Hatred With Benefits novel Chapter 22

EVA.

"So she goes here?" I ask Aliya, giving her a side look and she nods, pulling on the strap of her bag.

"I was right when I said I saw her blur at the dorm. She rarely attends classes though. " She sighs and I raise a teasing brow at her, "And how could you possibly know that?"

"We talked. For a while. "

"Does that talk includes you ending up somewhere between the top and the bottom?" My lips spread into a wide smile and Aliya slaps my arm at the not so innocent question, her flushed cheekbones coated with redness as she says, "We didn't do anything. "

"And why's that?" I ask with curiosity.

"It didn't feel right. " She raises a shoulder, staring ahead of us.

"What do you mean, it didn't feel right?" I ask, confused, and Aliya sighs. She stops on her steps to turn to me. "I was with Sage. It felt stupid hanging out with Chloe when I was there with her. "

"Since when have you ever cared about playing two girls at the same time?" I ask in a flat tone, and Aliya chuckles with a small shake of her head.

"Tell me. " I insist, throwing her a frown.

"Since it's about Sage?" She says the words like she's so unsure of herself and I furrow my brows. "Sage? I thought you said Chloe is your better option. "

"She is. " My best friend is the right definition of confused right now and I can tell that, judging by the way creases form over her forehead and she presses her lips into a thin line. She seems like she's having an internal battle, and that comes as a surprise. "It's different with the two of them. " She finally speaks, her voice lower with uncertainty dripping from it.

"How different?" I ask her, moving closer to her side, and Aliya says, "With Sage, there's this calmness. She makes me feel safe and around her, I want to be the better version of myself, but with Chloe: I feel reckless. I'm usually in the high spirits with her. I feel hot and I'm unable to control myself. She makes everything wild. " A smile climbs on her face at the last words and I sigh, throwing a hand over her shoulder.

Aliya turns to me and I give her a tiny smile. "Two personalities. One makes you feel safe, and one makes you feel wild. You, my friend, are in terrible trouble. "

Aliya frowns and pulls away from me. "I know that. " She hisses, before walking away and I laugh as I quicken my steps to catch up with her.

"You'll figure it out. " I assure her, giving small pats to her shoulder.

"I know. " Her shoulders sink in a sigh and I gnaw at my lips before I let the words slip through my mouth. "But you do know you'll have to give up one in the end? If you don't want to lose both? "

Aliya stays still for a moment before she picks up her pace again. "You said that as though I'm in love with them. " A soft chuckle falls from her lips.

When I give no response, she snaps her gaze at me. "You honestly think I am?"

I shrug. "That's what it sounds like. "

She scrunches her nose. "No. I don't fucking love them. "

"The first stage is always denial, babe. " I wink at her and she throws me a glare. "Don't fuck around with me, Evie. I'm not in love with them. You don't fall in love with two people. "

"But you like both?" I lift my brows and she nods slowly.

A laugh falls from my parted lips. "If you can like them both equally, what makes you think you can't fall in love with both?"

"I won't. " She frowns and I nod. "I'll wait by the side to tell you I told you so when you have a hard time letting one go. "

"Fuck off. " She flips and I laugh before pulling her along.

"I'm still mad for what you did, bitch. Control your damn tongue. " I tell her in a stern voice and she laughs. "You're nineteen, Evie. How long will your dad control the people you mix with? "

"When it comes to the son of his rival? He'll do till the end of the world. " I sigh.

"And if you fall in love with him?" My head snaps to her at those words and my breathing quickens. My voice is small and I try to keep it composed as I say, "Have you seen us?"

"It can happen, babe. What will your father do when it comes to that?" She lifts her brows and I shake my head. "I don't have to think about that, because falling in love with Emerson Ford is the most impossible thing for me. I'm good with hating him. "

Aliya chuckles before she twists her head and freezes. I lift my head to see Sage standing in front of us with a tiny smile on her face.

"Hey, Eva. " She greets me and I give her a wave with a smile.

She turns her attention to Aliya and I nudge her shoulder before taking a step away.

"I'll be in class. Take your time, Lia. " I wink at her, and I don't miss the glare she throws at me before I walk away from them.

"And I assume you're in a good mood if you're smiling like that?" I angle my head to the side at the sound of that voice to see Dan striding towards me.

"Hey, you. " I smile at him and he returns it with one of his. "Hey, are you okay?" He asks with a worried expression.

"Of course, I am. " I let out a low laugh. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You never returned my calls nor did you respond to any of my messages so I thought something happened, but I guess I read that wrong. It was me? I didn't think you were purposely ignoring me. " Annoyance creeps into his voice and a frown covers his lips.

"Oh, that. I wasn't ignoring you. " I tell him and he lifts his brows in silent questioning. I proceed to say, "I was busy, and didn't have time to check my phone. "

"And this morning?" He persists.

"I haven't checked my phone, Dan and I wasn't ignoring you, I promise. Why would I do that?"

"Maybe you regretted that date. " He raises a shoulder and I shake my head. "I told you I had fun. "

Dan nods and steps to my side. "With you, I can never be sure, Eva. It's as exciting as it's frustrating. "

"Weird, isn't it?" I tease him and Dan nods again.

There are seconds of silence before he speaks again. "So tonight?"

I repeat his word. "Tonight?"

Dan smiles. "Can I have you for tonight, Eva Carson?"

A smile creeps to my face, but I clear my throat and tip my chin. "That depends on how nicely you ask, Daniel. "

There's this look that appears on his face after my words and I can't seem to decipher it because it disappears as soon as he opens his mouth to speak. "Please go on a date with me tonight, Princess. I'll make it worth your time, I promise. "

A low laugh falls from my mouth. "You know how to beg, Dan. And yes, I'll go with you tonight. "

Dan shakes his head, his smile not leaving his lips as he says, "You make me do a lot of silly things, Eva. "

"Isn't that the fun part? Experiencing things you've never before?" I lift my brows and he stares at me with that deeper look of his before he nods. "I presume. "

I nod and look behind him. As if catching on to what I'm doing, Dan says. "He isn't here. I'm hurt, Eva. You're looking out for Noel when I'm right in front of you. "

"Stop it. " I laugh through my words. "Just surprised he isn't here. You always seem to be together. "

Dan gives a small bob of his head. "We are, and you? Where's your pretty blue-haired?"

I fake a gasp and repeat his words. "I'm hurt, Dan. You're looking out for my friend when I'm right in front of you. "

Dan breaks into a laugh and I follow before we walk away.

"Where's your class? I'll walk you there. " Dan asks as we take the path that leads through the hallways and I shake my head in refusal. "That, you cannot do, Mister. We part ways here and we meet tonight. "

When he parts his lips to argue, I say, "Don't try to insist. "

Dan's lips curves and he nods, giving my shoulder a tight squeeze before he walks away. I watch as his frame disappears before I twist my body to see Aliya walking towards me with Sage by her side.

The smile on my face wavers at the sight of Emerson driving into the campus and I turn away to walk to class.