26. CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 26
Nic
We scuff through the light snow, Haz whistling Christmas tunes and pretending she isn’t freezing her ass off in only a t-shirt.
Not a soul passes us as we enter the student village, walking along its silent, slippery cobbles. Wish it could be like this all the time.
I know there’s people still around, the unloved like me and Haz, the international students who don’t celebrate Christmas anyway.
Ludwig House appears locked up tight. We press all the buzzers but no one answers. That’s alright. No point being friends with the chancellor’s daughter’s best friend if I can’t call in a favour occasionally. And the less prying eyes the better.
Delving into my pocket, I pull out a manual key for the house.
I owe you one, Blakely.
Haz looks around as we enter. ‘This was Elly’s old digs, right?’
‘Yup.’
The heating’s off and it’s just as cold inside as it is out. We walk up to the third floor, unlock the flat there then hunt the doors until we find the number 6.
I knock first, knowing there won’t be a reply. It’s silent as a tomb in here; only the exit lights had been on when we entered.
As I stick the master key in the lock, Haz sighs happily beside me. ‘Love me a bit of B I’ve got no excuse.
Haz continues to glare as she rethreads her belt.
Then her face clears and a smirk forms instead. ‘Hey, can I join?’
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say no. Sharing is more their thing. I don’t like the divided attention. But I’m already feeling shitty enough over Elly. That I hadn’t known all that was going on. I don’t want to be a bad friend to this one too.
And it’s not like Skylar will protest. She’ll be fucking thrilled.
‘Fine. Just because it’s Christmas.’
‘Hell yes!’ Haz bounces on the balls of her feet. ‘I fucking love Christmas!’