The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 120

"Charley Sheffield?" Garnett stepped forward, his posture instantly defensive. Sigrid stayed tucked closely behind him, clinging to his arm.

Before Lavinia could process what was happening, Charley jammed the baseball cap back onto her head, yanking the brim down so far it completely obscured her face. His hand shot to the back of her neck, pulling her firmly against his chest, burying her face in his shirt.

She could hear his heartbeat—steady, powerful, completely unbothered.

He leveled a cold, unyielding stare at Garnett. It wasn't a glare, but the sheer weight of his gaze was suffocating.

Garnett stopped in his tracks, a distinct frown pulling at his features.

Sigrid forced a sweet, polite smile. "Charley, what a surprise. What brings you all the way out here?"

"Vacation," Charley replied dryly. "You?"

Sigrid tightened her grip on Garnett's arm, her smile widening. "Oh, we're just enjoying a little getaway too."

The corner of Charley's mouth twitched into a grimace that completely mocked her.

"Sigrid," Garnett muttered, a subtle warning in his tone to shut down the small talk. He looked back at the girl huddled against Charley's chest. He didn't know her, but something about the way she stood sent a jarring shock of unease through him.

She was swallowed up by another man's coat, but those legs were on full display—long, slender, and aggressively eye-catching. It made his chest tighten with inexplicable irritation.

Garnett raised an eyebrow. "Your girlfriend?"

Charley's arm tightened possessively around Lavinia's shoulders. "No," he enunciated clearly. "My fiancée."

Lavinia stiffened violently. His fingers dug into her shoulder blade, locking her in place so she couldn't pull away.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Garnett asked, a sneer of obvious disdain creeping into his voice.

Charley gently turned Lavinia around to face the couple. The sudden movement almost knocked the hat off her head. She desperately grabbed the brim, pulling it down hard to keep her face hidden in the shadows.

Her heart was hammering in her throat. Are they going to recognize me?

The cheating bastards didn't recognize her at all. Oddly enough, it sent a sharp pang of disappointment through her.

Charley leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. "Babe, aren't you going to say hello to my friends?" he murmured, his voice dripping with dark amusement.

His eyes locked onto hers, completely unyielding. "You're right. You'll probably never beat him."

The bluntness of his words felt like a baseball bat to the skull.

"But who cares if you can't win? It's not going to kill you," he added evenly.

She stared at him. They stood on the wet sidewalk in Penbrook, completely silent for a long time.

"...When is the exam?" she finally mumbled.

"Next week."

"I'm so screwed."

Charley raised an eyebrow and lightly ruffled her wet, bleached hair. "First things first. We need to dye this disastrous mop back to normal."

"No way. I like this color," Lavinia shot back, sticking her chin out.