Chapter 108: all are insane

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: all are insane

Words stuck in Amelia’s mouth.

All of the men were acting entirely different today. Every single one of them seemed determined to make her heart race so hard she half-expected it to give out. Did they want her to have an actual heart attack before noon?

She finally forced the question out.

"Thank you..for what?"

Enzo’s expression shifted. The usual cool composure slipped. He rubbed the back of his neck, gaze briefly dropping before he tried again.

"I... drove you. And couples—people who are... together—do that. We’re in public. So. You should....you know."

The words came out in a messy, uneven string, as if he had started several different sentences at once and never quite decided which one to finish.

Amelia could only stare at him, confusion written plainly across her face.

"I want to get my own fair share of intimacy. You were with Dean. You were with Reid. And now, with me, you look like you want to rip the car door off and run."

Amelia’s hands tightened on her bag.

"Even though that’s true, you clearly misunderstood what happened with Dean and Reid. I didn’t do anything with them—not in the way you think."

"You’re lying."

The quiet certainty in his voice made her stomach dip. Of course he could see through her.

"I only asked for a little thing," he continued. "Is that so hard?"

Amelia glanced out the window, then back at him. After a long, defeated sigh, she finally gave in.

"Fine. I’ll peck you."

Enzo leaned in slightly. Amelia closed her eyes and pursed her lips, ready. His voice came low and dry right after.

"Do you want to suck my cheeks out?"

She opened her eyes, rubbed her lips together once, then leaned forward and gave him a quick, almost panicked peck on the cheek.

"That was too fast."

Frustration flashed across her face. Before she could overthink it, she reached up, held his head in place with both hands, and pressed three deeper, firmer pecks against his cheek.

"Mwah."

"Mwah." ℯ

"Mwah."

She pulled back, still holding his face for a second longer than necessary.

"How about now? Is it better?"

Enzo didn’t answer. He simply held in the smile that threatened to break free, opened his own door, and walked around the car to open hers. Amelia climbed out the moment the door swung wide and nearly fled toward the campus buildings.

Enzo remained standing by the open door, one hand resting lightly against the cheek she had kissed. His brothers were going to flip if they ever heard about this.

Amelia rushed straight into the lecture hall and dropped into the nearest empty seat. She pulled her book out before she had even fully settled, pages already open, eyes fixed on the text as if sheer focus could erase the morning.

Just today and tomorrow. Then the exams would finally be over.

If she was going to keep staying in any of the brothers’ rooms, she would have to learn how to control that power. She could not end up in that situation again.

Even though she had liked it.

Even though she had enjoyed it so thoroughly that part of her still wanted more.

She shook her head hard enough that strands of hair fell across her face.

I only wanted more because it wasn’t real.

But it had been real. The argument collapsed under its own weight the moment she formed it.

A light tap landed on her shoulder. Amelia jerked so hard the book nearly slipped from her hands.

Kate slid into the seat beside her, eyebrows raised.

"Calm down. I’m surprised you actually came early today."

She leaned in a little, voice dropping into a knowing tease. "Something happen with your partners?"

Amelia’s ears warmed. She kept her eyes on the page.

"I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s study. Please."

Kate laughed under her breath but didn’t push further. She opened her own notes and the two of them settled into quiet review.

**

Hours later the exams for the day ended. Students spilled out of the lecture hall in a slow, exhausted wave. Kate walked beside Amelia, still grumbling.

"Some of those questions were ridiculous. Asking theoretical things that don’t even make sense—how are you supposed to answer that?"

"It’s not that difficult if you just accept that something as powerful as that could exist," Amelia said.

Kate shot her a look.

"True. But realistically, if something like that existed, the world would already be living in chains and shackles."

"Amelia!"

Someone called Amelia’s name from farther down the path and she and kate looked at the direction.

Skye stood a short distance away, arms loosely crossed, watching them approach.

Kate’s voice dropped. "Isn’t that the person I saw you with at the Blacksmith Territory?"

"Yeah."

Skye closed the remaining distance with easy steps.

"How were the exams?"

"Fine," Amelia answered. She gestured between them. "Skye, this is Kate. Kate—Skye."

The two women regarded each other for a beat too long, quiet assessment passing between them. Amelia cleared her throat and broke the silence.

"What are you doing here?"

Skye lifted one shoulder.

"The brothers gave me instructions. You’re supposed to spend the rest of the day doing... girly things."

Amelia blinked.

"That’s what they said. And they expect you to come back with a lot of things you bought. Using their card, of course."

Kate let out a soft, envious breath.

"I envy you."

Amelia shook her head, still processing.

"Since when do they do this?"

Skye’s mouth twitched.

"Don’t ask me. I’m just as surprised as you are."

Amelia still looked thoroughly confused. Skye didn’t wait for her to catch up. "The car’s waiting. Let’s go."

She turned and started walking back toward the parking area without checking if they followed. Kate leaned closer to Amelia. "Good luck. Enjoy it."

Amelia caught her wrist before she could step away.

"I don’t want to go alone. And besides... I don’t even know what to do if I go out by myself. I’ve never really done things like this before."

Kate’s expression softened as understanding clicked, then quickly sharpened with a flash of lingering disgust.

"True. I keep forgetting you spent years stuck with that emotionally constipated waste of oxygen Dylan and ’best friends’ with Jade, the walking betrayal in a pretty dress." She paused, studying Amelia’s face. "Are you sure you want me to come?"

"Sure."

"Alright." Kate’s gaze flicked toward Skye’s retreating back. "But I’m getting some kind of vibe from her."

They followed Skye to the black vehicle waiting. When Skye turned and saw Kate standing beside Amelia, one eyebrow rose in clear question.

"Kate’s coming. There aren’t any rules against that, right? My partners want me to enjoy the day."

Skye drawled the word out slowly. "Suuure."

She opened the front passenger door and slid in. Amelia and Kate climbed into the back. The moment the doors shut, Kate’s eyes widened as she looked around the interior.

"This vehicle is sickkk."

She immediately started snapping pictures, angling her phone to catch the best shots of the leather seats and polished details, then grabbed Amelia and yanked her closer so they could both squeeze into the frame together.

Skye kept her eyes on them through the rearview mirror, her face totally unreadable. She definitely hadn’t counted on Amelia dragging someone else along. Having a second person in the mix was already throwing a major wrench into her plans.