The Bargain

Chapter 13

~AZRIEL~

Azriel was a man on a mission. He was focused, determined even. He knew what he wanted and nothing was going to stand in his way. When people tried to stop him on the quad to congratulate him on yesterday's victory, he paused just long enough to politely accept their praise before he made it abundantly clear that he did not have the time to stop and shoot the shit with them. But time and time again someone came up to him. It was like the whole freaking campus was trying to stop him from getting to the library. From getting to Gwyn.

When he finally made it to the library, he took the stairs two at a time to get to the level with the reference desk. Thankfully, the library did not seem busy this afternoon. No one tried to stop and speak with him, which was nothing short of a miracle. Hopefully his luck would hold and Gwyn would be alone at the desk. Azriel was itching with the need to just see her, to just talk with her. He had never felt like this before about anyone. He ate up the distance to the desk with long, purposeful strides. Gwyn's muffled laugh seemed to call to him through the quiet space, like a siren's song. He smiled at the thought of her joy and wondered what it was that was making her laugh.

Gwyn was standing behind the reference desk talking with someone. She laughed again and Azriel nearly saw red. Because the reason for her laughter was Tarquin Fucking Summers. He was laughing too, as he leaned casually against the desk. Leaning. Who the fuck did he think he was leaning against the desk like that? And why was he making Gwyn laugh?

Rather than stew in his jealousy a moment longer, Azriel marched up to the couple. Gwyn noticed him as he approached and gave him a smile. It made his heart do somersaults in his chest, but it couldn't completely erase the envy brewing in his breast.

"Hey, Az." Az, she called him Az. Take that Summers. "Today must be my lucky day. You are my third friend to drop by."

Ha! He thought, triumphantly. I'm her friend. I have a right to be here.

The more logical part of his brain overrode the caveman portion with a less-than-friendly reminder. But that would make Tarquin her friend, too.

Shut up, logic. Nobody asked you.

"You never responded to my text, so I thought I'd come see you." A lame excuse if there ever was one. But Azriel wasn't about to reveal the real reason. At least not until he knew why Summers was there.

Gwyn tipped her head to the side, quizzically. "But I texted you last. So that makes you the one who owes me a message."

"Well, I can fix that." He pulled his phone from his pocket and typed out a quick text. "There," he said, pressing send, "now it's your turn." Gwyn's phone buzzed beneath the desk. "Aren't you going to look?"

"I'm at work. Plus, you are standing right there. Whatever you want to say to me, you can just say. No texting required."

Feeling slightly juvenile, Azriel fired off two more messages in an attempt to get Gwyn to look at her phone. Jealousy was something Azriel hadn't felt in a long time, and even then, it hadn't been this raw, this visceral. Tarquin sighed heavily as her phone buzzed repeatedly. Like Azriel's behavior is somehow offensive to him.

Well, your face is offensive to me, buddy. The caveman was back in the driver's seat of his brain. You're lucky I don't punch it.

"Sorry for interrupting," Azriel said to Tarquin. "Was Gwyn helping you with something?"

"Not yet, but I was hoping she will." Tarquin turned to Gwyn with a smile, showing off that fucking dimple of his. Girls all across campus would twitter and blush when it made an appearance. But right then, Azriel hated it. "The swim team is having a party in a few days and I was wondering if you would like to come."