He Took Her to Europe With My Money Chapter 08

He Took Her to Europe With My Money Chapter 08

Darien did not return to Crestwood.

He booked a suite at a five-star hotel near Linden and convinced himself that if he stayed long enough, I would eventually give in.

Three days later, I walked out of the library at dusk with a stack of foreign-language medical textbooks.

Evan Thorne, a third-year doctoral student in my lab, walked beside me.

He was local, friendly, and easygoing.

We were discussing our research.

“Camille, that data model you built last night was brilliant.”

“Professor mentioned it during today’s meeting. He said you’re the most promising student in this year’s group.”

I smiled.

A real smile, open and unguarded.

“Thanks, Evan. Professor’s being generous.”

“Camille!”

A cold voice cut through our conversation.

Darien stood at the bottom of the steps, glaring at us.

He had seen my smile.

—

The bright, confident expression I had never shown around him.

“Who is he?”

Darien strode toward us, hostility radiating from him.

Evan blinked.

“Camille, who is this?”

“Nobody I know.”

Darien’s breath caught.

He grabbed my arm.

“Nobody? You’re calling me nobody?”

“Let go.”

Evan immediately stepped between us.

“Sir, step back, or I’m calling campus security.”

Darien did not even look at him.

His eyes remained fixed on me.

“So that’s what this is.”

“You found someone else, and now you finally have the courage to talk back to me.”

“Does he know what you used to be?”

“That pathetic, frightened little shadow who followed me everywhere?”

—

I felt nothing.

“Darien, do you know why I became that person?”

He froze.

His grip loosened.

I held his gaze.

“When I was fourteen, I won first place in a statewide speech competition.”

“You told me I looked like a clown onstage. You said I waved my arms too much and embarrassed myself.”

“You told me never to do it again.”

“When I was sixteen, I bought a new floral dress.”

“You said my legs were crooked and that the dress made me look cheap.”

“Freshman year, I waited backstage for you all night at the homecoming dance.”

“You said my shoulders curved inward and that I looked ridiculous in formal clothes.”

Darien’s face slowly lost its color.

“Every time I felt confident, you tore me down.”

“You criticized the way I dressed, the way I stood, and the way I spoke until I barely recognized myself.”

—

“You called me dull.”

“You called me embarrassing.”

“But you were the one who made me that way.”

His lips parted as though he wanted to argue.

Nothing came out.

I pulled my arm free.

“Now that I’ve left you, I can finally be myself again.”

“Stay out of my life.”

I turned and walked away.

Evan fell into step beside me.

Darien remained where he was.

The evening wind stirred his shirt as he stood there, stunned and hollow.

—

We walked in silence for a while. I could feel Evan’s gaze on me, curious but respectful.

“You okay?” he finally asked.

I nodded. “I will be.”

“He seemed… intense.”

“That’s one word for it.”

Evan didn’t push. Instead, he changed the subject.

“Hey, a few of us are getting coffee later. You should come. Lab talk only, I promise.”

I looked at him—at his easy smile, his genuine eyes, the way he treated me like a normal person instead of a broken project.

“Okay,” I said. “I’d like that.”

He grinned. “Great. Meet us at the café on Main Street at eight.”

He peeled off toward the parking lot, and I continued toward my apartment.

When I reached my door, I paused and looked back at the campus.

Somewhere out there, Darien was probably still standing on those steps, trying to figure out how everything had slipped through his fingers.

But that wasn’t my problem anymore.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

For the first time in fourteen years, the silence felt like peace instead of loneliness.