Chapter 7
Idressed in my uniform then started on laundry from the day before.
I never minded picking up, mostly to spare the maid from having to do it.
Rosalind Lent didn’t live here, and she wasn’t seeing her sons very much at the moment.
Still, she paid for them to be comfortable, which meant I benefited from her generosity with her children.
It didn’t mean I had to make things harder for the staff. Instead, I tried to make their lives easier, hoping they would be less likely to get rid of me.
I shook my head. Jules said we were forever, but was I not capable of comprehending that time, or did I not believe him?
Barrett poured a mug of the coffee I’d brewed when I entered the kitchen. After a glance at me, he said, “I know it’s the same outfit every day, but I’m never going to get enough of you in it.”
I hugged him, only blushing a little at his compliment. “Okay, so today you have Intro to Con Law at eight, Philosophical Foundations of Justice at ten-thirty, and Music and the American Experience at six p.m.” I made a face after I said the last one. “It’s your late night.”
He rocked with me, just slightly, almost dancing with me in the kitchen. “Yes, my late night. I’ll be off all afternoon while you‘re busy then just when you get home, I leave. Still, I’ll be home by ten, so if you went to bed early, I promise to crawl into the room quietly.”
It wasn’t the first time we had the conversation, because it came up ever since he got his schedule. “It’s your bedroom. I’m not going to go to bed in your room, especially if it might keep you from being able to use it.”
He kissed my nose. “Sweetheart, it’s our room now, not my room. The others barely use their rooms, if you haven’t noticed. If I need some kind of space when I get home to do something, I can use Jeremy’s room. I don’t care about the space anymore, just that you’re nearby.”
We sipped our coffee, and I glowed under his attention, so I cleared my throat. “Okay, well, I’m not sure I buy it, but we’ll see.”
“You’re sweet to care. I will be looking forward to bed.” He frowned. “So last night I couldn’t get a few thoughts out of my head. I ended up playing the piano for a little while so I could think.”
I took a deep breath to get a good whiff of his scent, hoping to keep it with me all day. “Yeah, I saw you.”
He blinked. “You did?”
“Yep. You must have been pretty heavily concentrating to miss me watching.”
He nodded, his gaze going distant. “Right. So, I cleared my head and went back to my homework, but I have thoughts about Collins.”
I scrunched up my nose. “Yuck. Really?”
“Right?” Barrett laughed. “Listen, Collins should be long gone, and I don’t know why she hasn’t retired.
People don’t get to stay at the school if they’re mean to the kids, normally, since we’re rich and entitled.
Yet she is still there and has been forever, which means someone or something must be protecting her.
Due to that, please be careful, even if it might be impossible not to trigger her.
I don’t know our best options, and I hate not knowing, but we are protected.
Nothing will happen to the Lents unless our secret comes out, but you’re a different matter.
You’re not a scholarship kid, but your family won’t protect you.
If she figures that out, I don’t know how we’ll be able to protect you from her.
” He kissed my nose again. “But I’ll figure this out, and then I’m going to stop her. ”
I tugged on his shirt. “Not your job, lawyer. Your job is to go learn something and have some fun.”
He shrugged. “I have many jobs. See you tonight.” He winked at me as he left.
I caught my breath, realizing it was my first time actually alone in their apartment. Usually, the space seemed filled with their energy, noise, and it seemed bizarrely empty without them.
Like right after the holidays, I thought, when the decorations come down and everything seems just a little drabber and dull.
With a half hour until I should leave, I headed into the living room and thought about watching the television. Soreness in my arms from swimming made me stretch, and I sighed.
The door opened and closed behind me and I turned, wondering what Barrett could’ve forgotten. But it wasn’t him. My breath caught in my throat, shock jerking through me in an adrenaline hit. Phoenix lurked in the doorway, disheveled as all hell, red-eyed, and looking worse than I had ever seen him.
I rushed to him but stopped just short of throwing my arms around him. Not only did he smell like smoke, his body language spoke volumes—leave me alone.
I read the message, and I controlled myself.
We stared at each other, not speaking, because I worried so much about him, even if he didn’t want me to touch him. Finally, I couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” He lifted an eyebrow, the derision in his expression hitting like acid.
A question instead of an answer. Deflection. I might not know what was wrong, but I knew he wasn’t just tired.
