Chapter 169
Chapter 169: Three Guys Asking Her To Get In Their Cars
Catherine’s POV
The best time of the day since this semester began… finally came. As the bell rang, the mass exodus of students began, and I found myself walking out of the Art Department with Tessa. We reached the edge of the student parking lot where the bike racks were located.
Tessa stopped by her motorcycle, pulling her helmet from the handlebars. She looked over at me, shifting her bag higher on her shoulder. “Need a ride? I can drop you today.”
I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening as I looked at her machine she was leaning against, then back at her face… then her stomach. “Are you serious? You’re seriously still riding a bike in your condition, Tess?!”
Tessa rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. She let out a long, frustrated groan as she strapped her helmet. “Oh, for the love of God, can you stop bringing it up? I’ve told you already, I’m not an invalid. I want to continue living my life the normal way I did before I took in. I’m not going to start taking the bus just because of a few cells.”
“It’s dangerous,” I insisted, stepping closer. “The roads around campus are chaotic, and you know how people drive here. One slip and—”
“And nothing,” Tessa interrupted with a firm voice, before hopping onto the seat and kicking the kickstand up with ease. “I’ve been riding since I was sixteen. I’m not going to fall. Besides, remind yourself that it’s just two months old. I’m not exactly showing or off-balance yet. I’m fine, stop panicking over nothing.”
I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her when she had that specific look in her eyes. Tessa was stubborn to a fault, and the more I pushed, the more she would lean into the risk just to prove she was still in control of her own body. I gave her a reluctant nod.
“Fine,” I muttered. “But please, just be careful. I don’t know what I’ll do if something bad happens.”
“Sure ma’am. Nothing will happen. I chose to keep this life, so of course, I’ll protect it,” she said with a smirk, adjusting her grip on the handles and looking at me again. “So, do you want the ride or not? It’s a nice day for a breeze.”
“I’ll reject that humbly,” I said, offering a small, weak smile. “I’m going to wait for Gabriel instead. He said he’d be heading home around this time, and I’d rather not have my hair ruined by a helmet today.”
Tessa let out a little laugh, shaking her head. “You’re such a scaredy-cat, Catherine. One of these days, I’m going to get you on the back of this thing and remind you what you’re missing.”
“Well that day is not today, so shoooshh.”
She laughed, then waved a gloved hand at me before revving the engine and peeling out of the lot, weaving through the exiting cars with a speed that made my heart hammer against my ribs. I watched her until she cleared the campus gates, then I pulled out my phone.
I sent a quick text to Gabriel: Hey, school is over. I’m waiting by the main stairs. Are we still good for the ride home?
A minute later, my phone buzzed. I’ll be with you in ten minutes. I have a few things to wrap up with the Registrar, then I’m all yours.
I reacted with a ’love’ heart to the message and leaned against a stone pillar, watching the flow of students.
I was staring at my shoes when Julian’s car pulled up to the curb directly in front of me. The window rolled down, and he leaned across the passenger seat, his eyes shielded by sunglasses.
“I’m heading home,” his voice came out flat. “Hop in. The sun is too hot for you to stand around here.”
I didn’t even acknowledge him. I turned my head to the other side, looking toward the library entrance. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two girls standing a few feet away, whispering and pointing at us. My jaw tightened. I shut my eyes in annoyance, already aware that they were about to start another round of gossip.
“Catherine,” Julian called, his voice more insistent. “Don’t be difficult. Just get in the car.”
I ignored him, beginning to walk down the sidewalk away from the stairs. I hoped he would just take the hint and drive away, but of course, he didn’t. He let the car roll forward, keeping pace with my walking speed.
“Not this childishness again,” he called out through the window. “People are looking, get in.”
That was the breaking point. I stopped abruptly and marched over to the car, bent my head into his open window, my face inches from his.
“Respect yourself, Julian,” I hissed, my voice low. “People are watching. I am not getting into your car, so just drive away before you make this even more embarrassing.”
Julian gave me an annoying little laugh, adjusted his sunglasses and looked me up and down. “Why are you making such a scene? Just get into the car, and the stares will end. It’s that simple.”
“In your dreams,” I snapped, standing back up and smoothing out my skirt.
I looked toward the main building and saw Gabriel finally coming down the stairs. Relief washed over me. I looked back at Julian with a smirk.
“Fuck off, Julian,” I said clearly. “My ride is finally here.”
I turned to wave at Gabriel, but before he could see me, a screech of tires drew everyone’s attention to the road.
A Lamborghini black car with pitch-black tinted windows pulled up to the curb, cutting off Julian’s car and coming to a halt directly in front of me. It was a very luxurious car, the kind that didn’t just belong to a student. Students stopped in their tracks, their phones coming out to record the vehicle. Even Julian sat up straighter to look at it.
The driver’s side door opened, and Dante stepped out. He didn’t look at the crowd; he didn’t even glance at Julian.
He moved around the front of the car and reached the passenger side, swinging the door open. Then, to the absolute shock of everyone present, he bent his body in a mock-prostration, one hand behind his back and the other gesturing toward the luxurious leather interior of the car.
“Hey baby,” Dante’s gravelly voice came. “Your carriage is ready. Come in.”
I stood there, momentarily stunned by his movements.
My eyes moved to Julian, whose face had turned a deep shade of red, his eyes narrowed in a look of pure loathing.
The whispers exploded around us instantly.
“I fucking knew he was damn rich.” “Look at that car!” “He’s literally opening the door like she’s a queen.” “If I had a man like this, I would kiss his foot and do anything he asked of me.” “Why the hell is she keeping him waiting?” “Maybe she is considering her stepbrothers. That’s dumb.”
The whispers grew and so did my confusion. Whose car would I get into now?