He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t mean he was getting anything from me. Whatever he was imagining was probably way dirtier than what had happened, but I wasn’t caving. “You could meet Ramsay if you want. I never told you that you couldn’t.”
“Uh, at his house?”
I gave him a “duh” stare.
“Pass.”
“Coward.”
“I’m not denying it.” He walked up when the cute raven-haired girl called out to him. I was sure he winked, and she blushed, which made me question my previous assumption over her dating status. Maybe she was like Ren. They’d be cute together. Then again, a lot of people would look good with my best friend. It was like he fit everywhere.
It made me wonder if I did. I couldn’t picture myself with him when the opportunity struck, and I never saw myself with anybody else either. Lawrence had told me it was because I was infatuated with Theo for so long, I couldn’t get my mind to let it go. I wasn’t so sure it was that simple though. If I wanted to, I could at least try being around other people. Guys my age. Maybe some a few years older. It just didn’t feel…right. Not because I was obligated or owed anything to Theo, but because he was the only person who truly understood me. Who made the flutters appear in my stomach with a single side-smirk. Theo was just…my person.
We walked over to Ren’s friends as expected. I was glad to have the distraction because as soon as he sat down, his friends started in on him. The ragging lasted long enough for me to finish my drink and check my school email. One of them was from my art professor who wanted to meet with me before I left campus for the day. After replying with an agreed time, I hovered over Theo’s name until Ren decided to pay attention to me.
“No.”
“No, what?”
He grabbed my phone and turned the screen off before shoving it into his pocket. “If you’re angry with him, you’ll be angrier that you texted first. Remember all the times you tried stopping me from making stupid choices?”
I deadpanned. “It didn’t stop you.”
One of his friends snorted. “She’s got you there. You cave in seconds when chicks are pissed at you.” Men too, but I didn’t say that aloud.
A girlfriend of one of his teammates leaned over and grinned at me. “Are you having boy troubles? The chase always worked for me, girl. I’m just saying. Play hard to get and he’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand in no time.”
The blush was unstoppable. “It isn’t boy trouble. It’s complicated.”
Ren laughed, the fire in his eyes mischievous as ever. “More like daddy issues.”
Everybody got quiet in a second. Ren stiffened beside me before his wide eyes found mine. The mischief extinguished when guilt flooded them.
Clearing my throat, I squirmed and looked down at the folded hands in my lap to avoid the pitied glances cast in my direction from the people surrounding us.
“Shit, Del. I’m so—”
“It’s okay,” I whispered, voice cracking. I knew he didn’t mean it like that. Ren was being…Ren. Dirty-minded. And he wasn’t wrong to make the joke. Maybe if it were a year or two later considering what happened to my actual father, people would have laughed.
“Can I have my phone back? I should get going to get some work done. Plus, I need to meet with Professor Ambrose.”
He passed it to me but didn’t let me just take it right away. “Are you really leaving? We can head out and maybe go to—”
I patted his leg with a soft smile. At least, what I hoped looked like one. “It’s okay. Really. I still have that project due, and Ramsay needs to be taken care of.” I was aware people were still watching, though some pretended not to be. Badly. “I’ll text you later?”
He just frowned but nodded.
I pecked his cheek. “Love you.”
His voice was full of sympathy. “Love you too. If you need anything, let me know.” He knew I wouldn’t, but he always made it a point to say so.
I waved at everybody else and walked out without looking back. Pulling out my phone, I typed out a text to Theo and hesitated to send it. When I realized it wasn’t what I wanted, I sighed and turned it off, so I wasn’t tempted. Ren was right, I would have been angry at myself to reach out even when part of me was still irritated.
It didn’t take long to make it to the Friedman Art Center where Professor Ambrose’s office was perched in the art department wing of the building. I always loved seeing her there because her shelves were full of her favorite self-made pieces—paintings, pottery, any kind of medium that she felt invested in at the time.
My knock on her door was light, but she immediately looked up with a big smile on her aged face like always. “Adele! Come in, come in, dear. I was happy you could see me on such short notice.”
I entered and dropped into the seat across from her. “It’s no problem. Is everything okay?”
She waved her hand. “Of course. I didn’t mean to scare you by asking to come talk. It’s about the figure drawing class you got accepted into this summer with Kolinsky. I was ecstatic when you finally let me know you were going to take the spot offered.”
I’d only accepted the offer after talking to Theo about it. I wasn’t sure if I should have considering my doubt, but it was too good to pass up since it was the one type of drawing I knew would benefit my work most. “What about it?”
“There’s something I want you to consider,” she propositioned, the smile still spread across her lips. “I know it may seem like a ridiculous notion, but it’s one I truly want you to think about without giving me an answer now. Okay? Can you do