“Is something wrong? Did I do something?” I asked. The big change is me, so I must be the problem.
He ran a hand through his dark hair, his dark eyes wounded as he seemed to realize my fears. “No, you didn’t do anything. I hung out with friends last night, no biggie. I’m allowed. It’s not like I have a bedtime. Do I have to, what, check in with you and get permission before I go somewhere?”
Ouch. I stepped back, his point hitting me squarely in the ego.
None of them needed to answer to me, and he wasn’t wrong.
As soon as I was out of his way, he stormed to the back of the house.
My heart beat so fast I could hear it thrum in my ears.
He usually wasn’t so cruel, not even when we didn’t know one another and he stole my wallet.
The shower came on from his room, and I jerked at the noise.
Snagging my backpack, I decided I didn’t want to stick around for him to tell me off again. I would just go to school early, sit outside, and wait to get into the building. Better than waiting here with Phoenix, anyway.
I kept my head down and my heart sat firmly in my stomach as I tried to think of what I did to deserve his attitude. Did he just hate going to school with me? Was I annoying or something?
I kept my head down the entire walk, only paying attention to the red and green indicators before crossing roads. The guys hardly paid attention to them, instead seeming to instinctively know it was time to go or stop, but I wasn’t that well versed in traffic.
When I made it to school, others milled around talking to one another. The sound of wheels behind me on the sidewalk made me turn around quickly, so I wouldn’t be run over.
Abruptly, the skateboard stopped in front of me, and I looked up at Phoenix. His wet hair and half tied tie made me think he rushed.
“What the fuck, Alatheia. You couldn’t wait for me?”
Are you serious? For a second, I considered not answering him, gaping like a startled fish. Then my fury caught up to my mouth.
“Why would I wait for you after you said those things to me?” I shook my head. “Why would I stand there and wait to take more?”
He threw his hands in the air. “What? I didn’t say anything that awful. I think maybe you’re being—”
I put out my hand to stop him and he actually instantly went silent.
“You were mean. Cruel. You treated me like a Poor Relation, and you know you did, because you did it on purpose. Whatever you intended to say, you can stop right there. Don’t belittle us both or bother trying to gaslight me.
You owe me nothing, which you made clear today.
I don’t even deserve a text back when I’m worried about you. ”
Phoenix’s facade seemed to crumble right then, outside of Pullman, where we stood on the street. I swallowed, not allowing myself to feel bad for him, despite his raw and bare expression. He was an asshole, I reminded myself.
“You hurt me,” I finished.
Then I turned my back on him and headed toward the stairs.
“Alatheia,” his voice caught me, so I turned around. “I’m sorry, Red. I don’t know…why I did that.”
“I don’t know why you did, either.” I popped the earbuds Barrett gave me in my ears to end the conversation. I would listen to music for a while, tune him out.
He grabbed my arm. “Can we talk about this?”
I shook my head. “I need some time. I don’t really want to talk to you right now, not after I spent the whole night afraid.
I suppose I’ll reach a point where I’ll just be able to keep on keeping on the way that your brothers do when you spend the night at Jo’s or whatever.
Until then, I won’t bother you with my expectations. I’ll leave you alone.”
I spun and left him outside, pretending I had somewhere to go. Looking busy was a great way to avoid facing being alone, a lesson I learned a long time ago.
I managed to find my classroom, take my seat, and keep my head down. The musician we planned to see Friday night wailed in my ears, and I hoped to keep her there until I absolutely had to remove the headphones.
As I pulled out my laptop, Phoenix knocked on my desk, grabbing my attention.
I stared up at him, shocked he would proceed with our argument in class.
He leaned close to say, “Please don’t leave me alone.” His gaze implored me. “Please don’t. You are not and will never be the Poor Relation to me. Not ever. I spent the night at Joe’s because I can’t face all of this. I can’t do another year of this. I don’t know if I can make it.”
The rest of the class settled into their seats, and Tiffany grabbed my arm. “More to show you. You sure you don’t think it sucks?”
I mumbled something like of course not but I kept my gaze on Phoenix. To him, I said, “Going to Joe’s doesn’t fix that. We had Chinese food. Julian finished his play. Barrett played the piano. Jer fell asleep in front of the television. Maybe being with us would have helped.”