Duke Kingsley is the reigning President of Goldwater Academy. He made sure everything was done in perfect order and only the highest standards were allowed to be portrayed by students.
He was Immaculate.
And I, Norah Saunders, am about to turn his...
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He didn't speak the entire ride back home.
No matter how much I probed and begged, he didn't respond even once.
Even when he saw that I ignored all of Duke's worried phone calls in the car, he still didn't respond.
He was hurt and I was hurt that he was hurt. This was not the way I wanted him to find out about Duke and I's business engagement. I didn't even get the chance to explain. Why couldn't Duke just wait?
I groaned internally, upset about the whole situation. I know I never promised anything to Thayer, but he was my friend, and I respected his feelings. Besides, I can't deny that I was at least thinking about dating him. Everything was happening so quickly I couldn't keep up any longer.
The silence made the ride felt longer than it actually was, and when we pulled into the parking lot of my house, he didn't even glance at me.
"Thayer, please give me the chance to explain."
"It's okay Norah, Duke is waiting. I'll see you at school," he said coldly, looking away from me.
I swallowed, offended, and glanced at Duke standing by my front door, dressed in a brown turtleneck sweater with his hands shoved into the pockets of his white pants. This was definitely not the right time to try and fix the situation either. I knew Thayer needed time, so I gave up and after I exited, I watched as he sped out of the lot like it was an emergency.
A few seconds later, I could sense Duke's warmth behind me, and I slowly faced him, meeting his dark green orbs that were narrowing.
"I told you to always respond to me."
"Duke."
"Norah."
I sighed both happy and frustrated by his presence. "Why did you have to tell him, like that?"
"Why does it matter how I tell him?"
"Because," I paused, not sure how to tell him about Thayer's feelings towards me.
Soon, he hummed with a simple nod, as if he figured it out. "Just as I suspected."
"I didn't want him to find out this way."
"Is that the only thing you don't want?"
"What?"
"Do you have feelings for him?" he prodded.
"Why does that matter?"
"Because you're my fiancée," he stepped closer, "By choice."
I swallowed, feeling the butterflies grew inside me by the declaration in his statement.
