I pretend to be offended. “Those assholes are my friends,” I say, liking the way that word sounds. A lot. “And yours too.”
Max’s eyes soften a little. “Yeah. I guess they are.”
“So…” I draw the word out, grinning at her. “You don’t have any girly shit to tell me?”
“No. Well, yes. Well… no.”
My eyebrows lift even higher. “Huh. That’s convincing.”
She grimaces, chewing her lip as she scoots a little closer to me, leaning her elbows on the table. I mirror
her action, and she drops her voice like she’s afraid we’re being spied on. “I think Aaron kind of likes me.”
“Aaron Reeves? The Saint?”
“Yeah.” Her nose wrinkles. “I dunno. I could be wrong, but I’ve been getting that vibe from him. Like he’s interested.”
“Are you?” I question, a little shocked. I don’t know Aaron well at all, but I kind of have a blanket hatred of all the Saints.
“I don’t know.” She looks a little confused, then shakes her head, her expression hardening. “But that’s not the point. The point is, I was thinking maybe he’d be an in. A way to get information about Cliff. They’re friends, after all. So maybe I could get Aaron talking and find out some stuff we can’t dig up anywhere else.”
“You mean like sexual espionage?” I ask dryly, and she flushes.
“Well, I’m not really thinking it’d go that far, but I thought it could be worth trying.”
I narrow my eyes, my tone growing serious. “Are you sure about this, Max? I don’t want to pimp my friends out, not even for dirt on Cliff.”
“Yeah.” Her gaze flicks across the large cafeteria room, and I swear the pink tinge to her cheeks darkens a little as she catches sight of Aaron. “I don’t mind. You’re not making me do anything, and I think it could be worth a shot.”
“Okay.” I drum my fingers over the table top. Honestly, I kind of hate this idea, but I don’t want to shoot her down. “Just be careful, all right? If you get any weird vibes from him, drop it immediately. And let me or one of the guys know if you’re ever gonna be alone with him. Just so we can be ready to jump in if we have to.”
I doubt anyone could be as creepy and gross as Cliff, and Aaron gives off a much different vibe than that asshole, but I’m not willing to take the risk where my best friend is concerned.
“That makes sense.” She nods enthusiastically. “I’ll let you know if I get anything.”
We head out of the dining room a few minutes later. Max tosses one more look in Aaron’s direction as we leave, and this time I notice that he’s looking her way too.
Huh. I don’t think she’s wrong about his interest in her, but I still hope this isn’t a huge mistake.
My afternoon classes pass by in a blur, and after the guys escort me back to my dorm, I decide I’m going to spend the rest of the afternoon getting lost in my art. Even though the dreams have shut down again, I’ve been painting as often as I can, slowly getting back into the flow of it again.
Settling onto the couch, I pull out a piece of sketchbook paper instead of my usual blank canvas and grab a few charcoals. I’ve had a picture in my head for a while now, one I think I’d like to try sketching out first before I put it into paints. I’ve never really done that before, but for some reason, it feels like what this piece needs.
The world around me fades into the background as I sketch, angling my head this way and that as the image forms under my fingertips. When my hands are completely smudged with charcoal, I pull my focus away and set a fresh canvas on the easel. Then I grab my paint and smear a mixture of blacks and grays and deep purples onto the pristine white surface, blending them out to make a shadowy backdrop.
Time passes, but I barely notice. I’m lost in my own world, not aware of anything other than the brush in my hands, the paint smeared on my fingers, and the colors I manipulate with quick, sure strokes.
A knock on the door makes me jump.
My hand jerks, spattering paint onto the canvas. I blink a couple times like I’ve just been pulled out of my daydream before turning around and glancing at the door, wondering if I was just imagining things.
When there’s another small knock, I unsuccessfully try to wipe my hands off on a rag and go to open the door. I’m surprised to find Declan there, leaned up against the frame with a grin on his face.
“Hey.” I smile even as my brows draw together. “I thought you said you have a test to study for.”
“I do. Couldn’t focus.” He shrugs, those deep brown eyes holding my own. “Can I come in?”
I step away from the door. “Of course, let me just…”