Page 57 of With This Mask

Me. I would have guessed.

"Son of a bitch did it," I whisper, unable to suppress the grin spreading across my face despite the chaos swirling inside me.

Success looks damn good on him. They roll footage of a press announcement. Alec looks sharp and confident in a suit that must cost more than my entire wardrobe. My heart swells as I watch him, because dammit, he fucking did it. He created something incredible, and it’s catching fire.

Just like I knew he would.

I lean back, arms crossed, the plastic chair creaking beneath me. For all the times I've jabbed at him, pushed him just to watch him push back, I've never doubted his drive. But to see it manifest into something this tangible, this groundbreaking—it's like a punch to the gut, in the best way possible.

"Alec’s debut is expected to revolutionize social media interaction," the reporter continues, and I snort. Of course it is. Alec doesn't do things by halves.

"Revolutionize? More like bulldoze," I say to no one in particular, shaking my head. The admiration flooding through me is almost too much, like a wave threatening to knock me off my feet.

The news report shifts to cover some trivial scandal involving a celebrity, but I don't hear any of it. My thoughts are a whirlwind, each one colliding with the next—images of Alec's stony face, the rare glimpses of vulnerability he's let slip, the heated exchanges that always leave my heart racing and my cheeks flushed.

And it suddenly hits me.

Now that Alec’s company has gone public, now that the launch is official, how could William threaten it?

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

I push back from the table, my chair scraping against the floor loudly. I look around stupidly, as if Alec will magically materialize. But of course he’s not here.

I need to talk to him.

Right fucking now.

I have to tell him how proud of him I am. I need to tell him congratulations on his launch. And William can’t threaten his company now that it’s officially out there.

I…

We…

I dump the rest of my tray in the trash, and set off down the hall.

Where? Where would Alec be this time of day?

I set off down the lecture hall, peering through windows. My brain is reeling so fast, I can’t even think straight.

William can’t threaten Alec’s company now. Suddenly, so much fear and anxiety is lifted off my shoulders. I… I can call my mom and explain the rest. I can tell her to change her mortgage to a different company. She would understand. Now that I don’t have to worry about Alec, I can deal with the rest.

Holy shit.

Alec, where the fuck are you?

I dart down the hall, searching another building. I don’t care if he’s in the middle of class. I need to talk to him, right now.

But I can’t find him.

He’s not in any classes I can look into without interrupting class. I don’t find him in the library. I check every bit of campus I can think of. And it testifies of my desperation. I miss my last two classes of the day searching for Alec, and I never miss class.

Finally, I make my way to Alec’s apartment. But as I approach, I don’t see his car in his parking space.

He isn’t home.

And my stomach sinks.