Chapter 436

The air in the room felt thick, as if time itself had ground to a halt. Tristan Davis, too, seemed frozen-almost catatonic-as he processed Elizabeth Wilson’s words. He turned his head, fixing his gaze on Emily Blair for a long, silent moment.
“You’re a senior in high school?”
Elizabeth nodded earnestly.
Tristan shifted his attention to Xavier Gonzalez, who also nodded in honest confirmation.
Tristan’s brows knitted together as he looked back at Emily. “You’re only a senior?”
Emily arched an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”
Suddenly, Tristan picked up his phone to check the time. His frown deepened. “It’s Wednesday. School’s in session. Why aren’t you in class?”
Emily shrugged. “Why do you care? I’ll be wherever I want.”
Elizabeth jumped in to defend her. “She’s a top student. The school gave her special permission to study off campus.”
Tristan’s expression grew more complicated. “How old is she, exactly?”
Elizabeth beamed. “Relax. She’s eighteen. Legally an adult.”
Still, the crease between Tristan’s brows didn’t ease. Emily braced herself,
expecting a lecture about skipping school and making trouble, but instead, Tristan
let out a frustrated sigh.
“Shouldn’t you be focusing on your studies?”
Emily rolled her eyes. Here it comes.
Tristan’s tone turned stern. “You’re still a senior. Why would you confess your feelings to me? Even if you’re eighteen, you’re still in high school. Dating at your age is too early. I can’t accept it.”
Emily thought, Fine, whatever.
She couldn’t help but conclude that Tristan’s brain worked on a completely different wavelength from everyone else’s.
Elizabeth watched Emily’s expression turn from pale to purple, and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
Tristan glanced disdainfully at the book in Emily’s hands. “This is good. Focus on your studies. Don’t get distracted by these things. Think about the rest after you get into college.”
Emily clenched her teeth. “Right now, the only thing I want to think about is how to bash your head in.”
Tristan mumbled, “Why are you so aggressive?”
Emily opened her mouth. “Wanna find out―?”
Suddenly, Tristan lurched forward.
Even though Emily hadn’t been looking at him directly, she caught his movement out of the corner of her eye. She tensed, about to move away, but Tristan’s hand clamped down on her shoulder, pinning her in place. His lips dropped close to her ear, his voice tight with urgency: “Don’t move.”
Before she could react, Tristan pressed his upper body down, wedging himself between Emily and the table so completely he almost disappeared.
Emily stared down at him in disbelief. “Tristan, what the hell are you doing?”
His face was just inches from her abdomen and thighs, the striking lines of his features growing even sharper up close-flawless, annoyingly so. But Emily just felt irritated, especially with his face hovering barely two inches away. “Get up.”
Tristan’s expression was dead serious, his brows furrowed. He shook his head and whispered, “Help me.”
His eyes flicked toward the café’s entrance. Emily followed his gaze and caught on immediately.
Just outside, two men stood near the door, glancing around suspiciously and muttering to each other.