"Absolutely Not."

Chapter 31: Mara

Caught like a poor deer in a hunter's trap out in the middle of the woods for no one to come to save it but the hunter himself – 'save' more like 'put it out of its misery' – I didn't know how to get myself out of the jaws of Mara's ambush.

'Come on, Kels, you've gotten out of worse predicaments. Remember how you got those burns on your arm? Or maybe all of the times you've almost died? Or maybe the interrogations you somehow managed to escape without much defacement?'

Surely, I could get out of this.

"Even if something was happening between Lieutenant Riley," 'ew that felt fucking weird to say', "and myself, do you think I'd confide in someone who I don't even know?"

Out of irritation, I packed my fork with the scrambled eggs before stuffing my mouth. I realized then that I had fallen asleep last night without finishing my dinner. Albeit, the ham and cheese sandwich would have done little to satisfy my ravenous stomach if I had eaten the whole thing, but it hadn't mattered when sleep won over every other bodily necessity.

Mara took another bite of her banana, and I took advantage of the silence to study her features as she contemplated her answer.

Blonde hair pulled up in a high pony with darker roots that made it obvious that she hadn't dyed her hair in over a month. Her natural hair was either light brunette or auburn I couldn't tell.

My eyes traveled down to the rest of her face. A pretty girl – probably my age – with blue eyes that could probably dazzle any man or woman, a soft face that almost screamed that she didn't belong in the military but with a physique that said otherwise. Taller, more muscular, broader shoulders, her face didn't match.

"Well, maybe I could see if th' Lieutenant is interested in me," she replied with a shrug after taking another bite, her full cheek bulging as she spoke.

Quickly overriding the jealousy that began to twist my stomach into knots, I pretended to not be bothered.

But in reality, just thinking about Simon looking in someone else's direction like he looked at me, let alone touch them, stoked unnecessary insecurity.

"He's not into blondes," the statement slipped through my teeth bitterly, and I tasted the sour resentment coating my tongue.

'Just fuck off already. I just want to enjoy my breakfast in peace.'

"Hm," she hummed as she stared at the half-eaten fruit. "I coul' change his mind. Or maybe not if he's already taken." Her smirk told me everything I needed to know. There was no way of escaping this. "Ye can't hide wha' I saw in the gym, lass. What did ya do when he finally got ye alone, hm? Di' he-"

I cut her off, my gaze focusing on the fork before me as I held it up for her to see, too, "Have you ever thought about what it's like to stab someone in the eye with a fork? I've done it with a knife, and it's not as satisfying as you would think, but with a fork? I wonder if it'd be similar to a meatball. Or a tomato? All juicy and red." I peered back up at her. "What do you think?"

I was met with a raised eyebrow. She looked amused.

"Not scared of someone who woke up with sex hair. 'M jus' curious about yer relationship, tha's it."

My irritation peaked to the point where I hadn't seriously considered plunging the fork into her pretty, little blue eye until then. Both of them to ensure she never saw anything ever again with those nosy peepers.

"Why? So the rumors can spread like wildfire? It's none of your business even if something was there, and I don't know you. So, for the final time, I'm not saying it again, nothing is happening between myself and the lieutenant, okay? Jesus fucking Christ."