Merlina's POV
"Keith!" Phoebe sprinted toward him like the world was ending and only his lips could save it. She kissed him, and I swear he kissed her nose. Gross, but also… kind of cute. Whatever.
"It's called the campus park, babe," he said, all smirky. "What do you think people do here?"
"Hey Merlina. Megan." His voice had that annoying charm. Of course it did.
"Hi," Megan and I said in unison.
I glanced—okay, peeked at Craig. Still locked in statue mode, casually scrolling on his phone like he hadn't just wrecked my mental health two weeks ago.
Two. Whole. Weeks of straight-up ignoring each other like it was a sport and we were both going for gold.
Phoebe and Keith were busy being all lovey-dovey, while Megan and I were fake-arguing over which pair of heels would hurt less at a party that clearly screamed evening gowns and elegance, not the kind where you show up in hoodies and sneakers.
Then Craig stepped forward, like he'd finally run out of patience.
Clearly, he wasn't the type to just stand around and play third wheel while his best friend whispered sweet nonsense. His posture was stiff, shoulders tense, like even breathing near romance annoyed him.
"You done?" he asked Keith, calm and clipped, like those two words cost him effort.
God, I couldn't stand him. I hated that I was seeing him. I hated that of all the guys in Belview, Phoebe had to date his best friend.
I hated his family, his face, and the fact that his face was actually… disgustingly attractive. Like, someone should arrest him for that.
Craig shot them a sideways look, sharp, dripping with that all-too-familiar Craig Lesnar sass, and I practically felt my eyes roll to the back of my skull.
Keith finally pulled away from Phoebe, giving her one last playful glance before turning to us with that signature grin. "You guys coming to the party?" he asked, the question casual but laced with an unspoken challenge, as if it was more of a demand than an invitation.
"Yeah, we are," Megan replied.
"Cool. Craig's dad lent us the Limo. We'll come get you guys tonight." Keith said, kissed Phoebe goodbye on her cheeks and before any of us could say another word, he swaggered off.
And Craig ? Barely acknowledging our presence, he strolled past me, his presence almost swallowing the space between us, and his side bumped against mine—just enough for me to feel the heat of him.
Deliberate.
A smooth, calculated move. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.
In that unexpected moment, I was struggling to steady my breath, the shock of his touch still coursing through me. For a second, I was worried Phoebe and Megan could hear the sound of my heart flipping in my chest.
What the hell was that? Emotional terrorism?
Very mature, Merlina. Great job being being unaffected.
And yet… that irresistible blend of bergamot, rosemary with amber, frankincense and vanilla scent hit me like a truck. Why did he smell like love, desire and danger had a baby?
It was intoxicating.
And when his arm accidentally brushed against me, grazing the curve of my chest?
Yeah. I almost lost myself. Instant static. My entire body jolted, as if every nerve in me was exposed to surrender.
"Come on, Merlina!" Phoebe snapped, pulling me out of my head before I spiraled any further.
I nodded absently, my mind still miles away, buried in my deepest thoughts.
I hated how he made me feel. I hated how I couldn't shake the sensation of his touch, the way it lingered, like a pull I couldn't resist.
As for Keith, he had to be insane if he thought I'd ever ride in anything that belong to the Lesnars.
Craig's POV
Note to self….
Never, and I mean never, ask Keith for help with anything ever again. This was a mistake. A colossal one.
I'd been trying to deal with the mess that was Merlina and the constant tension between us.
I asked Keith to help—because, hell, maybe he could smooth things over but I never asked to be in the same car as her and her friends, let alone pick them up.
I didn't even want to see her, much less be in a confined space with her.
All I wanted was to get through this semester without the constant reminder of the disaster my brother caused.
Without having to deal with Merlina - the girl who somehow made me feel like I was living on the edge of a cliff every time our eyes met.
But Keith? Oh, he had the brightest idea.
"Why did you have to tell them we'd pick them up?" I asked, my frustration spilling over. I could already feel the tension building up in my chest.
"Why not, Craig? Phoebe's my girlfriend, and as much as it sucks that you two can't stand each other, she's still the person I'm dating," Keith said, his eyes locked on the road like he was avoiding some sort of cosmic collision. He was too busy petting his dad's new sports car to care about my dilemma. "You don't think she deserves to be picked up by us?"
I stared out the window, resisting the urge to let my annoyance take over completely.
"Why'd you have to drag Phoebe's friends into this? You know the situation with me and Merlina, and Megan's Louis' sister, so I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to buddy-buddy with her," I muttered, trying to keep my tone steady, but the irritation was starting to creep through.
Keith scoffed. "Grow up, boy. Quit being dramatic. Besides, you're the one who said you'd try to be civil with Merlina, remember? You were all about getting her to ease up on the whole hate thing." He shot me a grin, that damn grin that made it obvious he was enjoying this way more than he should. Meanwhile, I was trying not to lose my mind.
"Yeah, I said that, but I never said anything about being stuck in the same car as her!" I snapped, leaning back into my seat, staring out at the passing streets as if they could offer me some kind of relief.
"It's whatever, dude. It's not like she's got the plague or anything. Just try to loosen up for once." Keith's tone was way too chipper, and that grin of his? Classic Keith, acting like everything was a joke.
And maybe for him, it was. But for me? It wasn't that simple.
Merlina wasn't someone I could easily ignore, and I certainly wasn't about to pretend that I could just 'get along'
She literally threatened to bring me down.
There was something about her, something that made me want to snap at her one minute and then… well, I couldn't even describe the next.
She wasn't only attractive, she was a force, something that pulled at the very core of me. Like a tide, she pulled me in, effortlessly, steady, consuming, and every moment in her presence felt like something I couldn't outrun.
I didn't know if I wanted to kill her or kiss her. But I wasn't naive enough to let either of those thoughts slip through the cracks.
Why couldn't she just slip from my mind, vanish from the air around me, just for five minutes, long enough for me to breathe without feeling her everywhere ?
I blinked at the road ahead and then, completely against my will…something slipped out of my mouth.
"Why don't you like Merlina?" I asked before I even had a chance to think it through.
Keith didn't even flinch. "Me? Who said I didn't like her?" His tone was light, but I could tell he was trying to hide a little smirk. Like he had some inside joke I wasn't in on.
I stayed quiet, let the silence stretch between us, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't let it go.
"I mean, why didn't you go for Merlina instead of Phoebe?" I asked, almost casually, but the question hung in the air like a lit match in a room full of gasoline.