18. VERENA GRAVENHURST
EIGHTEEN
VERENA GRAVENHURST
After enduring another agonizing lecture about the History of Hollowcrest, we’ve finally been dismissed.
I shove my belongings into my bag with haste, eager to see Reed.
He’s been a ghost all day, nowhere to be seen in our usual meet-up spots between lectures.
Stepping out of the study room, I expect to see him where he’d promised to meet me, but he’s nowhere in sight.
Maybe he just got caught up in a lecture.
He had English Lit. today with Mrs. Waldman, and that woman knows how to talk your ear off.
Leaning back against the stone wall, I cross my arms and wait.
I wait. And I wait and wait and wait until it’s apparent he isn’t going to show up. On a huff, I push myself upright and march in the direction of Reed’s class.
Peering inside, I see that all the students have cleared out.
Two men now occupy the room, and when he turns his head slightly, I feel like I’m catching a glimpse of Reed in the future.
He’s undeniably Reed’s father, Charles Sullivan.
With deep blonde hair, a shade darker than Reed’s, the same hazel eyes and sharp features, there’s no way in hell that it isn’t.
I find myself shying away, hiding within the shadows of the vacant hallway. He’s in the middle of a conversation with the dean, and I strain my ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Their voices become louder, as if they’re approaching the door, and I suck in a breath. I’m about to walk away, to give them privacy, before I get caught when I hear my family name leave his lips.
“—just like the Gravenhursts.” It stops me in my tracks.
Pressing my body against the wall, I can’t stop the chill that travels down my spine at the way Mr. Sullivan speaks my name.
It sounds like poison on his tongue, as if it pained him to say it out loud.
I arrived too late to hear the beginning of the conversation that provoked him to speak about my family, but my curiosity has been piqued.
“There you are, Gravenhurst.” Reed grabs my hips, and I spin around, spooked. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He leans in and brushes a soft peck on my lips.
“Sorry, I thought you were meeting me after class, and when you weren’t there, I set out to find you.” I take slow breaths, still trying to steady my heartbeat. “Is that your dad in there?” I nod to the lecture hall where I saw him a moment ago.
Reed stills, then nods his head. “Uh, yeah, it is.” His eyes flicker to the room. “He’s here handling some business. I try to stay out of it.” He takes my hand, suddenly guiding me away from the room, but I dig in my heels. I need more information.
“I’d love to meet him, if that’s okay. I mean, he’s a big part of your life, and as my boyfriend, don’t you want him to meet me too?
” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear and give him my best doe eyes.
His jaw tenses, and I can tell he’s mulling over his decision before he answers, the words sounding pained as they leave his lips.
“Sure, come on.” He lets out a sigh, and we head into the room.
His whole demeanour changes. Reed releases my hand as we enter the room.
He stands proud, his shoulders tense. I’m shocked at how reluctant he’s become when it comes to introducing me to his family.
Just last night, he wanted to shout our relationship from the rooftops.
He wanted everyone to know I was his girlfriend.
Now, this introduction feels more like pulling teeth than anything else.
I won’t let his attitude deter me, though.
“Ah! Reed, there you are. I was just telling Dean Henderson my plans for the new library extension. I’ve seen the blueprints, and they’re exquisite. I’m glad you could join us.”
We halt a few feet away when Charles’ eyes land on me. “And who is this lovely lady accompanying you?” His eyes roam the length of my body, and the contents of my stomach roil.
“Father, this is Ren. Ren, this is my father, Charles Sullivan.”
“Oh, please, call me Chip! Everyone else does. Ren, is it? I don’t think I’ve heard your name before. Are you new to Hollowcrest?”
When he speaks, he is so animated, and his eyes are intense; it feels impossible to hold his stare. It’s unsettling, like he has to be the biggest personality in the room, and he wants you to know it.
“Ren is a nickname. I actually just inherited this academy. You may have known my grandfather.” I don’t know why I said it, but the moment I did, I wished I could take the words back.
“Oh?” Chip quirks a brow, and I swear for a moment, I saw darkness flicker in his eyes. Suddenly, I don’t want to be in this room anymore.
“What did you say your full name was?”
“I didn’t, Sir. My name is Verena Gravenhurst. Granddaughter of Ambrose Gravenhurst. Your son is great, Mr. Sullivan; he’s a very kind man.
” I try my best to keep my composure, but I can feel a shift in the energy around us.
Something’s off, and the way Charles’ jaw tensed when I said my name leaves me to believe he’s not pleased with my presence here or the fact I’m hanging around his son.
“I hadn’t realized you two were…close.” His eyes flicker over to Reed, who hasn’t uttered a word in the past few minutes. Chip’s brow furrows when Reed stays quiet.
“We’re project partners,” Reed finally mutters.
Chip clicks his tongue.
“Yes, well, it’s quite a shame to hear about your grandfather’s passing.” My stomach drops at the mention of his death. Everything he says seems insincere, like he’s not truly saying what he wants to say.
“Anyhow, you’d better hurry along. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your studies.”
“It was nice to meet you, Mr. Sullivan.”
“Wasn’t it?” He flashes a wicked smile and turns back to the dean, dismissing us, and I get a sickly, uncomfortable feeling about that man.
Leaving the lecture hall, I notice Reed is keeping his distance from me, no longer holding my hand, no longer slipping his fingers around my waist. We’re project partners, he had said.
A far cry from the man he was last night, who all but claimed me in front of his friends.
Is he ashamed of me? Is he ashamed of who I am?
I storm down the hall, my pace picking up speed, as I try to put some distance between us. I feel like a fool.
“Gravenhurst, wait!” Reed chases me down before I reach the exit.
“Oh, so you can talk!” My frustration seeps out of me in waves.
“What did you want me to say? You don’t know what he’s like, how intrusive he is in my life. I didn’t need him to know about us. I’m sorry, please don’t be angry with me.”
“Well, project partner, no need to worry there.”
Reed drags his hands down his face and releases a breath, my snarky attitude not helping the situation.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then enlighten me!” I fold my arms across my chest, my impatience for his attitude wavering with each moment that passes.
“My father is a complicated man; it’s best that he doesn’t know anything about us, trust me.” His eyes are pleading, and something tells me he’s not going to give me any more of an explanation on his choice of actions. I purse my lips and take a moment to think over what to say next.
Releasing a sigh, I reach out my hand, waiting for him to reciprocate.
He clasps his hand in mine and leans down to peck a kiss on my forehead.
“I swear I didn’t mean anything by it, Gravenhurst. You mean so much to me.
” I give him a forced smile and nod. I’m emotionally exhausted and just want to be finished with this conversation.
“Take me home?” I ask, my voice soft and small. He flashes me his usual Sullivan smile, and we head out to his car.
The ride home dragged on in an awkward silence, and when we finally arrived at the manor doors, I was relieved.
Reed turned up the radio when he realized I wasn’t much in the mood for conversation, drowning out the tension that tagged along with us.
He didn’t offer to come inside with me, something I would have found odd, had my mood not been foul.
We say our goodbyes, and I feel the weight of the day ease from my shoulders the moment I set foot inside my home and close the door.
I’m looking forward to a warm bath, a fresh hot meal and a good book to sit down with and drown my sorrows, losing myself in the comfort of solitude.