CHAPTER 25 – ANTONIO
They’re gone. Caspian is gone. Everything will go back to the way it was. I wait for the relief to hit, but apparently it packed its bags and booked a flight.
I stare at the door. The urge to run after Caspian is so strong my body almost moves before my brain catches up and forces me to stay put. I think about Ryan’s hand on my shoulder, squeezing—like testing fruit for ripeness. I think about his low and menacing voice saying my name.
Some traitorous, stupid part of me hopes that Caspian will come back. That he’ll ignore my barb and say something that would make this hurt less.
Maria appears next to me.
“Please tell me you gave him your number. He looked ready to collapse with nerves when they came in.”
I shake my head. “Ryan’s friend. Remember?”
“But you like him.”
“That’s irrelevant,” I retort , crossing my arms.
Maria’s mouth parts. “You admitted you like him!”
“I did not.”
“Um, you absolutely did.”
She gives me a tender look. “It’s okay to like him.”
“It’s not and you know it!”
Maria lets out a breath she must have been holding since the dawn of time. “Have you considered asking if he’s friends with Ryan? Rich families like his are bound to socialize. It doesn’t have to mean they’re friends.”
Yes, I’ve thought about it. Not the asking part—the what-if-I’m-wrong part.
I’m not wrong, though.
“I just saw them the other day,” I remind her. “They went for coffee. That means I’m right.”
I take my break outside, breathing the stifling hot afternoon air. I lean against the warm wall, letting myself sag. My shoulders drop when I admit the truth. I have a huge, desperate crush on Caspian and it’s not going anywhere.