Ritual - Palm South University

Not when it comes to that motherfucker and my girl.I PACK MY BOOKS and laptop up with more aggression than necessary at the end of Genetics, grumbling to myself as I shove everything in my bag. I’ve been doing great in this class so far, and effectively avoiding Grayson.

Until today.

Because the professor just assigned us as lab partners.

I inhale a stiff, hot breath and blow it out like a dragon before slugging my bag onto my shoulder. I don’t make it two steps from my desk when Grayson jogs down the steps in the classroom to catch up with me.

“So, lab partners,” he says on a grin, waggling his brows at me. “Talk about some fucked-up fate, huh?”

“I’m putting in a request for someone else,” I growl out, locking eyes on his. “Right now.”

“Wait!” He rounds to stand in front of me, reaching out for my arms to grab me and pull me to the side. I rip away from his touch, but let him guide me out of the path of the other students. “Don’t do that.”

“We can’t be lab partners, Grayson.”

“Why not?”

“Oh, do I need to remind you? Well, let’s see…” I tap my chin, ready to pop off every thing he’s ever done wrong, but he holds up his hands in surrender before I do.

“You don’t have to remind me that I hurt you,” he says, sighing. “I just… What about forgiveness?”

I laugh, shaking my head and trying to push past him, but he steps in my way again.

“I’m serious. Look, I hurt you. I fucked you over and you deserve to hate me — now and forever.”

“Gee, thanks for the permission,” I reply flatly.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t want to hurt you.” Grayson shoves a hand back over his hair, trailing the length of it before hooking his hand on the back of his neck. His eyes flick back and forth somewhere in the distance. “I was lost. I was fucked up and I acted out and hurt the one person who was there for me. I just… I didn’t know what to do. My parents were on me to pick another major, and threatening to pull any and all financial support if I didn’t. I was in denial, playing shows, focusing on my music career, all the while knowing it was about to end for good.”

Do not feel sorry for him. Do not.

“I don’t have enough excuses to make you truly forgive me. And you never have to. But I’m asking you to give me a shot at being your friend.”

“My friend,” I echo.

“Yes.” He sighs, stepping a little closer and lowering his voice. “I know how badly it hurts you to lose people in your life. I remember what you told me about Paris. I remember how badly it hurt you to pick me over Adam when I was being a selfish little boy with you.”

That last confession surprises me, because I never thought I’d hear the day when Grayson admitted he was wrong about asking me to choose between him and Adam.

“I don’t want to hurt you even more than I already have by disappearing from your life. We had a great friendship, Cassie. And I miss it. Don’t you?”

My throat is tight and sticky with the question, and softly, quietly, somewhere deep within me, I hear a distant yes.

I shake my head, shoving past him and over to the professor.

“Professor Drumm, sir,” I start. “I’m sorry to bother you. But about the lab partner assignment…”

“No changes,” he says without looking up at me from his laptop. “It takes a long time for us to pair students, and we do so with careful intent.” He glances at me briefly, then over the top of his glasses. “If you’ve got a problem, figure it out. You’ll have to work with a lot of people you don’t like when you’re a doctor, Ms. McBee.”

My next breath is subdued by a smile I force so hard my cheek hurts, and I nod, thanking him before grinding my teeth and bolting out of the classroom.

Grayson is right on my heels.

“Just give me a chance,” he pleads. “If I pull anything that makes you uncomfortable, you have permission to deck me in the face.”

He holds the doors open for us to exit the science building, and then falls in step next to me.

“We have to be lab partners,” he says, pulling me to a stop. “You heard Drumm. There’s no getting out of this. So, we can either make an attempt to be friends, or we can both be miserable for the rest of the semester. I know which option sounds better to me,” he says with a shrug. “What about you?”

I chew my lip, watching his sincere blue eyes like they’re a snake that’s been beside me in the grass all this time. I’m equal parts terrified, and sure I’ll die from a venomous bite as I am surprised he hasn’t struck me down yet. Something close to trust niggles at me from the inside, but it’s against a strong warning from every cell in my being.