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I never really wanted that, I guess Early life experiences taught me I was better off as an island, a self-contained continent in a vast sea of people

It’s harder for people to hurt you when you don’t willingly hand over pieces of your heart

Clearing hts back to the present I shoot a custouy across froo”

He lifts his chin in thanks, his gaze sliding down my arm to the exposed stu t-shirt His eyebrows lift slightly, and just like the frat boys the other night, he opens his mouth like he’s about to ask me what happened But I turn away before he can say anythi

ng

That’s a question I never feel like answering, least of all tonight

For the rest of the evening, I do everything I can to stay on this side of the bar, keeping as much distance as possible betweenmy life

Duke definitely notices I’ deal of it

I glance over one ht when movement on that side of the room catchesTheo drains the last of his drink quickly as they all stand

My gaze lingers for just a fraction of a second too long, and Marcus looks up, catching ain to coe

A sht He grabs his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls a few bills out, dropping therabs a pen fron credit cards with

He scribbles so on a cocktail napkin, and then all three of theh it

It takes me ten minutes after they leave to finally make my way over to the spot they claimed at the bar—as if I’

But there’s no bo for me

There are just two crisp hundred-dollar bills, and a note written on a napkin in slanted, confident handwriting