Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(17)

Bryn flipped him off.

“What? You asked for an explanation. I gave you two. Pick the one you like most.”

Rhianna frowned but didn’t ask any more questions.

“Those rumors you’ve been listening to have no basis in truth.” Jaxon’s tone was dismissive. “I said I’d be discreet. Seeing Bryn would not be discreet. It would be a nightmare for all involved and would more than likely lead to death and dismemberment.”

Bryn would’ve yelled at him, but he spoke the truth.

Rhianna gave a small smile. “I suppose you’re right. It’s easier to imagine you hacking away at each other with swords rather than being romantically involved.”

“Exactly.” Jaxon reached for the blond girl’s hand.

Rhianna laced her fingers through his. “I think I’m done for the evening. Walk me to my room?”

They walked off together.

Bryn continued painting her section of the set and allowed her mind to drift. What had Jaxon meant when he said he’d promised to be discreet?

Were he and Rhianna seeing other people? More than likely, he was seeing other people and she was putting up with it.

Asshat.

A hand waved in front of her face. Startled, she jerked backward.

Zavien stood next to her. “I was beginning to think you were having an out-of-body experience.”

“Sorry. Lost in thought.”

“Care to share?” he asked.

“Nope.”

“Finish up and we’ll walk back together.”

That would be nice, but she’d bet he wouldn’t hold her hand. And that bothered her. A lot. After she cleaned up, they exited the building and emerged in the cool night air. Did he put his arm around her shoulders? Of course not. Time to think about something else.

“What color tuxedo are you wearing to the dance?”

“Basic black.”

“It would be cool if you could find a bow tie to match my dress.”

He snorted. “Colored bow ties are ridiculous. Basic black is classic.”

“Clint is wearing a scarlet bow tie to match Ivy’s dress.”

“He’s still in the infatuation stage. A year from now he’ll wear a black bow tie.”

Wait a minute. She was infatuated with Zavien. Apparently he didn’t feel the same. And that sucked.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Everything, but she couldn’t say that. If she opened her mouth right now, all her angst would come flying out. That would be bad. She needed to get away from him. She increased her pace to put some distance between them.

He matched her stride and grabbed her arm. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Her eyes grew hot. Damn it. Why did tears have to come with anger? They made her feel weak. “Not here.”

His hand fell away from her arm and they walked in silence. When they reached her dorm room, she took a deep breath and tried to find a way to voice her concern without sounding whiny.

“Remember what you said about Clint and the matching bow tie?”

He nodded.

“How do you feel about me?”

“You know how I feel.” He leaned in to kiss her.

Whoa. Not this time. She backed up a step. “I need words. If you’re not infatuated, then how do you feel?”

Zavien ran his hand down his face. “I chose my words poorly. Clint and his feelings toward Ivy are different from what’s happening between us.”

Wrong answer. “Why?”

He took her hand in his. “It’s different because we started on an even playing field. We met, there was an attraction, and we acted on it. Clint has been chasing Ivy for years. He finally caught her and he’d probably wear a gorilla suit to the dance if she asked.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “It’s not that you don’t care about me, it’s that you still have a mind of your own.”

“Exactly.” He pulled her close and kissed the tip of her nose. “Better?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” His lips brushed across hers. She blocked out all doubt about his feelings and enjoyed the kiss.

He maneuvered backward toward the couch. She hoped he remembered to avoid the coffee table. The backward motion stopped and they bumped noses.

“Coffee table?” she asked.

“And I was being so smooth.”

She chuckled and walked around the table to reach the couch.

“Pretend that never happened,” he said.

“Right. I’ll sit here, far away from the treacherous coffee table, and you can kiss me.”

“Good plan.”

She laughed against his mouth. He retaliated by tickling her ribs. Laughing, she batted his hands away. He pulled her close and kissed her. For the moment, all was right with her world. She vowed to ignore any nagging doubts about his feelings and enjoy what they had.

…

Saturday was a strange day. Females from every Clan were working themselves into a frenzy about the dance. When she walked into the dining hall for lunch, a girl she’d never met stopped her.

“Which nail polish do you like best?” the girl asked.

All ten of the girl’s nails were painted different colors. “What color is your dress?”

“It’s lilac.”