friend, I think I can deal with her exploring things with Seth, who I've come to casually consider a friend of sorts. As much as I consider anyone a friend, really.
Meeting Blue has turned me into a bleeding heart. I never remember having this many emotions before. I read about them in books but I didn't experience them. Long gone now are the days of being aloof and standoffish.
I care about people.
I care about Blue.