Page 36 of His Ruin
A Cheshire grin tugs at the corners of my lips. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’m going to the party with a friend.”
Dylan rolls his head back, closing his eyes. “The embarrassment was worth it. I’ll see you there, right?”
I tilt my head as awareness clings to me. It wraps around my psyche, and I know my brother is watching. “Yup. You’ll see me there.”
Later that night, Kodi is out late at a bar with some peers from her economics class. I’m alone in our dorm, my lamp at my desk providing the only light as I curl forward in my horrible, leather chair. The wooden armrests bite into my hips, and I grumble under my breath as I flick a page in my textbook. My back is beginning to ache, and my eyes burn from staying up late, but I only have a few more chapters to go. I need to fit in as much study time as I can before my exam.
I open my laptop to give myself a break as the words in my book begin to melt together. I pull up the shared PowerPoint, snorting at the thirteen other people currently awake at twelve in the morning doing the same thing. As I open the middle of the slideshow and continue where I left off, a message bubble appears in the farthest corner of the screen.
I click it, revealing a thread that Dylan started.
What are you doing up?
I roll my eyes as I type.
The same thing everyone else on here is doing. Studying.
The bubbles dance before his reply comes through.
Fair enough. Where are you?
Slide fifteen.
He joins me, the circle with his name hovering to the side as he edits the document.
I’m so tired that I’m seeing double. Is this meant to say palmate?
I humor him, responding in the document.
Sure. If you squint hard enough. It says pinnate.
Well, fuck me. Now I know why I’m not majoring in Botany.
Isnort, shaking my head as another bubble joins his. The newcomer types in the middle of Dylan’s sentence, making my lips roll in with amusement.
Stop flirting on the damn PowerPoint. Get a fucking room.
Am I flirting?
I frown as I ease back in my chair. I try to compartmentalize my feelings and come up with one stark contrast. With Kaden, everything feels natural—easy. We know each other, and anytime he looks at me, it’s like the world becomes brighter. I get butterflies in my stomach, and my throat clogs with emotion.
With Dylan it’s…
Platonic. I have no desire for him, and I’m pretty sure if he tried anything on me, I would reject him quickly. Just the thought of him coming onto me feels wrong, like I would be cheating.
I don’t like the guilt that eats away at my gut. For leading this man on and for what I’m doing to Kaden. It isn’t right to keep this act up. I know where my heart lies.
I sit forward, typing up a reply.
Sorry, we were just joking around. No flirting here.
Ouch.
Dylan types before his bubble disappears.
The newcomer’s cursor blinks a few times before they disappear too, and I’m left by myself to finish my study session. I sigh, the sound heavy and laced with exhaustion, before I get lost in identifying plants by their leaves. Another hour ticks by, and before I know it, I’m asleep at my desk, my arms folded under my head as I snore gently.
I’m still partially awake—able to sense everything around me. I’m not fully sucked into my slumber as the bedroom door clicks open. In the back of my mind, I convince myself that it’s just Kodi, and I let myself fall deeper. I’m slipping into peace, letting my dream state take me wherever it pleases.
