In an instant, his whole face flushed so red it looked as if it might start bleeding.
“Shit!” Harrison lost all pretense of composure and cursed out loud.
He scrambled out of bed as if fleeing and rushed straight to the bathroom.
The sound of rushing water from the shower drowned out the ragged breaths he was trying to control.
He was no naïve teenager anymore. He’d thought the age of being overwhelmed by feelings was behind him–his son was already old enough to be left home alone, for God’s sake. Yet here he was, waking up to find evidence of his own desires staining
the sheets.
Harrison squeezed his eyes shut as the water coursed over his tense features.
The dream had been a feverish jumble of images, too strange to revisit. Was he really so desperate for a woman?
But after dreaming about Luna, the face that lingered in his mind was Selene’s.
A bitter laugh escaped him. How utterly ridiculous.
*
Before he knew it, the day of the ALI Math Competition finals had arrived.
The ALI Group had set up a special exam hall at Capital University, broadcasting the entire competition live online.
With so many people online questioning the fairness of the ALI Math Competition, the organizers decided to show everyone exactly what transparency looked like. And, of course, the publicity from the livestream would only help strengthen the competition’s influence in the long run.
Selene stepped out of Luke Holloway’s rugged SUV. They had just dropped Daph off at school together, and Luke had driven her straight to Capital University.
She paused in front of the university’s grand marble entrance, taking it all in. When she left campus years ago, she never imagined she’d be back.
“You don’t have to walk me in,” she said, waving at Luke with an easy smile. Then she turned, took a deep breath, and thought, God, divorce really is amazing.
With long, confident strides, Selene headed through the gates.
1/2
21:39
Luke remained where he was, standing like a statue, his gaze following her as she disappeared into the crowd.
Today, Selene wore a sand–colored trench coat over a black midi skirt and short boots, her shoulders draped with a woolen argyle scarf and a felt beret perched atop her head. A laptop bag swung from her hand as she joined the flow of Capital University students, her energy undimmed, radiating optimism.
Luke folded his arms across his chest, unfazed by the winter chill in his pale gray t–shirt. His powerful frame was wrapped in gray camo cargo pants, muscles straining against the fabric, drawing more than a few curious glances from passersby.
A few yards behind him, a sleek black SUV sat quietly at the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Adrian’s strikingly handsome features. Winter sunlight glinted along the tips of his long eyelashes as he rested one hand on the window edge, his eyes fixed on the university gates.
Selene had no idea others were watching her as she strode into Capital University.
She made her way toward the Newton Building and, even from a distance, saw a crowd gathering beneath its wide overhang.
A group of male students noticed her arrival. One nudged Wyatt, tapping him on the shoulder.
Wyatt turned to look. Selene was walking toward them, golden ginkgo leaves carpeting the ground at her feet. Her features were delicate, her oval face haloed by soft winter sunlight.
Wyatt snapped out of his daze, a shadow flickering across his eyes.
At that moment, Quentin stepped out from among them and greeted Selene with a wide, genuine smile.
“Selene, it’s been too long.” He spoke with easy familiarity, though in the seven years Selene had been married to Harrison, she could count on her fingers the number of times they’d actually spoken.
Quentin was an unassuming guy, with a buzz cut and silver–rimmed glasses, giving off an air of quiet sincerity.
He smiled reassuringly at Selene. “Don’t be nervous. The exam hall is full of cameras, and there’ll be plenty of observers walking around. Just treat it like any other test.”
21:39
Chapter 109
