Her Hope (On Hold)

[ Chapter Thirteen ]

"That was awfully quick." Christian sarcastically remarked, sending me a hazy grin before removing his sunglasses.

I turned my head with a pretend to smirk, jerking the car forward on purpose.

He accidentally and quietly squealed at the sudden jolt, holding onto his seatbelt for dear life.

"Ellie!" His eyes narrowed in on me, "not funny." He rearranged to a more comfortable position, a glare rooted on his face.

"What are you talking about? I thought it was rather hilarious." I deadpanned, hastily hoping out of the car with Christian in tow.

"It was quick though, seeing as Tristian now knows everything. We never even got any information!" He sounded honestly pained by the last part of his speech, his face falling at the realization.

"Oh, we'll get what we need, don't you worry. Just by a different approach. Plan B's exist for a reason, Chris." I snarkily replied, my eyes falling on Riley, our newest friend, who innocently looked around her surroundings at the front of the school.

"I'm afraid you've confused me." Christian caught up to me, always managing to fall behind despite our height difference and the fact that his legs were far longer than mine.

"Her." It sounded awful, to involve an innocent girl, but we did need a person on the inside if we wanted to take them down. Whether it was as a friend or... something else entirely.

Christians eyes flickered to mine for the shortest second, his response hesitant yet firm.

"Whatever you say."

• • •

Fortunately, I hadn't bumped into Tristram just yet, but I knew it was bound to happen at some point.

We had made eye contact in the hallway for a millisecond before he quickly turned away with disinterest, the flock of students camouflaging him.

He hated my guts, I had no doubt.

Yesterday afternoon, I had come off as the worst person to ever exist. A girl who disregarded his feelings and emotions completely.

Which wasn't true, nor the case.

I just–I wanted to scream. How had everything turned to shit in a day? How had he put two and two together so quickly? Who had been talking to him?

And to top off the consistent queries that currently occupied my mind, I couldn't even understand my own feelings.

Apart of me thought as Tristian of nothing but an enemy, but the other part thought of him as someone I could wholeheartedly trust, despite everything that occurred yesterday.

"Hey, Eleanor!" Riley's bright voice cut off my thoughts, which allowed me to swiftly compose myself.

I would not cave in because of a boy.

"Hey, you coming to the cafeteria as well?" I asked, hugging my books tighter to my chest; something that had become a hobby when I felt apprehensive.

"Of course!" I had noticed in the last couple of days that Riley was such a carefree soul, her life never been tainted or tarnished. She was pure gold, perfect, I think that's one of the reasons Christian liked her so much.

She was like nothing he had ever met before. Too sweet for the world we lived in.

I wondered what my life would be like if I hadn't been born into a mafia.