“Quite the place, isn’t it?” I asked, shooting Cassidy a glance as I parked the car.
She shrugged and wrinkled her nose at an elderly professor shuffling by in his tweed suit, satchel in hand. “It’s alright, I guess. Wish they would update the architecture, though.”
I climbed out of the car and opened Cassidy’s side for her. She took her time gathering her things, all the while chattering about her plans for her dorm, but my mind was wandering back to Lyra again—because Luca’s orange pickup truck had just pulled in.
Lyra.
Unbidden, I thought back to the drinking spell she’d had a couple weeks ago at that party, when she had taken one of my friends’ dares too seriously and had drunk enough to make herself vomit all in the bushes.
That must have been the reason behind her sudden change in behavior.
It was my fault, of course. I hadn’t intervened in time and she had taken the dare, apparently believing that she could impress me by doing it. Clearly, she was hurt and embarrassed by what had happened. I had no doubt that some comforting words and perhaps a hug would smooth things over.
But when she climbed out of Luca’s car and I moved toward her, she didn’t even look at me. Just passed me by, smiling and laughing at something Luca had said.
I watched them go, stunned. Lyra had never ignored me like this before. Never.
As I stared after them, I could practically feel my expression darken.
