Page 65 of Darkest Obsession

“No. Did you?”

“No. But they were small. So perhaps… female.”

“A lot of British men are small,” Clover points out. She’s right. I’m an anomaly everywhere. I’m ‘too swarthy’ as dad puts it, and significantly taller than most other Englishmen. Still, I don’t many men who were smaller than Clover. The dark, disguised figure definitely seemed smaller than her.

She slings her bag over her shoulder and makes an attempt to fix her hair. I want to push the stray dreadlock out of her face, but she’s battered me enough as it is. I don’t know what to say to her as we walk to the dorms, but I feel like I should say something so it’s not so bloody quiet. I never know the right thing to say.

“Whoever did this really wanted to hurt me,” she says, breaking the silence and honestly surprising me. I never thought she wanted to speak with me at all.

“Glad they didn’t.”

“Right. Because you’re still biding your time…”

“I don’t want to hurt you. I swear.”

“What’s your deal Thomas?”

“My deal? What does that mean?”

“Never mind.”

“I like you, Clover.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.”

I stick my hands in my pockets and walk her all the way to the door of her dormitory. Does she want to rush off or something else? I doubt I could get away with kissing her again. I stop in front of the door and face her.

“You shouldn’t sleep alone tonight.”

“I have a roommate, Thomas. Molly will be here. You can’t come in.”

“Right.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“That person could climb in through your window.”

“You climbed in through my window,” she grumbles.

“That’s how I know how easy it is.”

“Good night, Thomas.”

“Kiss before I go?”

“No way.”

Then she stops, sighs and tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek.

“That’s it,” she says. “Now go away.”

“Cheers.”

I walk back to my dorm with my hands in my pockets. I want to turn around and look back about a hundred times but… not cool. Totally not cool. I’ve already messed up so many times with her. Like tonight. She could have gotten herself killed with that insane plan. What the hell was she thinking? Why didn’t she come to me for help?

My phone buzzes. It’s Kit.