Rebirth: Love me Again

Chapter 159 The Art of Avoidance (and Failing at It)

[EVE]

A few days after being discharged from the hospital, I'd been avoiding Cole like he was the taxman during audit season.

It started small: slipping out of rooms the moment I heard his voice, pretending to be engrossed in a very urgent phone call whenever he walked by.

However, it quickly escalated into a full-blown game of hide-and-seek—only I was the one playing both roles.

At Sinclair's mansion, it became a mission. The first time I heard Cole coming down the hallway, I dived behind the couch, narrowly avoiding him as he stepped into the living room.

Victor gave me a bewildered look from across the room but said nothing. I mouthed

"emergency"

at him, which only made him roll his eyes.

The next day, Cole nearly caught me in the kitchen. I had gone in for a quick snack—one granola bar—and ended up scuttling into the pantry like a gremlin when I heard him approaching. I stayed there for twenty minutes, nibbling on a bag of crackers I found on the shelf, too afraid to come out until I was sure he'd left.

Then there was the truly humiliating moment when I spotted him on the stairs. Thinking fast, I spun around and tried to take the long way to the library, only to get cornered in a dead-end hallway.

I ducked into a storage, crouching among Sinclair's old coats and scarves like some deranged fashion goblin. Cole walked past without noticing, but when I tried to sneak out, I tripped over a shoe rack and went sprawling face-first into the hallway.

"Everything okay there?" Sinclair asked from behind me, trying—and failing—to hide his amusement.

"Fine," I hissed, grabbing the nearest coat rack for support and retreating with whatever shreds of dignity I had left.

By the third day, even Sinclair had decided to join the circus. As I shuffled past him in the hallway, he glanced up from his book and said, completely deadpan, "Eve, he's in the study."

I froze mid-step, my soul briefly leaving my body. "Why would you even tell me that?!" I hissed, my voice an octave higher than usual.

Sinclair shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Just thought you'd like to know."

"I

didn't!

" I yelped, spinning around so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet. I power-walked away like I had an urgent meeting with literally

anywhere else.

no one

—needed to know what happened back in that cave. NO ONE.

I snuck a quick glance at Cole, expecting some kind of reaction, maybe a flinch or even the tiniest hint of awkwardness. Instead, he was the picture of composure, calm and unbothered, like nothing happened between us.

Meanwhile, I was a walking disaster, falling apart whenever he was near.

It hit me then—was I

overreacting

?

But then again, I had almost lost my virginity to him in that cave, so the natural thing to do was overreact.

Still, Cole's cool, unaffected demeanor left me feeling like the only one making a big deal out of this.

Should I have been grateful he wasn't bringing it up? Or annoyed that he was acting like nothing happened between us at all?!

Before I could unpack that emotional whirlwind, Sinclair casually spoke up. "By the way, Eve, I talked to your principal. You're allowed to take your exams this weekend. If I were you, I'd start studying while you still have a few hours left."

I groaned, slumping into my chair like a deflated balloon. "Oh, right. The exams."

While my classmates were probably done with their tests and already planning their Christmas break, I was here trying to survive an avalanche of last-minute cramming.

I could practically hear them laughing and sipping hot cocoa while I had to figure out algebra formulas and world history dates.

And now, on top of my school stress, I had to juggle avoiding Cole like he was the plague. The logistics were exhausting—dodging him in the halls, eating meals at odd hours, and pretending to be super into whatever book I happened to grab when he walked into a room.

No. I couldn't let myself get distracted by all that. Exams first, emotional breakdown later.

I crossed my arms and glared at the study materials Sinclair had conveniently left on the table. "Great. Just what I needed. More reasons to panic."

Victor shot me a pointed look. "If you spent half the energy on studying as you do on running away from Cole, you'd ace those exams."

I threw a crumpled piece of paper at him. "Not helping, Victor!"

Somehow, I was sure he was angry at me for some reason while Sinclair was enjoying this chaos way too much.