Chapter 22 #2
“No,” I said, shoving at his chest as a random burst of anger hit me.
Like all of my frustration and rage over everything that’d happened over the last two weeks was coming to another head.
River rocked back a step. “No, that’s not good enough.
Half my Chain was almost wiped out! What the fuck were you doing in that hallway? !”
River blinked at me, then looked up into the trees. He chewed his lip before speaking. “I was looking for my dad.”
My pounding heart slowed just slightly. I’d never bothered asking River about his family. I tried thinking back to our last conversation, during Health class before he’d stormed off after Carla. He’d told me he had something stupid coming up, then told me about his dad.
“The Telepath?” I asked.
River’s jaw clenched, then he nodded.
Wyatt’s dad was a complete asshole and he was also a Telepath. I could only imagine what River had been through if he thought telepathy was supposed to hurt.
I stepped in closer, reaching out for River’s hand. He didn’t pull away, so I took his hand in both of mine. He winced, rubbing his free hand across the back of his head.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He started to nod, then stopped. His throat bobbed. “Headache.”
“Does that happen a lot?” I asked.
River’s blue eyes jumped back and forth between mine while he shook his head.
“Did it hurt when I looked at the map?” I asked, feeling like part of me would die if he said yes.
River shook his head again, this time almost imperceptibly. His hand flexed in mine.
“You’re the only Telepath I’ve ever met that doesn’t hurt,” he murmured.
The air shifted.
Another breeze blew through the trees, the rustling of the branches filling the charged space between us.
River lifted his hand, still in mine, and settled it back on my cheek.
His thumb caressed my cheekbone, making my eyelashes flutter.
My body was hyper aware of his warm hand on my cold cheek, the heat seeming to spread through me from that point outward.
“Why?” he asked. “Why doesn’t it hurt?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, and then a thought hit me. “Have you ever done your Link-testing?”
The tension popped.
River went rigid before pulling away, his movements so sudden I almost stumbled, not having realized I was leaning into him so hard.
“River?” I prompted, my voice a bit shaky.
He ran a hand over his face, then shook his head. “You think this is just biology?”
My stomach dropped.
“What? No.” I shook my head. “No, I don’t. I just think…maybe it would explain–”
“You think all those Links of yours are only with you because they have to be?” He sneered, looking me up and down as if he were disgusted with me. Nausea churned my stomach as he laughed humorlessly. “God, you’re…whatever.”
“I’m what?” I cried. “You want to know why I’m not hurting you. It could be an affinity thing. My Links can’t hurt me–”
“Have they ever tried?” River ground out.
“Have you?” I snapped.
River jerked back as if I’d slapped him. “What are you talking about?”
I threw my head back, spinning in a circle as I groaned. “You punched the wall next to my fucking head! Then almost made my ears bleed, then kept cornering me in the hallway. And now, for some fucking reason, you’re mad at me even though you’re the one associated with a cult–”
My rant cut off mid-sentence when I turned to find River was gone.
Just…disappeared.
I groaned in frustration again.
I hadn’t felt this stupid in a long time. I was surrounded by men, and somehow still didn’t know anything about how to interact with them.
I felt awful, but I ditched Willow and Mia. I sent them a text to let them know the talk with River didn’t go well, and then I teleported back to the dorm and headed to the kitchen.
River knew I could teleport. He’d seen me teleport at the gala. I’d gone inside his mind to see that map of the Palace so I could save Rafe and Wyatt, and…
And yet, the fucker asked if everyone was okay? Why didn’t he ask about the teleporting?
I stopped my stomping in the middle of the media room, my eyes wide and unseeing as I remembered something else from the gala.
River had called me Phantom.
He knew about my telekinesis.
He knew about my telekinesis and teleportation affinities, and he asked…if. Everyone. Was. Okay?
“Ugh!” I cried.
I stomped the rest of the way into the kitchen, freezing when I came face to face with one of my Links. Aiden stood in front of the open fridge, drinking the gross extra pulpy orange juice straight from the carton.
I narrowed my eyes at that. I was pretty sure that wasn’t Aiden’s juice.
“Hey, baby,” he said happily. “Everything alright?”
I scowled. He’d obviously heard me.
“No, everything is not alright,” I said, speaking fast. “A hot dickhead knows about my secret affinities and is involved in this maybe-evil cult with my maybe-evil dad, and he just had his hand on my face like he gives a fuck about me, and then he asked if everyone was okay like he gives a fuck about y’all, and–”
Aiden was suddenly right in front of me, his happy demeanor gone.
“Who had his hand on your face?”
It took me three tries to swallow correctly.
Aiden cupped my cheek, forcing my head back to look him in the eye.
“Someone touched you like this?”
I closed my eyes, nodding just barely.
“Who?”
“River,” I whispered like I’d been compelled. “I went to ask him how he was, and we…had a moment?”
When I opened my eyes, Aiden’s eyebrows were so high, they disappeared under his red waves.
“First of all, you’re in trouble. You’re not supposed to be letting anyone touch you,” Aiden said. My jaw dropped. “Second, you had a moment. With River Mac. Who’s probably involved in the maybe-evil cult with your maybe-evil dad?”
I batted Aiden’s hand away from me. “Did I not just say that?”
“Okay, forgive me for being confused. When the fuck did River Mac become someone you have moments with?” Aiden followed me as I tried to escape down the hall. “If you teleport away from me, I’m gonna spank your ass.”
I came to an abrupt stop right inside the bedroom, sending a glare over my shoulder.
Aiden grinned. “Just kidding. But talk to me, baby. What’s going on?” He grabbed my arm, pulling me into a hug. I growled playfully as he swung me back and forth, dragging my feet across the tile.
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “Mia doesn’t trust him.”
“You like him?” Aiden asked.
“Fuck no,” I whispered.
Aiden snorted. “That sounded believable. So you want him to leave you alone?”
“Fuck no,” I repeated, squeezing my eyes shut. “I asked if he’d done his Link-testing and he got so pissed.”
“Oh, he’s definitely one of your Links. What a dumbass. He should’ve been tested when he came to the academy, though.” Aiden furrowed his brow.
“Maybe he has an issue with his testing like I did,” I said.
“Well, you know we have an in with the counseling team,” Aiden said, kissing my nose. “You going to class?”
I scoffed. “No, why?”
“I miss you,” he said in a small voice.
I chuckled, kissing his nose. “We live together.”
“Yeah, but your other Links are around all the time to piss us off. We haven’t had too much alone time.”
Aiden pouted, and although I knew he was joking, some part of me felt guilty.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, cupping his cheek. “What do you need from me, angel?”
“Wanna take a shower with me?”
My skin grew warm, and I nodded as Aiden grinned.