Soulless

Thirteen | Party's Over

Lunden Evergreen

I freeze at the sound of his voice. I heard his footsteps grow closer as I closed my eyes. Maybe he'd just go away if I wished hard enough.

I took deep breaths until I heard it again.

"Lunden?" I was like a statue in place; my nose scrunched in debate over whether to continue to ignore him or face him. But as I looked at Atlas, his gaze remained on the boy behind me. I knew what he thought: The peewee behind me was the famous Mike we just spoke of.

So I turned to him and he stood just as I figured. In a flannel shirt and his hair curled, he was my height, which made things even more amusing at points because I was 5'4. I was okay with a short king, but not if they were my Mommy's best friend.

"Mike, what are you doing here?" I felt my stomach dip, and I was honestly embarrassed. I took steady breaths as he smirked at me.

"Lunden, who's your friend?" His voice cuts off Mike before he can answer, and as I look back to Atlas, I can see it on his face. He felt bad for me and knew I was uncomfortable. As I looked at Mike, he stared at Atlas, slightly intimidated.

"He's my Mothers friend, Atlas this is Mike... Mike, this is-"

"Lunden's boyfriend." The words leave his mouth, and my stomach tightens into a knot. He offers out his hand to Mike, and in response, he just stares at it. My eyes moved to Eleanor, who looked like the wind had been knocked out of her.

Boyfriend?!

He could've said a million other things, but boyfriend? It was now confirmed that Atlas Thayer was clinically insane. But when I looked at Mike, he just looked shocked.

I wouldn't lie. I was way out of Atlas's league. For starters, he was my professor and too good-looking for his own good. It was never disappointing to stare at him; the man towered over me at a seemingly 6'6. I was compared short next to him, and he had this charm about him. One I tried to ignore before, whatever this was.

"Boyfriend?" he finally asked, staring at me. I didn't have words to say or how to approach this.

"Going on a half year," Eleanor pipes in as I look over at her, shocked. I'm surprised that in one of your chats, Adelli never mentioned it?" He stands shocked by the statement, and then he looks to Atlas. His gaze toward him seems seething. It wasn't your normal confrontation, but I could tell Atlas didn't like him barely giving off any demeanor.

"Yeah..." He mumbled.

"Look, it was nice to meet you, but Lunden and I have to go." He offered his hand to me. "Come on, Angelo." I hesitated for a moment, worried that students would see, but I quickly accepted his hand as we turned the other way.

My heart thumped as we quickly walked through the quad. Most people didn't know me, so that helped, but I was worried that people who did see me. As we reached the edge and Mike was out of sight I let go of his hand.

"Are you crazy??" The first words left my mouth as I stood flustered, "He's going to tell my Mother, I mean I can't explain that!"

"Relax, your Mother doesn't know my first name, and I just saved your ass, did I not?" His head tilts to me and I couldn't argue him on this. So, I simply nod in agreement.