Page 50 of Reckless Love

SOULLESS

RHODES

Then

“Let me see.”I tried to peer over her shoulder and she flipped her laptop shut.

“Go away.” She laughed, shooing me away with her hand.

“But you always show me whatyou’re writing.”

“Not always, and not yet.”

I wasn’t pretending when I pouted, but she laughed again, not taking me seriously.

“Come on, Elle. I need something good. It’s been a hard week. We lost and?—”

“Well, therewassomething I wanted to ask you...” She stood up and leaned against the chair.

I nodded. “Okay. Shoot. You can ask me anything.”

I straightened the stack of books on the end of the table. We were at the lounge in her building where we often worked on homework together. If we weren’t here, we were at my house.

She bit the inside of her lower lip, her tell that she was nervous.

“What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

She laughed, but it sounded nervous too.

“Elle, what is it?”

“Would you go to the Senior Formal with me?” She said it so fast I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly.

“You’re asking me to the Senior Formal?”

She nodded tentatively.

“Elle…” I blew out a long breath. “Dammit. I would’ve killed to go with you. You said you were going with Isaac.”

“We broke up a few days ago.”

“What? Why didn’t you say something? Are you okay? I thought you liked him.”

“He said pursuing writing as a career was like working for a pyramid scheme. You’ve gotta be able to sell yourself and whatever product you’ve got, nonstop, and the guys at the bottom make nothing.”

“That’s bullshit.” I scowled. I moved toward her and put my hands on her arms. “I never liked that guy. What an asshat. Your writing deserves to be read. Don’t listen to thatjoker. He might do well on Wall Street one day, but he has no soul.”

She cracked a small smile and I leaned down so my eyes were level with hers.

“Okay?”

“Okay.” She bit her lower lip again. “I’m not heartbroken. I wasn’t feeling it anyway. It just…stung, and it felt like he was trying to put me down on purpose.”

“It might take time and be tons of work, but I have faith in your talent,” I said, holding my fist up.

“Thank you, Rhodes.” She bumped my fist. “So, you have a date to the Senior Formal?”

“Yeah, I told Farrah I’d go with her earlier this week.”