Chatper 367


    Chapter 0367


    Nichs continued to stare at me, waiting for my answer. He seemed entirely unbothered by the


    gathered crowd of their assumptions.


    “Piper?” he asked, when I hesitated.


    “Of course we can speak,” I said.


    Nodding, he turned.


    “If you will excuse me,” I said, first to Julian and then to the gathered crowd. Then I darted to follow in


    Nichs’s shadow. He had already started walking


    away.


    When we were far side.


    gh out of earshot, I moved from Nichs’s shadow to his


    “Those girls are the same ones who have made assumptions about us… I’m afraid your request might


    have added more fuel to the fire,” I said.


    “I need to speak with you. Did you want me to wait until after the ball?”


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    “No, of course not. But those girls… and probably others…” I stepped closer to him and lowered my


    voice. I didn’t want to risk being overheard. “They can tell about us just from the way you look at me.”


    Nics lifted his brow, then nced at the limited space between us. I quickly stepped to the side,


    away from him. He frowned, clearly displeased by the action.


    The displeasure seeped into his voice. “Am I supposed to stop looking at you?”


    “No,” I huffed. “But when you look at me in a certain way…”


    “What certain way?” he asked.


    I nced around quickly. Nichs had walked us into the corner of the room, away from the any


    eavesdroppers. Good. I could drop the act for a minute.


    “Come on, Nick. Why are you being so difficult about this?”


    “I’m not being difficult, Piper. I just don’t think it matters. They are always going to think what they want,


    but they don’t have proof.”


    “But we need to y our parts. We need to keep up appearances.”


    “We are doing that.”


    “Are we? When we keep looking at each other like we love each other? I bit


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    +15 BONOS


    Nichs didn’t like that. His brow lowered. He stepped closer to me, right up into my space. “Looking at


    each other like we what, Piper?”


    I swallowed down the words. Looking up at the intensity of his gaze, I felt a warmth in my chest. He


    knew what I had been about to say. He had to. He just wanted me to admit it.


    But how could I? This was hardly the time or the ce, even though my heart hammered from simply


    being near him. From him looking at me like this.


    I looked away first.


    He didn’t initially react, not that I could tell. But oh so slowly, he stepped backwards, creating more


    space between us. It felt as wide as a canyon. I hated it.


    Yet I couldn’t take it back. The moment, rightly or not, had ended. All I could do was press forward.


    “What did you want to talk about?” I asked.


    “I didn’t get the chance to speak with you before,” he said, sounding earnest, but Piper, please don’t act


    tonight without telling me. I know how eager you are to take down Jane, but it’s dangerous. Too


    dangerous for you alone. Bring me with you. Let me be your muscle.”


    The offer seemed genuine, but I knew better than to assume it could be fully counted on. Nichs on


    his own was sure and true. If he made promises, he sought to keep them. But tonight, his attention was


    divided. How much did he owe to me, and how much did he owe to his actual date Olivia?


    “Won’t you be too busy with Olivia?” I said, cruelly. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I was hurt. So the


    words slipped out. I dipped my head in shame.


    A moment’s quiet passed between us. Outside our small, two person bubble, the ball proceeded in


    fashion. Music began, and the cameras took to capturing the smiling faces of the dancers.