Chapter 3
Three
Harper
“You’re not answering my texts,” Kensley says with a playful glare in her eyes.
I reach into my pocket and glance at my phone. “You didn’t send me anything.” I show her my phone and the lack of text messages from her.
She snags it from my hands and pauses outside. She has to head east since we’re going to different buildings. “Weird. Maybe reboot your phone.”
It’s been a while since I restarted my phone. “I’ll try that,” I say and shut it down, shoving it in my pocket in the meantime.
“Let’s grab lunch later. Same time?” she asks, like I’ve been avoiding her, which I haven’t.
Although I didn’t text her this weekend, either. I was busy dealing with the aftermath of Nova’s birthday party.
Sunday, I spent it lounging around, trying not to panic when I called my parents and didn’t even gather enough strength to tell them I had a fake boyfriend, let alone a fiancé.
How am I going to tell Kensley I’m engaged?
She’ll never buy it. She’s been around me long enough to see that Luca and I aren’t constantly all over each other.
A wedding would be absolutely insane.
“Of course, lunch later.” I force a smile. I have so much that I want to tell her, but I’m not sure how. The last thing I want is to put her life in danger too.
I head through the heavy wooden doors and into the auditorium. There’s no sign of Luca. Although he usually shows up after I get to class, choosing to sit next to me.
Something tells me he’s going to choose a different seat today.
I sit in my usual spot, open my laptop, and grab my most recent notes, reviewing the lessons. Most of them make very little sense when I review them until Luca helps unjumble the information for me.
He’s a good teacher.
And a really great friend.
But he doesn’t show up for class. I grab my phone, turn it back on and send Luca a text.
Where are you?
It shows that he’s read my message, but he doesn’t respond.
He also doesn’t show up for class. Is he avoiding me, or is something else wrong?
After class, I walk alone to my next lecture across campus. I hate to admit how lonely it feels without Luca walking with me. It always helped pass the time, and he is really good company.
At least class breezes by, and unlike economics where I completely suck, the English course is an easy A for me. After I finish, I swing by to grab lunch with Kensley and retrieve my phone from my bag.
There are still no messages from Luca. There also aren’t any messages from Kensley, which is weird.
“I saved us a table,” she says and waves to me. She’s already grabbed a sandwich. I drop off my backpack and get in line to grab one too.
Ashton marches up behind me, making sure he hurries before anyone else takes the spot directly next to me. “Hey, stranger,” he says with a smirk.
I size him up, unsure what the hell he’s doing.
“Just grabbing lunch,” he says, clearly recognizing my suspicion.
“Luca wasn’t in class today. Everything okay?” I ask. I order a sandwich and wait for the girl behind the counter to prepare it for me.
“I don’t know. He threw a knife at me the other day. Sunday, he didn’t say a word to me during practice. Are you two doing okay?” Ashton asks.
I’ve never known him to inquire about Luca and me. After what transpired Saturday at the Ricci’s home, I’m hesitant to share much. But he does know what’s going on, and since I can’t tell Kensley, maybe confiding in him is the next best option?
“I don’t think so,” I say. I grab a bag of chips and wait for Ashton to get his sandwich before we both head to the register to check out.
“Second guessing your choices?” Ashton asks.
I open my mouth but shut it. I’m not sure what he’s saying, but I don’t entirely trust him. Not after what happened over the weekend. “I guess you can say Luca and I aren’t talking.”
Ashton and I pay for our meals, and he walks with me to the table that Kensley is saving for us.
“Why aren’t you and Luca talking?” Ashton asks, waiting for my answer.
He’s definitely fishing for information. I’m just not sure why.
Is it out of mere curiosity or something more sinister?
I sit at the table, and he decides to join us, uninvited. “I’m Ashton,” he says, putting down his tray and then holding out his hand to properly introduce himself.
Kensley is already munching down her sandwich and puts it down, then wipes her hands on her napkin before reaching for his hand. “Kensley,” she says. “Sorry, you totally caught me off guard. Wasn’t expecting new friends. But it’s all good.”
Kensley’s eyes are wide, and she’s trying to figure out what’s going on.
“Kensley and I met the first week on campus,” I say. “I know Ashton through Luca. They’re roommates.”
“You met me first,” Ashton says, smirking.
He’s wrong. I met Luca first, but Ashton technically asked me out first. I don’t tell him that, it’s not something he needs to know. Besides, it would probably just come back to bite me in the ass with Luca.
