6. Talon
Talon
Banks, who watched the whole encounter and did nothing, offers me his hand. Shock and outrage simmer under my skin. I can’t believe she managed to get the upper hand on me–again–and that my body thought it was fucking hot.
“You’re in trouble now,” he chuckles.
“Dick.”
He laughs harder then, and I grumble that I’m going to call Diego. As fast as I can, I get out of the building and head toward the cafe. The day is beautiful, crisp and cool, the grounds manicured to a ridiculous perfection.
Henry smiles as I walk into the cafe, immediately transforming his face when he sees it’s me. Though, he starts my usual order as I pull the chair out at my favorite table. It sits facing the window, with my back in the corner so I can see everything.
The phone rings a few times before Diego picks up, “kid.”
“I need you to get more information on Cin Morgan,” I tell him, no need for small talk. He’s a no nonsense guy, doesn’t care for pleasantries. Much like myself.
“I’ve already given you her file.”
I grumble, “it’s not enough, there’s no way this chick doesn’t have more than a mother who travels around.”
He laughs without humor, “I’ll ask Creed for a deeper dive. What’s got your hackles up anyway?”
“Nothing.”
“So why do you need to know everything about this Cin Morgan?” Sometimes I hate that I grew up with four men who can smell bullshit.
“Because she’s…” I don’t want to tell him that she put me on my ass, shoved me because I touched her, or that my cock strained against my jeans when she did.
“A woman,” he finishes the thought for me.
“Can you get more information, or not?”
“One day kid, you’re gonna regret being such a fucking prick.”
I scoff, “that’ll be the day.”
Hanging up the phone I watch as Henry slides my to-go cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll in front of me.
He shakes his head, declining to speak to me. He was pissed about the banner and thought that I had gone too far.
Fine. He doesn’t have to speak to me. She acted like I was some fucking asshole for making sure she didn’t fall over. Pushing me into that couch like I was attacking her. The way she waltzes through campus as if the world owes her something. I can’t stand it, and now I need to do more to get her gone.
Henry will be mad at me for a while.
After eating my cinnamon roll and drinking all of my coffee I check my watch and clean my mess. Depositing my trash into the can beside the counter.
Henry makes eye contact with me when I tap my knuckles on the counter twice but still doesn’t speak.
Shrugging my shoulders, I walk out, past the two girls who have been eyeing Henry for the few seconds I stood there.
Too bad he only has eyes for Banks.
The walk to the scholar building is quick, my strides eating up the distance. My next class is one I was forced to take to finish my senior year.
I only have three classes this semester, and by June, I’ll be done with school. Thank God. I hate sitting through lectures as if the teachers know everything there is to know about whatever they teach.
My father calls us genius, but really we just don’t forget things. Toby and I have photographic memories, something that makes it almost impossible for us to forget details.
Zach calls out once I enter the room, which I ignore; instead choosing to focus on the girl in the back corner who’s with Cody. The guy who never used to give me trouble. I don’t know him well, but that’s about to change.
Approaching them, I plop down in the seat before hers. Where she’ll be forced to stare at the back of my head for sixty minutes.
Their voices die out as Zach approaches, “hey, Talon.”
I nod, unwilling to speak. If Zach doesn’t get the hint, that’s on him.
“The project Mr. Skeens is wanting us to complete in English, I figured we could partner up, since almost everyone else is taken.”
Turning my body in the chair to face him, I stare. Eyes bleak, mouth set in a firm line.
“I already have a partner.”
It’s a lie, I don’t have a partner. Mr. Skeens hasn’t even announced that we could have partners, so Zach must have heard it from the last class.
“Oh,” his face remains impassive, “that’s okay, I’ll find someone.”
I don’t respond and it takes him a few beats to figure that out. When he does, he awkwardly shuffles his feet and moves on to his desk. I don’t miss the sneer on his lips when his eyes connect with Cin.
She laughs, and the sound doesn’t immediately put me in a bad mood. Which… hell, isn’t a good sign. Cody’s whisper tells me that he too thinks the encounter Zach and I shared was uncomfortable.
Turning my body so I’m half in my seat and half out, I eye the pair. His arm is lazily draped over her shoulders, possessive maybe. Her face is a mix of delight and disdain, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s her superpower.
“And who will your partner be, Cody?”
He turns to look at Cin, and smirks, “Cinny-Mae,” he begins getting on one knee, “will you make me the happiest English partner and be mine?”
She laughs, throaty and loud, slapping his hands away and rolling her eyes. She doesn’t answer, just continues to ignore me and ham it up with Cody. They reek of hormonal angst, and a part of me, a small part, hopes it’s all coming from Cody.
I scoff and turn back around to find a few eyes on me, but most are on the two idiots behind me.
I need to remind myself that I hate her. Her laughter should irritate me, but it’s fucking intoxicating, like her scowl, and her outrage. I want to experience them all again.