Cupid's Match | Wattpad Books Edition

Chapter 12

All anyone can talk about at school during the next few days is Cupid's party, Jack's weird crush on Laura, and Cupid squaring up to Jason in the Love Shack.

It means Cupid is constantly surrounded by people. Girls, mostly. And he basks in the attention. He struts around the school, his dark blond hair messy like someone's just run their fingers through it, his jeans, rolled-up shirt sleeves, and black leather jacket looking professionally rumpled. Yet every time he sees me— passing through the corridor or hanging with Charlie and James by the picnic benches between class—his blue-green eyes lock onto mine. And every time they do, the force of his gaze knocks something loose in my stomach and heats the blood in my veins.

It's anger, I tell myself. Anger that he's been dosing Jack with Ardor arrows. Anger that even though Cal is ignoring me and following Chloe around like an irritating shadow, he's really at school to babysit me. Anger that I've been unable to confront Cupid about what he did.

What am I supposed to do? March up to him in the middle of his new entourage and start yelling about cupid arrows and love gods? Everyone'll think I've gone mad. Plus, with Cal hanging around it's clearly a terrible idea.

So why do I want to do it so much?

On Thursday, the day before Cupid's party, I catch sight of him in the corridor as I prepare to help Charlie put up more flyers for the Forever Falls dance. I grit my teeth. He's chatting with Chloe, and they seem to be getting along well, which will probably please Cal. He says something and she throws her head back in laughter, red hair shimmering down her back. His eyes slide past her and meet mine, though, the corner of his lip quirking.

I fold my arms across my chest. "Flyer," Charlie says.

"Huh?"

"Pass me a flyer!"

"Oh . . . right. Sorry."

She gives me a hard look as I hand her a slip of pink paper. "What's up with you?" she says. She looks over her shoulder.

"Oh. I see." She wiggles her eyebrow. "I don't blame you, girl. He is pretty fine."

"Charlie!" I hiss, my eyes darting to where James is counting coins by the vending machine.

She shrugs and turns to pin the flyer to the notice board. "You're allowed to look, Lila," she says, lowering her voice. "You're allowed some element of excitement in your love life from time to time."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

Before she can answer a shadow washes over us. "Aren't you supposed to be my mentor, Lila?"

Slowly I turn and find myself facing Cupid's chest. Heart thudding against my rib cage, my gaze travels up his denim shirt to meet his eyes.

"Is there something you need help with?" I ask, tone even. Because I can't say what I want to say—not with Charlie here. I can't mention the obsession arrow or what I saw him do to Jack.

He runs a hand across his mouth. "I saw you at the Love Shack the other night," he says.

My eyes hold his. "I saw you too."

A smile spreads slowly across his face, as though I have confirmed something he already knew. Charlie looks between us, confused.

James approaches, Coke in hand. "Hey, dude," he says. "Everything okay?" His tone is light but there's a hint of something harder behind it.

"This your boyfriend?" asks Cupid without looking at him. "Yes."

His gaze slides lazily to James, then Charlie, then back again, and the smile on his face broadens, like he knows the punch line to a joke yet to be told. Raising his eyebrows, he starts to back away.