Ardence (Book #1)

XVIII

The ride back to college was eerily quiet, the words of Officer Corbin echoing in my mind. "First step in gaining the upper hand against anyone, you need to know their quirks and familiarize yourself with their mannerisms." While I wouldn't claim to know him inside out, I had a sense of how he operated. One of his quirks was being consistently irritating, and being a jerk round the clock was another.

Clearing my head, I reminded myself to stay focused. If he even suspects what I'm up to, it won't take long for him to retaliate. With determination, I made my way to his class.

The familiar hallways rushed past as I climbed the stairs. Suddenly, my body collided with someone else's, and I heard a sigh. "We need to stop meeting like this, sweetheart," a familiar voice murmured, wrapping an arm around my waist. Looking up, I met Alex's beryl-colored eyes, twinkling with amusement.

"Hi," I breathed out softly, melting into his embrace. His warm scent enveloped me, and I closed my eyes, feeling safe in his arms.

"I missed you," I confessed, feeling the tension of the day melt away.

"Hmm," he hummed, holding me tighter. His gentle swaying calmed my nerves.

But then, I felt something cold glide down my neck, and realization dawned. He wouldn't... Disgusted, I pulled away, only to be pulled back into his embrace as he nuzzled his sweaty face against me.

"Gross!" I exclaimed, trying to break free from his hold.

He chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction. "God, I'm going to miss this," he remarked, finally releasing me.

After cleaning myself up, I asked, "What do you mean?" before the bell interrupted us.

"I'll explain later, let's go," he urged, grabbing my hand as we rushed to class.

As we entered, we were met with a pair of angry eyes belonging to our professor. He looked like he was about to erupt any moment. We quickly took our seats as he pointed us to the front.

Halfway through the class a circular was brought in. Not giving it much thought I focused back on my book.

My head snapped up as soon as I heard Alex's name.

A couple of other guys and girls name was called out.

A total of eight members.

I looked at Alex but his focus was ahead.

"All of you are selected for this years annual science fest taking place in Brooklyn. It will be a week long trip, accommodations will be made by the college."

Signing on it he handed the circular back.

"Mrs Keith will be accompanying you on the trip. Feel free to not drop by my office and go see her if you have anymore questions."

A couple of people laughed thinking he was being sarcastic.

So this is what he meant earlier.

My eyes dropped down. My mood soured.

My eyes moved towards the source of my displeasure.

My own customized jinx.

Feeling the weight of my eyes he turned around, his own narrowed in surprise noticing my glare.

His head tilted to the side as he observed me.

I glanced at him, my mood souring. My gaze locked with his, and he flashed an amused smile, scanning me from head to toe. Then, unexpectedly, he winked at me, leaving me flustered.

My gaze quickly averted.

Discreetly I looked around noticing everyone focused on their books.

Mine focused back on the one lying in front of me but the words blurred together.