“What is this?” I asked as he threw the doors open.
“This is the library.” He glanced around and shrugged. “Nothing special.”
I snorted. “Says you. Look at this place!”
It was like stepping into another world altogether. Or another time. Rows and rows of books filled the room all the way to the vaulted ceiling.
My eyes bugged out everywhere I looked. A winding staircase led to a second floor where more shelves stood. Little reading nooks were peppered throughout between the shelves and sculpted art. I breathed in the old book smell and smiled.
I could get used to this.
“So, you’re one of those book snobs, huh? Do you take pics of books for your Insta?” He scoffed.
I threw him a dark look. “I’m not on Instagram. And let me guess, your feed is probably filled with shirtless selfies?”
“No!”
My lips twisted into a smile. “Are you sure? Because you’re getting pretty defensive.”
His ear tips reddened. “Whatever. I’m not some douche.”
“Shh.” A girl looked up from her desk and scolded us.
We moved past her and deeper into the rows. As we turned the corner, Javi stumbled into someone.
The poor girl looked shaken. Her dark blue eyes blinked behind coral colored glasses. She clutched a giant old book against her chest with one hand and pulled back a loose raven black strand of hair with the other.
“Shiloh.” Javi flashed her smile.
She nodded in response. “Hi, Javi.” She turned to me.
Seeing that my cousin wasn’t going to introduce me, I smiled at her. “I’m Rose.”
“My cousin,” Javi was quick to add.
I threw him a questioning look as I took her offered pale hand.
Shiloh just smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
Javi continued to wear his goofy smile. “I was just showing her our library, and then we’re gonna grab some lunch in the cafeteria. You should come with us.”
My eyebrows flew up. Ah. So that’s what this was. He liked her.
Her smile faltered and confliction flashed in her eyes. “Thanks, but I can’t right now. I… I have to get back to studying.”
Ouch.
Javi shrugged though I could tell her rejection stung him. It was clear this wasn’t the first time she’d done it.
“No prob. I’ll see you later then.” He turned away from her and continued walking.
“Bye. Nice to meet you, Rose.” She nodded at me and scurried out of the library.
I caught up to Javi. “Soo….”
He blew out a breath. “What?”
My eyebrow arched. “Who was that?”
“Shiloh. Just another girl in my house.”
“Uh-huh.”
His ears reddened. “Is it that obvious?”
I smirked. “You were practically falling over yourself.”
He cursed.
“What’s so special about her, anyway?”
He let out a loud sigh. “Everything. She’s beautiful, smart, and nice. Like genuinely a nice person. She’s perfect.”
I snorted. “Nobody’s perfect, Javi.”
“She is. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just this connection I feel when I’m near her. Don’t laugh. It’s stupid, I know, but I feel it. If she knew the real me, I think she would feel the same.”
“So why won’t she give you a chance?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.” He turned to stare moodily out the window.
I rubbed the back of my neck, not sure how to respond.
“This is the part where you’re supposed to tell me I’m a great catch and you know she’ll fall for me someday.”
“But sometimes it doesn’t work out, Javi. Sometimes you just have to move on.”
He turned back to me. “Wow. You’re horrible at pep talk.”
It was my turn to shrug. “I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. Love sucks.”
His brow furrowed. “Speaking from experience?”
I flushed. “I don’t want to get into it.”
My ex was the last person I wanted to think about.
He stretched his hands out in surrender. “Okay. Okay. Let’s go grab some food and drinks and drown our misery together.”
I smiled at him. “Sounds good to me.”
“This is the cafeteria.”
My mouth hung open. Like everything at the school, it was huge. The white tiled floor sparkled under the gorgeous chandeliers. Chandeliers. The school had freaking chandeliers in the cafeteria. Cafeteria hardly seemed the appropriate word. No. The place looked like a royal wedding food banquet. Different size tables dotted the room, all dressed out with gold, silver, or royal blue tablecloths and beautifully carved chairs with plush cushions. Even the dishware was grotesquely fancy and expensive. In the middle of the room, rows of buffet tables made of marble decked with silver and gold stood; the varied aromas wafting from them.
“Is that crab legs and steak?”
He glanced to the buffet table where I was pointing and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Oh my god, how much money does this school have?”
“It’s Malibu.”
I snorted. “Who pays for all this?”
He frowned. “The families of students and the government.”
My head whipped back and forth as I took in all the deliciousness. There was literally anything you could want. Not only did they have the giant buffet tables, but they also had a freaking serving staff that waited on students.
I let out a long whistle. “This is crazy.”
Javi stared at me like I was the oddity. I snorted. If he’d shown up in my school cafeteria, he would have been sorely disappointed.
“Hey, Javi!” A girl called.
His lips broke into a grin that I’d learned he reserved just for the ladies. I rolled my eyes as he winked at her.
My gaze snagged on Shiloh who stood watching the exchange. She met my stare and glanced away.
I whipped to my cousin who was oblivious to it all.
No wonder the girl wouldn’t go out with him. The idiot. No self-respecting girl would take the school flirt seriously.
I elbowed him, earning a glare.
“What was that for?” he demanded.
I gave a pointed look toward Shiloh, but she’d disappeared into the throng of people.
Javi frowned in confusion.
“Never mind. But that girl you like just saw your disgusting display.”
He blinked. “Huh? The winking? What’s wrong with that?”
I sighed. “Really? You don’t see why flirting with another girl might send the wrong message to the one you supposedly like?”
He didn’t respond.
I threw my arms
