The Ruse: Eden Falls Academy by Corry Judy

Author:Corry, Judy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cherry Blossom Romance
Published: 2022-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

21

ASHER

I found Elyse sitting in the common room after dinner and decided to take the opportunity to talk to her about what Miss Crawley had spoken to me about during rehearsal.

“You didn’t go to the basketball game with all your friends?” I asked as I sat in the stuffed chair beside her.

There was a boys’ basketball game in New Haven, and since Hunter, Carter, and Mack were all on the basketball team, I assumed Elyse would be going with her dad or her other friends to watch it.

I’d heard them chatting about it in class earlier, anyway.

“I decided not to go.” She looked up from the book she’d been reading. “It’s been a long week and I have a pretty big day tomorrow, so I just wanted a little more of a chill night tonight.”

“Is that book you’re reading actually a big ‘don’t talk to me right now’ sign that I didn’t understand?” I glanced at the Jane Austen paperback she held, worried I might be interfering with her plans for peace and quiet.

“No.” She laughed and placed her bookmark on a page before setting the book down on her lap. “I was just reading since I never have time for it these days. But I’m fine talking to you instead.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” I glanced at the couple wearing regency-era clothes on the cover of her book. “Though, I’m sure Mr. Knightley and Emma have all sorts of fun banter for you to get back to.”

“Wait—” Her eyes lit up. “You’ve read Emma?”

“Watched the movie.” I chuckled. And before she could get any ideas that I was a closeted Jane Austen fan, I held up a finger and said, “But I only watched it because Jace and Logan were out on dates one Friday night and my aunt wanted someone to watch it with her.”

“Well, aren’t you a sweet nephew.”

“Eh.” I shrugged. “Just trying to stay on her good side so she’d have me back for winter break.”

I meant it as a joke, but from the concern in Elyse’s eyes, I could tell she worried there might be some truth behind what I said.

Which I guess there was. I hadn’t exactly had a real home to go to for several years, and so I had tried to be as pleasant of a house guest as I could be while staying with my aunt and uncle.

Owen had always been great about me staying with him over the holidays and during summer breaks the first few years I was in high school, but I didn’t like always tying him down when I knew he had his own life to live and girls to date.

“So…” Elyse cleared her throat. “Which version of Emma did you watch?”

“You mean which version did I suffer through?” I arched an eyebrow, trying to keep up my manly facade.

“Sure,” she said, fighting a smile. And I liked that we could still be playful even if our rehearsals had been awkward this week.

“It was the Gwyneth Paltrow version.”

“And you didn’t like it?” Her jaw dropped, as if my dislike of the movie was a personal attack.

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