“I forgot to ask you, but how are you enjoying being back home?” Adam asks as we walk into Lex’s class together, my nerves sky high. “I’m considering moving back in too instead of finding my own place after graduation. I’d be able to help my mom out more, but I’m not sure about it.”
I bite down on my lip for a moment, guilt coursing through me. “I love it,” I tell him, feeling uneasy about the way I’m twisting the truth. “You know I never loved living on campus as much as I loved being at home.”
When I moved back home prior to the wedding, I told him it was because I was worried about my parents since the company wasn’t doing well, and I wanted to be there for them. He fully supported my decision and applauded me for putting my parents first, and that just made me feel even worse.
Adam nods and wraps his arm around me. “I miss you, though. It was fun being able to grab coffee at midnight in an attempt to stay awake and study a little longer.”
I smile and lean into him briefly before pulling away to take a seat. “I know. I miss that too, but we could still do that if you wanted. Just text me the next time you want to study late.”
For a moment, I think about how Lex might react if I sneaked out of our bed at midnight to go have coffee with Adam, and I can’t help but laugh to myself, earning myself a confused look from Adam.
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind as Lex and I tried to balance our lives and our marriage. We’ve been living in a little bubble of our own creation while getting to know each other, our days filled with our respective responsibilities while our evenings are spent playing rounds of truth or dare that inevitably lead to us falling into bed together. It’s been fun, but it feels a little precarious. Keeping secrets is harder than I thought it would be.
My heart skips a beat when Lex walks into the room, his eyes instantly finding mine. I smile involuntarily, heat rushing to my cheeks, and Adam wraps his arm around my shoulders, leaning in and stealing my attention. “Did you notice?” he asks, his tone terse. “He keeps flaunting his wedding ring. He must be quite happy with his wife.”
Adam’s gaze roams over my face, and I stare at him wide-eyed. “Good for him,” I murmur, unsure of what else to say.
He leans back, seemingly pleased with my response. My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t look pleased at all. He locks his jaws and stares at Adam for a moment, before turning toward the class.
“I read and graded your progress reports on your drone designs,” he says, his tone sharp. Moments later, Windsor Motors drones begin to deliver our graded reports back to us, and Lex rocks back on his heels, his expression stern. “Some of you lack common sense and don’t know how to keep your eyes off what isn’t yours.”
I stare at him in shock and subtly shake my head, urging him not to be petty. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Lex since we got married, it’s that he’s far more possessive than I could’ve imagined.
He sighs and runs a hand through his thick, dark hair. “I don’t need you to report on what others are doing, nor is your progress report an opportunity to make a case for switching designs. Especially not for those of you who are team leaders because your designs were chosen.”
Adam scoffs, and I glance at him. “You didn’t,” I mutter.
He just shrugs. “I wrote a whole report about how your design is better and he should reassign me to your team. I figured he wouldn’t go for it, but I didn’t think he’d publicly call me out on it.” He sighs and turns to look at me, ignoring Lex. “Who the fuck is he to say I don’t know how to keep my eyes off what isn’t mine, when he’s doing the exact same thing every time he looks at you? The man is married, but he still looks at you the way he did that night in King of Hearts. It’s inappropriate.”
My eyes widen a fraction. “How does he look at me?” I ask, my voice weak.
“Like he wants you. Like you belong to him.”
I blush fiercely and look away. “You’re reading too much into things,” I refute.
“Am I?” he murmurs, just as the drones deliver our reports to us.
My eyes widen when I notice the little note right next to the A+ in bright red ink. Good job, Mrs. Windsor. My gaze cuts to Lex, only to find him already looking at me in the exact way Adam just described. My husband smirks at me when I rush to shove my report into my bag, his earlier annoyance having made way for relaxed confidence. He just loves making me all flustered, and I have no doubt he wrote that note just to see me blush.
“Ugh,” Adam says, and I glance over to find a B- on his report. My lips part in shock when I read the note on it.
Nice try, Adam. Granted, Raya is brilliant and very few could measure up, so I’ll give you a half decent mark for the way you praised her work. Rewrite this if you want a higher grade, and don’t pull this shit again.
I narrow my eyes and try to grab Adam’s report, but he snatches it away and stuffs it into his bag, much like I did. “That asshole,” he mutters, glaring at Lex, who is summarizing common issues he’s found across our work and explaining how to prevent or solve those, so we can apply his tips in our next lab session.
Each time Lex’s eyes meet mine, his expression warms just slightly, and I find myself looking away. I never last long, seeking him out involuntarily. It’s odd how unobtainable he feels every time I see him at school, when he pulled me closer in bed just this morning, pleading with me not to get up just yet, so he could hold me a little longer.
Adam leans into me, snapping me out of my daze. “Come to the library with me after class?” he murmurs. “It’s been a while since we last studied together, and it looks like I may have to rewrite my report.”
I glance at him and smile. “Of course,” I murmur, before looking back at my husband. Every time Adam leans in to speak to me, Lex’s expression instantly becomes a blend of annoyance and possessiveness, and something about it drives the butterflies in my stomach wild.
