Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames #3)(23)
“Why are appearances so important to you?” Bryn didn’t get it. And then something occurred to her. “If you’re so concerned about how things look, then you shouldn’t carry on in public with Rhianna, either.”
“Double standard.” Jaxon smirked. “No one cares what I do.”
The urge to shoot a fireball at his head consumed her. She took a deep breath and counted to ten. Didn’t help. She still wanted to fry him.
“If,” Rhianna said, “worse comes to worse, then all four of us will carry on discreetly. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Valmont answered. “How long do we have until we start playing our parts?”
“What do you mean?” Rhianna asked.
“If you’re approved for marriage,” Valmont cringed as he spoke the words, “do you two pretend to break things off while I pretend to be nothing more than friends with Bryn?”
“Not necessarily,” Jaxon said. “We could agree to see other people until we graduate. That’s not uncommon.”
That was a relief.
On the way back to her room, Bryn prayed to any higher power that might be listening. Please don’t let the Directorate approve our marriage contract. Because no matter how good the plan sounded in theory, in real life it would suck. Sure, behind closed doors, she and Jaxon might live apart, but they’d have to go to all the stupid balls and charity events as a couple. She’d have to put up with his stellar personality, and sooner or later, she might snap and kill him.
“What are you thinking about?” Valmont held the door to her dorm room open so she could enter. He dropped her book bag on the floor and turned so he was staring into her eyes. “Bryn, you’re not having second thoughts about us, are you?”
“No.” She threw her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest, breathing in his warm sunshine and soap smell. “You’re the only thing that makes sense in my life right now.”
He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath her cheek. “Thank God. I worried that I might have scared you.”
She squeezed him tighter. “Nope. You’re stuck with me.”
“Till death do us part?”
Chill bumps raced down her spine. “You aren’t allowed to die.”
“Hey,” he smoothed his hand up and down her spine, “it was a joke. That’s the last line of a wedding ceremony.”
“I know.” God, what was wrong with her? Her emotions were all over the place lately. “The thought of losing you and being stuck with Jaxon would make any girl a little clingy.”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “True. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
…
Tuesday morning, Bryn shared the news of her possible marriage with Clint and Ivy.
“So, my turkey baster idea wasn’t so bad, after all,” Clint said.
“Can we please refer to it as ‘the sham marriage idea?’” Bryn said. “The whole idea of a turkey baster makes me queasy.”
“Better than the idea of naked-time with Jaxon,” Clint said.
Valmont focused his entire attention on Clint. “Do not utter those words again.”
“Do they make you queasy?” Clint said.
“No,” Valmont said. “They piss me off.”
“Told you.” Clint grinned at Ivy. “It’s my special skill set.”
“I’m so proud.” Ivy rolled her eyes. “Now let’s change the subject. Did you hear about the students who were arrested for being out after curfew?”
What the hell? “No. How do you know about it?”
“You’re not plugged into the Black Clan’s grape vine.” Ivy leaned in and spoke in a quiet voice. “The Directorate had the students arrested, for real. They said anyone out after curfew will be considered a criminal.”
“So they’ll be suspended?”
“No.” Clint glanced around like he was worried someone might overhear. “Rumor has it they’re reverting to old laws.”
That sounded bad. “They’re kids. What can the Directorate do to them?”
“Incarcerate them without food or water for twenty-four hours, for starters. There’s talk of worse.”
“Worse?” What did that mean? “Are they going to put students in stockades in the middle of campus or something?” Clint didn’t laugh like she thought he would. “Are you kidding me?”
Ivy shook her head. “It could get bad. The best plan is to stick to the curfew and not push the Directorate. I bet they’re dying to make an example of someone to keep the rest of us in line.”
Great. Ferrin drunk with power… That’s all she needed.
…
That night in her room, Bryn sat on the couch reading her Proper Decorum assignment until her eyes glazed over.
“Is it that boring?” Valmont asked.
Bryn’s head snapped up. “Boring enough to render me unconscious.” She yawned and stretched. Was Valmont staring at her? “What, did I drool on myself?”
“No.” He plucked the book from her hands, scooted close and wrapped his arm around her back so she leaned against his shoulder. “There we go. That’s better.” He propped his feet up on the coffee table, leaned his head back against the top of the couch, and closed his eyes.