"Actually," Ethan interrupts, moving closer. "I'm supposed to shadow a junior mentor today. Get the campus tour, learn the ropes." He holds up a paper. "They assigned me to... let me see... Ivy Chen." He says with a smile.
No.
Absolutely not.
"That's a mistake," I say immediately. "You should request someone else. I'm sure Dylan or Marcus would be happy to?—"
"But you're my assigned mentor." His expression is innocent. Mocking. "And I wouldn't want to break protocol on my first day. Would you?"
Asshole. He's doing this on purpose.
"Fine." I force a smile. "Everyone, this is Ethan. He'll be joining our tour. Try not to let his presence lower the collective IQ too much."
A few people laugh nervously. Ethan's jaw tightens, there's the crack in his perfect facade.
Good. If I'm uncomfortable, he should be too.
I finish with the freshmen quickly, answering questions on autopilot while hyperaware of Ethan hovering nearby. He doesn't say anything else, just watches me with those dark eyes that used to know every secret I had.
When the freshmen finally disperse, heading to their next orientation event, I'm left alone with him.
"So," Ethan says casually. "Where should we start the tour?"
"How about we start with why you're really here?"
"I told you. Transfer student?—"
"Cut the bullshit." I step closer, lowering my voice. "Berkeley is a better school. You're from California. There's no reasonyou'd transfer across the country to Thornhill to finish your senior year, unless?—"
Unless he came here for me.
The thought is terrifying.
"Unless what?" he challenges. "Unless I wanted to see you? Is that what you think? That I'm still obsessed with the girl who couldn't take a hint three years ago?"
The words land like a physical blow.
The girl who couldn't take a hint.
That's what he called me that night. In front of everyone. When he told me I'd been"following him around like a lost puppy"and he was"tired of being nice about it."
"Fuck you, Ethan."
"Ah, there she is. The real Ivy." He leans against a nearby tree, completely at ease. "For a second, I thought Thornhill had turned you into one of those fake-nice campus ambassadors."
"And for a second, I thought maybe you'd grown up, but you're still the same asshole who—" I stop myself. Won't give him the satisfaction. "You know what? I'm done. Find another mentor."
I turn to leave.
"Can't." His voice stops me. "I specifically requested you. Well, my family made a generous donation and I specifically requested you as my mentor."
I spin back around. "Your family, you told them I'm here?"
"My mother did her research." He shrugs. "She likes to know where everyone from my past ends up. Control issues."
His mother. The woman who always looked at me like I was something stuck to her shoe. The woman who smiled to my face and called me"that restaurant girl"when she thought I couldn't hear.
"So what, you're here to what? Torture me? Remind me I'm not good enough for your world?"