Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

Honestly, it would be a tragedy if Victor swung that way. He was handsome—no, scratch that—he was downright beautiful.

That kind of androgynous beauty that made him look like he'd just stepped out of a Renaissance painting. The kind of face that could launch a thousand ships, or at least a thousand sighs from admirers.

I knew there'd be an uproar among women everywhere if he was no longer on their radar. Hearts would be shattered. Tears would be shed. Fan clubs would be disbanded.

But wait . . . Did this mean he liked Cole?

My thoughts skidded to a stop like a car narrowly avoiding a collision.

Cole. My Cole. The puzzle pieces clicked together in my head, forming a very disturbing picture. If Victor did like Cole, did that mean . . . he was my rival now?

The idea hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a second, I imagined Victor and me in a dramatic showdown: me holding flowers, him holding . . . I don't know, probably something more expensive and tasteful, like a rare vintage wine. Women and men alike would cry as we faced off for Cole's heart in the middle of a rainstorm.

No. Absolutely not. I wasn't about to let this happen.

I turned to Victor with the seriousness of someone about to declare a nation's independence. "Look," I began, my voice firm, but not unkind, "you can like whoever you want. That's your business, and I'll support you. But Cole is taken. All right? Off-limits. Mine. I don't need you being my rival too."

Victor stared at me, clearly baffled. "What are you talking about?"

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes as if to emphasize the importance of this moment. "I'm just saying, if you're into Cole, you need to take a step back. I've fought too hard for this man. I've endured his moods, his silence, his Cole-ness. You don't want to go down this road. It's exhausting."

There was a beat of silence, and then Victor threw his head back and laughed. Not a polite chuckle or an awkward laugh, but a full-on, deep, genuine laugh that made me feel like I was missing some kind of joke.

"What?" I asked, blinking. "What's so funny?"@@novelbin@@

He shook his head, still grinning. "You think I'm into Cole?"

"Well, yeah," I said defensively. "I mean, you've been avoiding me, and then you start acting weird around me the moment we became a couple. What else am I supposed to think?"

Victor slapped a hand over his face. "Eve, that's not what I meant."

But I was already on a roll. "You know what? We'll find you someone. I'll make it my personal mission! Someone smart, kind, and who loves brooding walks in the garden."

"Eve, stop."

"Or maybe someone outgoing to balance you out! Opposites attract and all that."

"Eve!"

I finally paused, noticing the exasperated look he was giving me. "What?"

He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not jealous of that. I meant . . . I'm jealous of how close you and Cole are now. That's all."

"Oh." I frowned, processing this. "Wait, why would you be jealous of that? I mean, you and I are close too!"

Victor's shoulders sagged, and for a moment, I thought he was about to bang his head against the tree. "Forget it. It's not important."

"Hey, don't brush it off!" I nudged him playfully. "If you're feeling left out, just say so. We can hang out more—Cole doesn't own me, you know."

Victor sighed, a defeated smile tugging at his lips. He shook his head, clearly deciding it wasn't worth explaining further. "Just . . . forget I said anything, okay?"

I shrugged. "Fine, but the matchmaking idea still stands. Think about it!"

His expression softened slightly, and for a moment, he looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "I've just . . . had a lot on my mind," he said, a little too vaguely for my liking. "And maybe I didn't want to deal with . . . certain things."

Certain things? What did that even mean? Was I a "certain thing"?

Before I could press him further, Victor clapped me on the shoulder and grinned. "But hey, I appreciate your concern. Really. And don't worry, your precious Cole is safe from me."

I squinted at him, still not entirely convinced. "You're sure? Because I don't want to find out later that you've been secretly pining for him in some tragic, unrequited way. That would be awkward for everyone."

Victor laughed again, shaking his head. "Eve, you're something else, you know that?"

I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed now. "Yeah, well, I just had to make sure. I can't have you swooping in and stealing my man. I'm already competing with the rest of the world for his attention."

Not to mention Elena suddenly came back. I felt an omen coming.

Victor's smirk returned, but there was something kinder behind it this time. "Don't worry, Eve. Cole only has eyes for you."

That statement warmed me more than I wanted to admit, but I quickly masked it with a playful glare. "Good. Because if you ever did try anything, I'd win. Just so you know."

Victor raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted." Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

And with that, the strange tension between us finally seemed to ease. But as I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was still something Victor wasn't telling me. Something important.

But at least one thing was clear: he wasn't after Cole.

Or so he said.

As I walked back toward the house, feeling quite pleased with myself for sorting out the "issue," Victor muttered something under his breath. I couldn't quite make it out, but it sounded suspiciously like, "She really has no clue."

Oh well. Whatever it was, I'd figure it out eventually.

Probably.

"Did Victor say something to you?" Sinclair's voice cut through the air, and I whipped around to see him leaning casually against the staircase, a glass of champagne in his hand.

Was he there the whole time? Did he saw everything?