Claimed By My Stepbrother novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Camila POV

Heat crept up my neck as I muttered, “Shut up,” and made my way toward my seat at the far end of the classroom. 1 kept my eyes forward, but it didn’t last long. Somehow, my gaze found its way back to Ethan like it had a mind of its own.

He looked… exhausted..

The dark circles under his eyes were impossible to miss, standing out starkly against his pale skin. His usual sharp, calculating expression was dulled, like he hadn’t gotten any sleep.

And the worst part?

I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of me.

I dropped into my seat, setting my bag down a little harder than necessary to distract myself. There was no way responsible for that, right?

Tessa plopped down in the seat next to me, leaning in conspiratorially. “Okay, what’s going on with you two?”

“Nothing,” I replied quickly, too quickly, as I pulled out my notebook and avoided her gaze.

“Liar,” she sing–songed, poking my arm.

I

was

I sighed, flipping open my notebook to a random page and pretending to read it. “There’s nothing going on, Tessa. Can we drop it?”

“Uh–huh, sure.” She didn’t sound convinced, but thankfully, she didn’t push it.

The teacher walked in a few minutes later, and the classroom quieted down as the lecture began. But I couldn’t focus. My mind kept drifting back to Ethan, to the way he looked at me- or didn’t look at me, I guess.

It was frustrating, infuriating even, that he could get under my skin like this. He was supposed to be the bad guy, the one I was wary of, the one who made my life more complicated than it already was. So why did I feel guilty, like I was the one who had done something wrong?

It was frustrating, infuriating even, that he could get under my skin like this. He was supposed to be the bad guy, the one I was wary of, the one who made my life more complicated than it already was. So why did I feel guilty, like I was the one who had done something wrong?

the

My mind wandered to the old woman I had met a while back, the one who had cornered me in the bus top and started rambling about her mate. Her eyes had been wild and desperate, her voice cracking as she talked about how he had left her, how the bond had driven her to madness.

Was Ethan going to lose his mind because of me?

I groaned and tugged at my hair, frustrated at how messy and overwhelming everything felt. This whole mate thing was getting far too complicated, and I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do about it.

When the lunch bell rang, I grabbed my bag and stood up with a newfound resolve. If there was even the slightest chance that I was making Ethan’s life worse, then I needed to clear my conscience. He had saved me from those masked

60

men, after all. The least I could do was try to set things right.

“What are we doing in a café?” Tessa grumbled as we walked into the small shop just off campus, her arms crossed and her expression less than thrilled.

I glanced at her, my lips pursed. “I want to make up with Ethan.”

Her brain seemed to short–circuit for a moment. She blinked at me, her mouth opening and closing like she was trying to form words but couldn’t quite manage it. “Huh?”

I didn’t bother repeating myself, walking past her to the counter.

“Oh, she finally managed, her blank expression shifting into a wide grin faster than I thought was humanly possible.. “Ohhh.”

“Ew. Stop smiling like that,” I muttered, glaring at her over my shoulder. “You look like a freak.”

Ignoring me entirely, she leaned closer, practically vibrating with excitement. “But why coffee, though?”

“He looks tired,” I replied simply, pointing at a latte on the menu.

Tessa snorted, shaking her head. “This is rich. You, Camila, going out of your way to bring Ethan coffee? Who even are you right now?”

I shot her a withering look. “Do me a favor and shut up, Tessa.”

She grinned even wider, if that was possible. “Fine, fine. I’ll give you some space.”

“I didn’t ask for-

“Bye, Cam!” she interrupted, waving cheerfully as she walked away, leaving me standing there to deal with my mess

alone.

With a heavy sigh, I ordered the coffee and paid for it, the cup warm in my hands as I stepped back out into the sunlight. This was a terrible idea.

But I was already committed, so I made my way toward the football stadium, scanning the bleachers until I found him. Ethan was sitting in the third row with a couple of other guys, their heads bent together as they talked.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

As if he could sense me, Ethan’s eyes snapped up, locking on mine for a fraction of a second before he quickly looked

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