Sloane instinctively shrank back.
She didn't want to plead for him.
It put her in an awful position, and she feared the professors would hold it against her.
And then there was Claire—the underclassman was entirely too difficult to handle.
She certainly wouldn't let Sloane off the hook just because she happened to know her grandfather.
Just as expected, a glint flashed in Claire's eyes when she noticed Levi looking toward Sloane. "Why are you looking at Sloane?"
"Does she have something to do with the rumors?"
"Are you hoping she'll go to the cafeteria and apologize alongside you?"
"I certainly wouldn't mind an extra apology, but I'm not sure if she would agree to it."
Levi was rendered speechless.
When had he ever said that?
Her reading of the situation was completely twisted.
Sloane's expression darkened.
She instinctively glanced at Levi.
Did he really intend to drag her down with him?
"Stop talking nonsense. I didn't ask her to come with me," Levi snapped.
"She has absolutely nothing to do with this."
"Are you just jealous of her? Is that why you're always picking fights?"
Levi was convinced that Claire's actions were driven by sheer jealousy-why else would she pull such a stunt to reject Sloane's invitation?
"What exactly do I have to be jealous of?" Claire stared at him, genuinely doubting his intelligence.
She honestly wondered how he had managed to get into The Cabinda University.
Stepping forward, Sloane adopted a soft tone. "Claire, is there some kind of misunderstanding between us?"
"I really..."
Levi cut her off before she could finish. "Exactly. She didn't know anything about it." "Don't try to drag her into this. I'll apologize. I even agreed to do it in the cafeteria."
Just moments ago he had been stalling, but the second Sloane's name was brought into the fray, he instantly surrendered.
Claire gave him a meaningful look. "I don't think I've ever seen someone quite so devoted."
Levi stiffened, feeling the distinct sting of her sarcasm, though he couldn't exactly prove it.
In the past, he would have boldly declared his feelings, but right now, he was terrified of upsetting Sloane.
But why couldn't she just say a word in his defense?
The mere thought of apologizing in the cafeteria left him feeling sick to his stomach.
Claire feigned perfect innocence. "You're completely misunderstanding me."
"Why would I ever try to drag her down?"
"Aren't you the one doing that?"
Was she trying to drive a wedge between them?
Levi's face hardened, refusing to take the bait. "I would never do that to her! Stop talking out of your ass!"
Claire raised an eyebrow. "Oh? But
by twisting the truth like this, arenet
you throwing her reputation right under the bus?"
"Once you make that public apology, the entire school will know that she invited me and I turned her down."
"And they'll know that on the day of her birthday party, I was at the venue, but I wasn't there for her."
"When you string all of that together, people might just get the crazy idea that she's petty-that she held a grudge against me for rejecting her, and that's why she had you spread those rumors."
He wanted to scream.
Levi was consumed by a blinding fury.
"She didn't! She's not like that!"
"Stop twisting the facts, Claire!"
Claire just smiled at him. "Getting a little defensive, aren't we?"
"Did I hit a nerve?"
Her words were perfectly calculated to infuriate him.
Sloane bit her lower lip. "I didn't do anything, Claire. Please don't make things up."
"I invited you because I genuinely wanted to be friends. Why ever ask
someone to spret
rumors
about you?
"Are you just accusing me of this because you don't like me?"
Sloane looked the picture of heartbreaking innocence.
Seeing that devastated expression on her face made Levi's chest ache with protective anger.
It looked as though he was ready to lunge forward and tear someone apart.