Deal

Later that afternoon, an hour after a spectacular lunch, I retreated back to the privacy of the library and buried my nose in between a book. The events from this morning still occupy my thoughts but I didn't allow it to ruin my mood. Every time it pops into my mind, I just push it away. It wasn't that important after all compared to my critical exam tomorrow.

I waited for Ace to materialize from the door so I could talk to him but he failed to appear. Not even his shadows showed up in the library after nearly an hour of waiting. His books remained smooth, and untouched, waiting only for him to study and flip the pages. An hour turned to two but he never came. I gave up all hopes and forced myself to focus on the task at hand.

Obviously, Ace is not going to show up. Definitely, not if he's trying to avoid someone—that someone is me. That makes me wonder why he's avoiding me after Marcus appeared to ask for my hand.