Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Chapter 172

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Luna’s POV

The moment I asked Theo to give me one good reason why I should agree to meet him, I honestly believed I already knew what his answer was going to be. I expected him to tell me that he wanted to apologize properly. I expected him to say he wanted another chance to explain himself face to face instead of over the phone, and maybe he would even tell me that he- knew he had made a mistake and wanted to earn my forgiveness. Those were the kinds of answers I had prepared myself to hear. Instead, what came out of his mouth caught me so completely off guard that my brain simply stopped working for a few seconds.

“I’ve missed you,” he said quietly, and there wasn’t even the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice. “I’ve really missed you.

His words hit me so unexpectedly that my feet stopped moving on their own. I froze right there in the middle of the hallway without even realizing I had done it. Ivy, who had been walking beside me the entire time, immediately noticed that I had stopped. She took another step before realizing I was no longer beside her, then turned around with a worried/ expression already spreading across her face. Her eyes searched mine as though she were trying to figure out whether something terrible had happened. She silently mouthed, ‘Any problem?” while pointing subtly toward my phone.

I quickly shook my head to reassure her.

She looked unconvinced, but thankfully she didn’t interrupt.

Meanwhile, I was still trying to recover from what Theo had just said. Annoyingly enough, my heart had reacted before the rest of me had. It had skipped one embarrassingly noticeable beat the moment I heard him admit that he had missed me. I immediately hated that reaction. After everything that had happened between us, after everything he had done, my heart had absolutely no business reacting to something as simple as those three words. Thankfully, Theo couldn’t see me, and I had absolutely no intention of letting him know that his confession had affected me even a little.

“What exactly am I supposed to do with that information?” I finally asked, forcing my voice to remain calm and indifferent. I leaned lightly against the hallway wall while waiting for his answer, making sure not to let even the smallest hint of my earlier surprise slip into my tone.

“I just wanted you to know the truth,” he responded quietly, and this time his voice sounded much softer than before. Tre missed talking to you, Luna. I miss hearing your voice, and… I want to see you.” He paused briefly before continuing in a much more careful tone. “Only if you let me, though. I’m not trying to force you into anything.” Another brief silence followed before he sighed quietly. I’ll completely understand if you’re still not ready to see me or even speak to me. I know I don’t exactly deserve either of those things right now.”

I remained silent while listening.

Theo took my silence as permission to continue. “But there’s something else you should know,” he said with surprising confidence. Tm going to call you every single day from now on. Every day. I’ll ask if you’re willing to meet me. I’ll keep asking until you finally agree

I couldn’t stop myself from scolling. “You do realize I could solve that problem in less than five seconds right?” asked dryly “I could block your number. Theo. Then you wouldn’t be able to call me at all.”

There wasn’t even a second of hesitation before he answered. One blocked number isn’t exactly going to stop someone like mr. Isma, he responded confidently, and for the first time since answering the phone. I he and a trace of his mal arroganter creeping back into his voice. “I have to call from another number, I will I that one gets blocked san, I’ll simply fund another one.

I pressed my lips together Against my better judgypt. I almost Loghed

I was became what he said was particularly funny bar because it was such a ridiculously The thing to say, Only Then would confidently announce that locking lil would merely become an averence oftenfuil an obstacle.

Chapter 172

I quickly forced the tiny smile threatening to appear back off my face before it could fully form. I really shouldn’t be finding him amusing right now.

Unfortunately… I knew he wasn’t bluffing. If there was one thing I had learned about Theo since coming to Blackridge, it was that he could be unbelievably stubborn whenever he set his mind on something. If he had decided he was going to call me every day, then he probably meant exactly that. Blocking one number would almost certainly lead to another unknown. number calling me tomorrow instead.

Before I could talk myself out of it, curiosity won. “Fine,” I said with a quiet sigh. “Where exactly did you want us to meet?”

The words had barely left my mouth before several seconds of silence followed from the other end of the call. It almost sounded as though Theo hadn’t expected me to ask that question at all.

“I’m… actually not sure,” he admitted honestly after a moment. “I figured you probably wouldn’t want to meet me anywhere on campus.” He paused briefly before continuing. “You most likely wouldn’t want people seeing you with me.”

“I’m glad you’re self-aware,” I interrupted immediately, unable to stop the dry remark from slipping out.

To my surprise… Theo laughed, and I hated how his laugh came out almost relieved. “I suppose I deserved that,” he responded with an amused chuckle that slowly faded. “In that case, why don’t you decide where we meet? Or…” He hesitated briefly before offering another suggestion. “There are a couple of cafés near the university. We could meet at one of those instead if you’d be more comfortable there.”

I didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, I found myself genuinely thinking about it.

Meeting Theo outside the university meant taking extra time out of my day. It meant walking somewhere with him, even if only briefly. It also meant giving him more of my attention than I was comfortable giving right now. I had already decided I was only willing to hear him out because I wanted to know what he had to say. That didn’t mean I wanted to spend an entire evening sitting across from him in some cozy cafe, while he tried to charm his way back into my good graces.

After thinking it through for nearly a minute, I slowly let out a sigh. “Actually,” I said thoughtfully, “now that I think about it, I believe it’d be better if we just meet here on campus.” I leaned my shoulder against the wall a little more comfortably before continuing. “I don’t plan on giving you more than twenty minutes of my time anyway.”

The silence that followed was noticeably longer this time.

For several seconds. Theo said absolutely nothing, and I could almost picture the surprised expression that was probably on his face.

Eventually, he cleared his throat. “I… wasn’t expecting that,” he admitted honestly. There was still a trace of surprise lingering in his voice before he gathered himself again. “In that case…” He paused briefly while thinking “Meet me in the class we first met, if you remember it. His tone became steadier as he continued. “I’ll be there waiting for you at six o’clock.

That seemed simple enough. “Alright, I responded plainly.

Without giving either of us another chance to continue the conversation. I ended the call.

The hallway suddenly felt much quieter, and I slipped my phone back into my pocket before timing toward Ivy wins had patiently waited nearby during the entire conversation. She had clearly been watching my expressions the whole time because the second our eyes met, she folded her arms and gave me a look that was equal parts amused and disappointed

“Vori resally

playing hard to get,” she said with a domatic shake of her head.

Ter out one lung. Instrated sigh before rubbing a band across my face. “I do, dont l’Irinatol helplessly,

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