Gifted Connections: Book 2(6)

I reached out for his hand, digging deep for my acting abilities once more. “If you say so, honey,” I murmured reticently. I couldn’t act too suspiciously, I was already in too deep.

We took the short drive back to the school’s quad. I didn’t wait for Collin to open the car door from me. I was eager to get away from him and go to the cafeteria. Gavin was already waiting in line at a popular sub shop.

“They have amazing subs here,” Collin informed me.

“Okay,” I agreed. A sub didn’t sound too bad.



*********



“So, you mean to tell me that Mr. Bennet was willing to essentially sell one of his daughters so she could support her sisters when he died? What about love?” Gavin asked the moment we sat down in the quad.

I was so glad he seemed to understand the importance of dropping our previous conversation.

I set my tray down and opened the dressing to my salad. I shrugged. “It was a different time back them. Women didn’t have as much opportunities as they do now.”

“Don’t tell me you condone that?” Gavin rolled his eyes.

I snorted. “I never said I condoned it, but times were different.”

“What has you stumped?” Collin said as he chewed on a fry. “That’s why you wanted Blake’s help, right?” He tried to sound nonchalant, but I knew he still didn’t trust Gavin.

Gavin didn’t skip a beat before he said. “No man, not stumped necessarily, but the professor wants us to write an essay condoning that archaic belief, and Blake was acting like my sounding board.”

I was about to berate Collin for his show of jealousy. Even if he was a real boyfriend, I wouldn’t condone jealous behavior.

My guys had showed some signs of jealousy when my band mates would say or do inappropriate things, but they would never question a new guy that came into my life as a friend.

Just then, I could see someone petite come sidling up to Collin, placing an arm around his shoulders as they whispered something in his ear.

I looked over and nearly choked on the piece of chicken I was eating as I saw that it was Rose. Rose was a pretty little thing, shorter and more petite than even I was (which was generally a difficult feat), with pale blond hair in a pixie cut style, and large blue eyes. She had a nose ring, and I knew I didn’t have to see her full-on to know she probably had some tight crop top on to show off her belly button ring. Before I knew what she really was like, I thought she was bubbly, outgoing, and cute. Now that I knew she had—no was—hurting Drake, I despised her with a passion.

I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Drake. If I remembered correctly they had the same exact class schedule, which had been hard on Drake when they had first broken up. I frowned when I didn’t see him.

Gavin was looking at us quizzically, and I sent him an imperceptible shake of my head, hoping he understood that I would tell him everything later.

“Who’s your friend?” I asked with feigned wide-eyed innocence.

Collin leapt back as if he had been burned. “Rose, this is…my girlfriend Blake. Blake, this is a good friend of mine, Rose.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said holding out my hand and reaching across Collin’s body.

“Mmm hmm,” Rose replied noncommittedly and frowned at Collin before shaking my hand. “Collin,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t aware that you had a…girlfriend.”

Collin had the audacity to blush and looked a little wild eyed between us. “Well, um,’ he put a hand on the back of his neck. “I told you that things would have to change soon. How’s Drake?” he added quickly.

She looked more hurt by Collin then she ever did about deceiving Drake and cheating on him constantly. She stood up quickly. “Good. Well, I’ll see you later.”

Even if this whole thing wasn’t a sham, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they had something going on and had been, for some time.

“Rose,” he called out before getting up. “Hey, babe,” he turned to me as if just remembered I was sitting there. “Rose and I go way back. Mind if I see if she’s okay? She’s having issues right now with Drake, her boyfriend.”

I gave him an insincere smile, “Go for it,” I urged him. Relieved. “I understand how important friendships are.” I reassured him.

“Thanks, you’re the best,” he said as he gave me a brief hug, before chasing after her.

Gavin cleared his throat and looked between me and Collin’s retreating figure. “Friends, huh?” he said intuitively before taking another bite of his sandwich.

I giggled. “I know, right? It’s so obvious they’re more than friends.” I took another bite of my salad. “Poor Drake.” I frowned. He hadn’t been as heartbroken as I thought he would have been the first time he found out about Rose’s deception, but she was the first girl he had ever been with, they had been together for years, and he had loved her in his own way.

Gavin leaned in close to me and said in hushed tones. “Is he even your boyfriend? Are you okay with him running off to comfort another girl?”

I shook my head and responded back to him quietly. “No. I wish we had more time to talk, but I have a feeling he’ll be back soon, but he isn’t my boyfriend.”

He looked at me with concern. “Is this some kind of human trafficking thing?”