130. Only for the Show

Continued...

"Should you be here? This isn't your class you know." Rose asked concerned he might get kicked out of the teacher found out he didn't belong in this class.

"Relax, the guy teachers hundreds every day, I'm sure he don't recognize all his students by face or even by name." Leo smirked in confidence but also ducking his head down further to avoid eye contact with the teacher at the same time; this made Rose giggle.

Class dragged on for what felt like an eternity.

By the time the professor finally dismissed them, Rose felt like she had barely absorbed a thing.

Aria caught up with her as they packed their things, linking their arms together as they made their way outside. Leo followed close behind.

"Alright," Leo said, stretching, his voice light and casual. "Me and my friends are grabbing some food and maybe heading to the arcade after. You in?"

Rose's gut reaction was to decline immediately. "Ah… I can't. I have to get home before dark."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Seriously? It's barely late afternoon. You won't even be out long."

"Yeah, I know, but I promised Jake I'd come straight home from college while he's gone. He'd probably kill me if I stayed out late." She shrugged, hoping the excuse sounded convincing enough.

Leo crossed his arms, giving her a skeptical look, like he could see right through the flimsy excuse.

"Your uncle's not even in the country right now. What's he gonna do? Call down the wrath of God from wherever he is?"

Rose opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Aria—ever the agent of chaos—spoke up from behind Leo.

"Nah, she just wants to go work on her love spells," Aria teased, wiggling her brows. "Gotta make sure Channing Tatum becomes her next stalker."

Rose's entire body locked up.

Stalker.

The word hung in the air like a guillotine blade waiting to drop.

Leo turned his head slightly, his sharp gaze flickering back to Rose. "Next stalker?"

Rose gritted her teeth, her nails digging into the strap of her bag as she shot Aria a withering glare over Leo's shoulder.

The idiot just had to use that specific word, didn't she?

Aria, of course, was grinning like she had no idea she had just dropped a verbal bomb.

"No, she's just kidding," Rose said quickly, forcing a strained smile. "There is no stalker."

Leo didn't look convinced.

Rose kept smiling, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. "No stalker," she repeated, slower this time, before pointedly changing the subject. "Anyway, you guys have fun. I really have to go."

She turned on her heel before Leo could ask any more questions, ignoring the suspicious weight of his gaze as she walked off.

Maybe she had managed to throw him off the trail.

Or maybe she had just made him more curious.

Either way, she had a feeling this wasn't the last she'd hear of it.

But when she looked back she saw him still standing there in his same position, looking at her retrieving back.

Maybe it was there or maybe the left over drug in her system making her see things but she could swear she saw an ounce of hurt in his gaze before he turned back.

Couldn't she spare an hour or two just to make him happy? There's still time before it's dark she can make it back if she hurry up, perhaps?

The sharp twinge of guilt felt like a prick to her heart when she looked back ahead and then bumped into someone. Immediately she thought of the worst and gasped pushing back.

Turns out it was not who she thought it was.

Rome Dracken was looking down at her in a disapproving glare.

"Are those huge eyes only for the show?" he rasped without looking sorry at all. Didn't bothered to ask if she was okay after bumping into his steal like chest.

Seriously what does he eat to have such hard muscles?

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Rose replied in sarcasm and smiled at him before dropping it into a glare and rubbing her forehead.

"Your welcome. I needed to talk to you about something-" 

Did he just say 'you're welcome?' Is he dense or just pretends to be cause she has seen him being awfully perceptive when he needs to be.

"You know what, I have neither the time nor the strength to deal with you right now." she did a circular motion with her hands at him to emphasis her point before adding, "So I'm just gonna go." 

And with that she turned back around and jogged towards Aria talking with some of the guys with Leo.

Just an hour, and then she will go back and lock herself up in her safe place before he comes.

This should be okay.