“Are you flirting with me?” I ask, trying to disarm whatever the hell he’s up to.
Ashton quickly shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “No,” he says and turns his attention to Kensley, like I just insulted him.
“So, how was your weekend?” Kensley asks. “You never called to tell me how that date with Luca went.”
“It didn’t happen,” I say and glance down at my food, as though it were the most interesting thing in the world. I take a bite and hope Kensley won’t ask anything more.
I’m not that lucky.
“Did hockey practice get in the way?” she asks.
“No, I did,” I say and glance at Ashton.
Luca and I haven’t spoken since Saturday night when he dropped me off back at school. “Luca is icing me out,” I say.
Kensley frowns. “What’d you do?” she asks, leaning forward, completely engrossed in my lack of a love life.
Ashton watches me, and it’s that look that says more than any words ever could. He’s waiting to see if I break and reveal the truth about the Ricci family.
I won’t. Besides, I don’t even care that they’re mafia. That’s hardly news. The bigger story is that they’ve kidnapped a little boy, which I spent all day Sunday trying to figure out who the kid is, but I came up empty—until I saw the news on television.
An explosion had destroyed the home of a prominent businessman and his family, including, they believed, his son and parents. Their pictures were shown all over the news, including a photograph of the little boy.
Obviously, the boy wasn’t dead, and while I had a name, what next? All I’d do is get myself killed.
My plan had been to talk to Luca about it when I saw him, have him ask his father questions when he visits next weekend, and maybe we could find a way to make sure the child is safe and free.
“Harper?” Kensley says my name and snaps in front of my face when I don’t answer her quickly enough. “What’d you do that upset Luca?”
“I kept something from him,” I whisper.
Kensley glances from me to Ashton.
“I’m sure Ashton can talk to Luca. I mean, you said you’re roommates with him.” Kensley is asking for me, which is sweet, but she has no idea how deep this goes and that talking isn’t going to fix the bigger picture.
She’s not even privy to the bigger picture, which is that we’re to wed, and soon.
I can’t lie to Kensley, so not mentioning the wedding seems the best choice.
“Well, I’m sure whatever it was, he’ll get over it. If not, there are other guys at EU,” Kensley says. “I mean, I’m sure your roommate is a great guy and all, but if he’s not the forgiving type, then maybe Ashton can help you meet another great guy. I’m sure he knows a lot of hockey players.”
“I’m not dating another athlete,” I say and hold up my hand to stop her. “I’m not dating anyone else.”
“Okay, then celibacy it is. I can get you a toy rabbit,” Kensley says, and I’m not sure if she’s joking.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Oh, did you ever get those texts?” Kensley asks me again.
I show her my phone. “Nada.” There are no missed texts or even previously read messages from her.
“That’s weird,” Kensley says. She shows me her phone, and all the text messages came on Saturday morning and they show read.
“I didn’t have my phone with me when you sent these,” I say, noticing the time stamps and the read receipts on them on her phone. They all came when I was out to lunch with Nikki and I had accidentally left my phone behind.
Did Luca read my messages?
Or was it Dante?
The messages aren’t anything that would throw up any warnings or even give away that Luca and I hadn’t been on a proper date yet.
But the invasion of privacy sits heavily in my stomach.
“It looks like someone read and erased my texts. Do you know anything about this?” I ask, staring at Ashton, imploring him to tell me everything. He was at home with Luca. Surely, he knows something.
“Nope.” Ashton shrugs nonchalantly.
Why did I expect him to be helpful?
We finish lunch, and Kensley grabs her backpack and glances at me over her shoulder as we head outside. “You’re coming over tonight. We can play some games after dinner.” She’s not really asking, she wants to hang out, and I neglected her all weekend.
“It’s a date.”
Ashton is right beside me, and he leans in and whispers, “Don’t let Luca hear you say that; he will definitely get jealous.”
I glare at Ashton. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
“Don’t be rude!” Kensley says and purses her lips. “You’re welcome to join us if you like. I really want to play D&D if Harper will be dungeon master, and the game isn’t any fun with just two people.”
Kensley is giving me the look, like she’s begging. “We really need three or four to make it fun,” I remind her.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead playing that game,” Ashton grumbles. “I have a reputation to uphold, but you girls should come over tonight and we can find something else to play.”
I glance up at him, not sure what he’s insinuating. I know Ashton’s a flirt, and if he’s suggesting some kinky sex game with Kensley or me, I’ll kick him in the balls.