Fragile

Chapter 18

I avoided Noah like the plague for the rest of the week. After my embarrassing outburst and the letter from my mother, I honestly was too in my own head to process anything else. The letter had been shoved under my mattress, leaving a bad omen reeking in my dorm, but I was also afraid of getting rid of it. I pondered burning it and getting sage for my room, but that would be too suspicious. Kiera would've picked up on it for sure. 

Truthfully, I found myself avoiding everyone, even Kiera and Charles. My thoughts were muddled and I was moving on autopilot through my classes. I barely slept, absently spending my free time either in the library or at the athletic department. I only saw Kiera in passing, as I always came back to the dorm after she was asleep and left before she woke. I tried to remind myself it wasn't personal; I just couldn't handle any interrogation from her, and pretending to be fine took too much energy. 

"You're a godsend," Seth beamed at me over the counter. "Normally I'm in charge of the guest list, but I have another errand to run." 

I gave him a small smile. "No worries. I like organizing things anyway." 

He gave me a thumbs up. "I owe ya!" 

It was times like this I was eternally grateful for a distraction, and prepping for the social was a big one. The guest list felt like it was a mile long, and all the guests seemed to have really important VIP members. Even the mayor was coming. But of course, a lot of VIP members meant a lot of accommodations, meaning contacting secretaries one by one to make arrangements. The mayor couldn't have shellfish and refused to sit with his ex wife, who happened to be CEO of the main hospital in the city. His ex wife demanded the menu options in advance. The dean of the University expected a front table next to the athletic director. Overall, this felt a lot more VIP than any typical university social. 

Mercenaries have wrapped everyone around their finger. If they aren't directly involved with them, the others have learned to turn a blind eye, Noah's voice reminded me. 

I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the names. I didn't have the patience to deal with Noah, whether he was my imagination or not. The mercenaries were going to have the social regardless. If anything, all I was doing was making sure the plan went smoothly. But what plan? 

Another thought I had been trying to push back resurfaced. Surely Seth wasn't one of them, right? He was one of the most popular guys on campus, well liked, kind and courteous. It was painfully difficult to pin him as the monster Noah claimed he was. If they wanted to traffic me, wouldn't Seth have done it by now? 

I reluctantly closed my laptop, deciding to continue the guest list in the library. I hadn't eaten since that morning, and my stomach was giving me a painfully loud reminder. I could feel eyes on me as I left, but I didn't care. I didn't have the mental capacity to try and decipher the possible things running through their minds about me. 

"Fay!" I yelped as I was immediately tackled outside the facility. "You crazy vixen!" 

I groaned and steadied both myself and Kiera, who had clung to me mercilessly. "Kiera..." I whined, trying to wiggle out of her death grip. 

"You're dating Seth Manson? Is that why you've been disappearing all the time?" she bombarded me with questions. "What about Noah? God, you sneaky little Vixen, having the hottest guys in Uni around your finger!" 

"Wait, what?" 

"The secret's out, Fay. I can't believe you got a boyfriend before me!" she whined. "and it's the Seth Manson!"

I blinked rapidly, trying to connect the shorted circuit in my brain. Surely I heard that wrong? "I-I'm not dating Seth." 

"Come on, don't deny it. I can't believe you would keep this from me!"