Chapter 78
Anita, who wasn’t particularly talented at remembering people’s names, had two reasons for knowing his.
First, he was an old friend of Rutger Veilan. Anita had countless times witnessed Rutger turning his back on her without hesitation to run off to Finian.
Second, Finian was something of a celebrity on campus—especially among the girls. Anita didn’t want to judge someone based on looks, but when she saw his sly, underhanded face, all the rumors she’d heard about him came rushing back to mind.
“Do you know who I am?”
Anita wanted to snap back with, And what, is your identity really so important that it gets to block my way? But she bit it down and simply nodded.
She had heard plenty about him, but they weren’t personally acquainted. Once, while crossing the courtyard, she happened to run into Rutger, and since Finian had been standing right beside him, they had only exchanged names. In other words, they had barely managed to get introductions out of the way.
“We’re all hanging out later. Want to come along?”
He was a strange person. To grab someone you’d only just exchanged names with and ask such a question? And in front of the main gate where so many students were passing by? Completely inappropriate.
“No.”
“Aren’t you close with Rutger? He’ll be there too.”
Anita was keeping a cold face, determined to swat away this pestering gnat, but when Rutger’s name left his lips, her expression slipped.
“Well, I suppose it’s possible you weren’t invited.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“No matter how close you two are as friends, you’re still a girl. Allison probably wouldn’t be too pleased about you.”
“Allison? You mean Allison Schneider?”
Anita, forgetting her role of the firm girl who wouldn’t fall for a swindler, blurted the question in a rush.
“Yeah. Didn’t Rutger tell you? They’re officially seeing each other.”
“So, the two of them are….”
“You really are naive. Do you seriously not get what I mean?”
Struggling to comprehend the unbelievable, Anita asked, and Finian gave a low chuckle in reply. That was when Anita realized that when someone is too shocked, they don’t panic—they just feel nothing at all. Like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head, her heart turned cold.
She swept her hair back from her face. Her eyes, which had until then been darting around in a desperate desire to escape her conversation partner, finally fixed directly on Finian.
“I get what you mean. I just didn’t know Rutger was seeing someone. We’re nothing, really. Just next-door neighbors. There’s no reason he’d bother telling me every little thing.”
Anita was strangely calm—even to the point of startling herself. It finally felt like things were falling into place. The Rutger Veilan who had despised her so much as a child had grown a bit kinder, and she had been deluding herself. Foolishly, she had even let herself believe that maybe he liked her back.
His recent warmth, that sudden kiss—
It was nothing more than playing around with a girl who looked gullible.
“Next-door neighbors, huh. That’s about right. So, are you coming tonight or not?”
He didn’t seem the least bit interested in Anita’s emotional turmoil. What mattered to him was whether she was attending. Just as Anita was about to spit out her refusal, she felt a presence behind her.
“Pretty bold of you to be running your mouth when the person in question isn’t here, Nigel.”
Even if she ignored the strange look on Finian’s face, Anita immediately recognized the voice. Normally she would’ve flustered or fumbled, but strangely enough, this time she didn’t.
“What’s wrong with it? When else are you supposed to talk behind someone’s back?”
Since it would’ve been too awkward to just stand there like a fence between Finian and Rutger, Anita turned her head. She had only meant to give a polite nod of greeting, but Rutger was standing much closer than she’d expected.
If she took even a single step back, she would’ve stepped on his foot. His pale green eyes bore down on her, colder than she could’ve imagined. Anita didn’t avert her gaze but glared right back.
“What’s with you two, acting all awkward? First meeting? Want me to introduce you?”
If it hadn’t been for Finian’s teasing remark, the two might have stood there locked in a staring contest forever. At last, the stiffness in Rutger’s mouth eased.
“No need. Like you said, we’re next-door neighbors. You could even say we’re quite familiar.”
Though the words were directed at Finian, Rutger’s gaze never left Anita. After straining her neck to meet the eyes of someone so much taller than her, Anita finally whipped her head away. That’s when she caught another pair of eyes, studying her.
Until now, hidden behind Rutger, she hadn’t seen the girl—perfectly styled blonde hair, flawless makeup: Allison Schneider.
“Finian. I don’t really care for crowded places, so I don’t think I’ll go to the gathering. How about we meet separately instead?”
Anita spoke to Finian, turning her gaze away from Allison.
The sight of Allison clinging to Rutger’s side made Anita’s blood run cold. She couldn’t bear to stand there with the two of them any longer. She hadn’t suggested meeting Finian because she liked him.
Nor was it some foolish scheme to make Rutger jealous.
Whether or not someone was courting her didn’t define her worth. But she wanted Rutger to understand—
She wasn’t some toy to be tucked away in a dusty room, waiting for him alone.
“Didn’t you say you wanted a new summer hat? Let’s go before the boutique closes.”
Before Finian could even reply, Rutger spoke—directing his words toward Allison. Anita’s eyebrow twitched upward at that.
She wasn’t the type to scream We kissed yesterday, you bastard! in front of everyone.
What did a kiss even matter? Clearly, she was the only one dwelling on it. With that thought, Anita turned on her heel as if her greeting had never happened at all. Just before she turned, her eyes met his for the briefest moment.
So much for eyes like a vacation sea. They were more like the depths of a midwinter ocean—impossible to gauge.
A mere instant wasn’t enough to read the feelings hidden in them.
But Anita cared more for dignity than for her own emotions. Better to act as if nothing had happened than to make a scene, kicking his shins and clinging pathetically.
She felt the crack in a pride she hadn’t even known she had.
How much of a fool must she look to him?
Her head knew it wasn’t her fault. Rutger had deliberately hidden it—there was no way she could have known. But in that moment, she felt so ashamed of having let herself believe.
Then she saw the smirk tugging at his lips.
He always wore that kind of expression—crooked, almost insolent.
“Right.”
Allison, beaming brightly, followed Rutger. After a few steps, she stopped, turned back, and walked toward Anita.
“Oh—Mr. Aiden was looking for you.”
Smiling magnanimously as if bestowing a favor, Allison then disappeared after Rutger.
Mr. Aiden taught history at Rosetta Hall. Out of the blue, he had called Anita over, handed her a slip of paper, and asked her to run an errand. Teachers sometimes sent her on such tasks, but Anita didn’t mind. She hadn’t had anything better to do anyway.
