53

Azira
“Can you believe it’s spring break already?” Nat asks as she shoves the last of her pizza into her mouth.
I shake my head. “No, this last year is flying by.” And I know the reason is my secret affair with Blaine. It’s hard to believe that four weeks have gone by since he got possessive with me at the hockey game and punished me in the bathroom like a feral animal. They have flown by as we spiraled deeper and deeper into our twisted games with one another.
When he thrust that gun inside of me in his office five days ago, I thought I was going to die of fright. After a while, I relaxed and then he thrust it in my ass and fucked me. Somehow, I enjoyed it. As sick as that is to admit, I enjoyed the power I gave to him. The trust I had to give him, believing he wouldn’t hurt me, that no matter what, he’d ensure I walked out of that office alive and not with my guts blown out by the gun.
It should have made me angry and want nothing to do with him anymore, but it drove me deeper into his web.
Eva clears her throat. “What are everyone’s plans?”
Nat smiles. “Alex is coming to stay with us for the break. I’m going to show him Boston.”
Adrianna sighs. “Lucky you’re going to have a good time. I hate going home.”
“Then why go home?” Eva asks.
She raises a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, there’s no rule about having to go home for Spring Break. You could stay here.”
Adrianna’s lips purse as she regards me thoughtfully. “I never really considered staying.”
“It’s not like you’d be alone. We can go shopping in town and have fun.”
Adrianna’s eyes narrow. “I think you’ll be pretty preoccupied with your husband, don’t you?”
She shakes her head. “The first week he has to go to a convention in Alaska. The cold weather doesn’t agree with me, so I decided not to join him.”
Adrianna thinks for a second and then nods. “Fuck it, I’m not going home. I doubt my family will even notice, to be honest.”
Eva smiles. “We’re going to have so much fun.”
“What about you, Azira?”
I shrug. “Well, I love going home and my family. No doubt I’ll just be hanging out and shopping with my sister.”
“You’re so lucky to have a sister you like,” Adrianna says, running fingers through her dark hair. “My sister is the biggest bitch you could ever meet.”
Eva sighs. “You are lucky to have siblings at all.”
Adrianna gasps. “Oh God, I’m sorry I’m bitching about my sister and your brother died. That’s so inconsiderate of me.”
Eva shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just saying it’s important to value what you have before it’s gone. The only family I miss is my brother.”
“I can’t imagine disliking any of my siblings. We’re all so close to each other.” I shrug. “I guess it’s easy to take that for granted.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister and we were friends as we grew up, but she’s become competitive and bitchy as we got older.” Adrianna sighs heavily. “My brother and I have always been close, but he’s always so busy with the cartel.”
Nat nods. “I love my brother, but he’s always so busy, too. He doesn’t have much time for me when I’m home.”
“You could always come and visit Boston for the second week when Oak gets back.”
Adrianna rolls her eyes. “What? And be a third wheel to you and Alex? No thanks.”
Natalya chuckles. “Fair enough.”
“You could visit Chicago if you wanted? Spend time with me and my sister?”
Adrianna regards me and smiles. “Thanks for the offer, but I actually quite like the idea of having some quiet time alone here.”
I nod. “No worries.” To be honest, I’m looking forward to some space away from here. A chance to clear my head and get some clarity on the insane things I’ve been doing with my professor.
For two weeks, I need to have no reminders of this place, but I doubt I’ll be able to stop myself from contacting him over the break, if I can get him to give me his number. I’ve been too nervous to ask and we leave tomorrow.
Ever since we started this affair, I’ve not gone a day without seeing him. The thought of spending two weeks apart makes me feel empty and hollow.
“Azira?” Adrianna says my name, shoving me gently.
“Sorry, what?”
She shakes her head. “You have been spacing out a lot recently.”
“A lot on my mind,” I murmur.
Instead of commenting on that, she just says, “How about a last swim before we leave for break? We’ve hardly swum this term.”
I swallow hard, as I can’t swim unless I buy a wetsuit that will cover all the cuts and bruises on my skin. “I’m not really feeling up to it.”
Her brow furrows. “You know it’s going to be tough to get back into it with the time you are taking out.”
I shrug. “Maybe I won’t get back into it.”
Her lips purse together. “Fair enough. I’ll go by myself.”
I feel guilty about how disappointed she is, but there’s no way for me to explain the bruise and cuts she’d no doubt see if I put on a swimsuit.
In fact, I’ve been having to get changed for gym and combat in the toilets rather than the changing room to ensure no one saw them.
If my friends have noticed, they haven’t commented on it, thankfully.
“What time are you leaving tomorrow, Nat?” I ask, changing the subject as I sip my coffee.
“Car is swinging by early at about nine in the morning to collect Alex and me.”
“Where is he, anyway?” Adrianna asks, glancing around the room. “I’ve barely seen you two apart since you got together.”
“He had to do some last-minute studying in the library.”
Eva laughs. “I think you’ve rubbed off on him in a good way.”
Nat shrugs. “He’s actually really intelligent, even if he always acted like he didn’t give a shit about class.”
Someone clears their throat behind me, and I glance around to find Coach Daniels staring at Adrianna. “May I have a minute?” he asks, glaring at her.
She purses her lips. “Do I have a choice?”
“No,” he says sternly.
She nods and gets up, following him out of the cafeteria.
“That guy just won’t give up, will he?” Nat asks.
Eva shakes her head. “Oak has spoken to him, but he said it’s like talking to a brick wall.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it? I mean, why is he so set on sleeping with Adrianna?”
Eva shrugs. “The fact she’s rejected him probably makes him want her more. Like a challenge he wants to overcome.”
“So immature for a grown man,” I say, shaking my head.
“Adrianna can handle it, though. She’s tough,” Nat says.
I nod, as it’s true. Adrianna is one of the toughest people I know and she’s not one to be intimidated, no matter how hard Coach may try to make her back down. I finish the rest of my pizza and then my phone buzzes.
I pull it out of my pocket and find a text from a withheld number.
Meet me in the courtyard outside the library at nine o’clock sharp tomorrow morning. Don’t make me wait or I’ll have to punish you. GN.
I swallow hard, wondering how he got my cell phone number and why he’s withheld his own. It means I can’t respond. He’s just assuming I’ll be around to meet him there, even though I’m leaving for home tomorrow.
I’m not leaving until midday, but he doesn’t know that.