Page 19 of Lured By Shadows

Her expression shifted as her gaze drifted past me, the warmth draining from her face. I followed it without thinking.

Culver stood just outside the doorway, completely still, his expression unreadable, as though he were weighing a decision rather than simply waiting.

He knew that I knew.

“Anyway, Ira, I pray for your safety until we meet again,” Kiera said, slipping past him quickly. She didn’t brush against him, didn’t even come close.

“How was class?” Culver asked; his voice remained soft.

“I guess it went good,” I replied, adjusting my bag on my shoulder, my movements still stiff with lingering tension.

“Shall I drive you home?”

The question sent a strong enough warning through me to slow my steps before I steadied myself. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I asked, even though I already knew his answer wouldn’t be simple.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, his attention fixed on me as though he were trying to understand me rather than pressure me into anything.

“I’d rather walk,” I muttered, keeping my eyes forward.

That was totally a lie.

I definitely wanted another motorcycle ride.

Earlier, I would’ve accepted without hesitation, maybe even gladly. But Kiera’s warning echoed too loudly in my mind to ignore. I didn’t believe everything she’d said, not entirely, but the strain in her voice and the way she’d looked at him had settled somewhere uneasy inside me. It kept pushing at me, urging me to be smarter about this. I should’ve been more cautious. I should’ve created distance. There were too many things I knew I should do and not nearly enough I actually followed through on.

“Please,” he murmured, a flicker of urgency surfacing in his eyes. “I would feel rather guilty if I made you walk home in the rain.”

I glanced toward the window. Dark clouds pressed against the glass, heavy and waiting, as though they were already planning their return.

“Is Rupert going to be with us?” I asked, reaching for something practical to steady myself.

He blinked. “A motorcycle accommodates two.”

Right. Obvious.

I cringed inwardly.

“Fine,” I muttered, rolling my eyes, though I couldn’t quite hide the hint of playfulness in it. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice if you’re begging that much.”

“And I shall continue begging if need be,” he said with a grin, and the warmth of it nearly made me forget why I’d been hesitant in the first place.

Jesus, even his persistence sounded expensive.

“If it weren’t for your strange behavior, I wouldn’t be so wary about saying yes,” I shot back, studying his face as if I might find something honest written there if I looked long enough.

He chuckled softly, his gaze dipping for a moment before returning to mine. “I find it necessary to choose my words with care around you. I would rather not risk earning your displeasure so early.” His voice softened, unexpectedly sincere. “Does honesty earn me points?”

Why did every conversation with him feel as though I was accidentally being seduced in a library?

I dragged my tongue slowly across my bottom lip, considering him, the heaviness of his tone clashing with the almost ridiculous precision of how he spoke. I didn’t fully believe it, but I couldn’t deny that I liked hearing it.

“People mess up,” I said, folding my arms. “But I don’t hate easily. Unless you do something extremely stupid.”

He said nothing, simply watching me.

“But you have been suspiciously kind. Like,” I added, “too kind. So, Culver Scarbrough… are you someone I should trust?”

Asking that question while standing beside a motorcycle in the rain somehow felt like the beginning of a very bad decision.