Chapter 15
Emery
I hate today.
Today can go fuck itself already.
Like, seriously.
Not only did I wake up way too early, with my DHDX bracelet back on my goddamn wrist after I’d taken it off again, I also had the urge to sketch but couldn’t find my sketchbooks or my graphite set anywhere.
It was like they just noped out of my life.
I left my room looking like a tornado had spontaneously formed in it, leaving clothes and crap everywhere.
And I also haven’t been able to find Teddy anywhere. Blue and Apollo are on my bed, but the last time I had Teddy with me was at the apartment. With my sketchbooks and graphite. Which means whoever packed my bags and delivered them to my dorm didn’t pack everything.
Xavier is going to be my first point of interrogation.
Those things are mine, and I want them back.
They don’t get to take my shit. Just because I’m done with the four of them doesn’t mean I’m letting go of anything they gave me.
It’s mine. They can’t have it back. I want my Teddy back even more than the art supplies.
Even if I have to go back to the apartment to get them myself.
Knowing that, when I return to the dorm this afternoon, I will have a mess of a room waiting for me is adding to my irritation.
Also, the low-grade throbbing behind my left eye is not fantastic.
And now that I use a fucking laptop for all my note-taking, I don’t even have a notebook I can doodle in while I wait for Derek’s class to start.
The fact that I’ll be seeing that buttface in just over five minutes is also affecting my mood, I’m sure.
I don’t want to see him. It’s bad enough that every morning this week, I have left my room to find Xavier either on our couch, watching the morning news with Oakley, or sitting at our table, working with those stupid glasses he apparently needs. Which is so fucking weird for so many reasons.
Whatever.
It’s fine. Everything is fine. There is only, like, ten more weeks of classes or some shit, which means twenty more classes with Derek and ten more with Hudson, and then I literally never have to see them again.
In fact, after I clean my room this afternoon, I’m going to check my classes for next semester and see who is teaching them. If any of them are, I’ll move things around or pick other classes.
Yes.
I just have to get through this basic, minimal contact, and then I never have to see them in a scheduled setting ever again.
The door to the lecture room opens, and my attention drags to watching other students finally start to arrive. I may have power-walked here and arrived a tiny bit earlier than I’d expected, due to the anger burning in my veins.
Noise begins to fill the room, and I’ve already made the promise to myself that if any of my concussion symptoms start to show up, I’m going to dip out.
The classes are all recorded, so it’s not like I’ll miss anything.
But I prefer the in-person type of teaching; for some reason, it makes the information stick in my brain better.
Technically, I’m still supposed to be resting today, but honestly, if I stay lying in bed for even one more day, I think I might go insane.
I have never been this inactive in my life.
Besides, I’ll be sitting here, barely moving, anyway.
Not to mention the pain meds that both Oakley and Xavier watched—forced—me to take this morning.
I take a deep breath.
This bad mood needs to fuck off.
Everything is fucking fine.
“Emery!” My name cracks out through the lecture room, causing a slight dulling of the chit-chat coming from the other students, and I snap my gaze over to the jock with the flowing blond hair.
He has a concerned look on his face as he hauls ass over to where I’m sitting, crouching down in the aisle so he’s at my eye level.
What’s with him and needing to shrink himself down? Logically, I get that it’s supposed to be a way for him to make his size less threatening, but all it does is annoy me for some reason.
Will’s big hand engulfs mine where it’s resting on the table, and it takes every ounce of strength I have not to rip my hand away. “What are you doing here? I thought you were taking the whole week off. I would have met you at your dorm.”
This big golden retriever of a guy is staring at me like I’m some sort of fragile damsel and he’s my knight in shining armor. I should like this, right? His blue eyes filled with warmth and concern, laser focused on me, as if he is trying to read my micro-expressions.
With determination, I turn my hand over in his until our palms touch, and then for extra credibility, I give his hand a squeeze. “I know, sorry. I should have messaged you this morning, but I was going crazy with boredom.”
Will’s eyebrows furrow as he scans my features. “That’s okay. Do you need anything?”
I shake my head. “No, I took painkillers before I left, and I have my water bottle. And these.” I hold up Derek’s sunglasses.
He glances away for a second, then a self-deprecating smile tugs at his lips. “Sorry if I came on a little strong there. One of the guys on my team got a concussion last year, and it was brutal to watch him recover.”
This time, it’s my turn to stare at him with concern. “Is he okay?”
“Nothing can take the Tank down!” Vinnie butts in as he pushes past Will and crashes into the seat behind me. “Hey, Nicholas.”
Turning in my chair, I glare at him with the full disgust that I feel. “Absolutely not.”
He smirks, white teeth practically glinting as brightly as the diamond stud in his ear. “No good?”
I shake my head. “Unless you want me to use the nickname Oakley came up with for you, I suggest you call me Emery.”
Curiosity morphs his flirty features. “She gave me a nickname?”
“Sure did,” I reply, already feeling giddy at his inevitable reaction.
“I don’t want to know what it is, do I?”
Ah, maybe he’s smarter than I gave him credit for. “It will not boost your ego, no.”
He takes a moment to ponder. “I think I want to hear it from her.”
Laughing, I turn back to face the front as the doors open and Justin walks in. Alone.
My heart sinks into my stomach.
The way I stare at the door, waiting for it to open one more time, is a little embarrassing. But it never does.
With numb fingers, I reach for my laptop and jab at the keyboard with one hand to type in my password, not really hearing anything that is happening around me. At some point, Will must have taken his seat next to Vinnie.
“For those of you not in attendance on Monday, Professor King has stepped away from teaching this class. He will oversee all assessments, exams, and grades, however I will be conducting the lectures. Moving forward, if you need out-of-office hours, you will need to book them with me. You will find me in the TA’s office on Friday mornings, from nine to eleven.
” The lights dim and the screen behind Justin lights up with today’s lecture slides.
My eyes are aimed in Justin’s direction, but I don’t see him.
I don’t even hear him. Static has filled my brain.
Derek isn’t teaching this class? Something scratches at the back of my mind, like this isn’t new information, but I can’t grasp on to it.
It’s all jumbled up with everything from the weekend, which is honestly one big bowl of soup in my brain.
Did Derek leave because of me? Can he not stand to even be in the same room as me and several hundred other people? The thought is like a bullet to my chest.
Tears burn the backs of my eyes and my laptop screen goes blurry.
Why didn’t he tell me, instead of just ghosting the entire class? He could have told me on Monday at the hospital. Or had Xavier tell me. Or sent a text.
Anything but leaving me to find out in a room full of people.
Why am I even sad about this?
Inhaling and exhaling through my nose, I have to swallow several times before the muscles in my throat relax. I’m not quite able to blink back the tears, so as casually as I can manage, I reach up and rub underneath both eyes before I slump down in my seat, pretending to try and get comfortable.
No. This is fine. This is good, actually.
Perfect, really.
Now I never have to see him again.
It’s exactly what I want.