Just a Little Heartache (The Brotherhood #5) - Merry Farmer Page 0,46

when he smiled from his heart and knew the way his nostrils flared when he was about to come. It was clear as day to him that, underneath the bright smile, Blake was miserable. But that only made Niall’s heart break more.

“And now to announce the winners of this semester’s academic competitions,” the dean said from the podium on the stage. “We’ll begin with the Classics exam. Professor Carroll.” The dean turned to the row of faculty sitting behind him and gestured for Professor Carroll to come forward.

Niall had forgotten about the exam. It seemed like ages ago that he’d suffered his way through it, daydreaming and unable to concentrate.

A ripple of excitement ran through the graduating students as Professor Carroll reached the podium and cleared his throat. An underclassman brought him a long, flat case.

“Gentlemen, I was pleased with the marks you all earned on this exam,” Professor Carroll began. “There were many valiant efforts in the essay portion especially, and it was difficult for me to choose from among the top scorers. But in the end, one student rose above the rest.” He paused, and several of the graduating students leaned forward. “And that student is Blake Williamson, Lord Stanley.”

The auditorium burst into applause. On the other side, a woman’s cheer stood out above the others, and Annamarie Cannon leapt out of her chair enthusiastically as the audience, including Niall, rose to their feet for a standing ovation. Somewhere in front of him, Niall could have sworn he heard Ian cry, “No!” Blake rose and stepped forward as their classmates congratulated him and thumped him on the back. He was delayed in his progress toward the stage to accept his award as more of his friends stepped up to shake his hand.

“That man is blessed,” the student sitting next to Niall laughed as Blake crossed the stage to Professor Carroll. Blake’s face was pale and drawn, even though he smiled and nodded to the audience. When Niall turned to the man next to him, he went on with, “He scores the lead role in your play, graduates with top honors, wins the Classics prize, takes home the football trophy, and ends up engaged to an American millioniaress. And he’s handsome and charming on top of all that. I’ve never known anyone whose life is so blessed.”

Niall hummed in agreement and applauded distractedly as Professor Carroll took the medallion Ian had been so keen on out of its box and looped it around Blake’s neck. Blake smiled modestly at the audience and bowed a few times, but Niall could tell he was in hell. He glanced to his father, acknowledging the man with a somber bow, but as far as Niall could tell, he avoided looking at his fiancée entirely.

As he turned to hurry off the stage and back to his seat, Blake’s eyes met Niall’s. Blake nearly stumbled over the hem of his robe. His smile vanished entirely for half a second before he plastered it back into place. Only then did Niall realize his own expression was as hard as iron. It matched the steely feeling in his chest. He glanced away, pretending to focus on taking his seat again, and kept his gaze averted until he was certain Blake was seated and not looking at him. Once the dean resumed his place at the podium to announce other awards, Niall peeked at the back of Blake’s head.

He continued to stare at the back of Blake’s head, eyes narrowed, through the rest of the interminable ceremony. Try as he did to hate Blake with everything he had in him, he couldn’t. He loved Blake as passionately as ever. He felt every one of Blake’s impassioned I love you’s, scrawled messily on a crisp piece of paper, as intensely as he knew Blake felt them. But there was no point in it anymore. There was no use dreaming about what would never be either.

The second the ceremony was finished, Niall rose from his seat and bolted up the aisle, dodging fellow students, faculty, and the family of graduates as he went. It hadn’t dawned on him to wonder whether his father had come to the ceremony, though it would have been a stretch for anyone in his family to make the trip. It seemed only fitting that he was alone in what should have been a moment of triumph.

It was his intention to break away from the auditorium and to leave the building before anyone he knew could