15. Hayden
Pete and Terry flanked me the moment I stepped out of my English lit class. They’d been on edge all day. And not for no reason.
I’d been right about the kiss with Cáel. The entire campus was buzzing. The reaction was a mixture. A fair amount of disgust. A healthy dose of jealousy. And more than a few crude comments, always whispered when none of the guys were around.
Wren gave me a small wave as she headed down the hallway, the action making her hair swing and exposing the scar on her cheek. She glanced warily at the two enforcers. “You’ll be okay?”
I nodded. “Not going to let a bunch of prudes get me down.”
Her lips gave the faintest twitch. “Good. See you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be the one wearing the scarlet A.”
Wren just shook her head and took off down the hall.
Pete, Terry, and I made our way through the half-crowded halls. I ignored everyone in my path until someone stepped directly in front of me.
I came up short, my gaze jerking upward, and then I sighed with relief. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
And what a sight he was. Dark-wash jeans that hugged his hips and skimmed his muscular thighs. A white T-shirt that hinted at the defined muscles I knew lay below.
Knox took the backpack from my shoulder and slung it over his own. Then he pulled me to him, brushing his lips across mine. “We need more classes together. I missed you all day.”
I melted into him. “I’m starting to wonder if I can switch to online classes.”
He grimaced. “That bad today?”
“Not the greatest.” I pulled back. “Do not tell Cáel.”
The last thing we needed was him getting expelled because he slit someone’s throat for scowling at me.
“I solemnly swear,” Knox promised. He kissed me again. “But I’m really sorry. We don’t have to do anything today. We can just go home and?—”
“No. I could use a little dose of normal.”
Knox grinned at me. “Good. I was thinking I could take you shopping, and then we could grab dinner.”
My face scrunched. “Shopping?”
He chuckled as he wrapped an arm around me and guided me toward the building’s exit. “I thought girls loved shopping.”
“I think that gene skipped me.” Maybe it was just that I’d never had any practice.
“Cill mentioned that you’ll need something for the cocktail party on Saturday. I thought you might feel more comfortable if you picked it out yourself.”
My stomach pitched. The cocktail party. The fucking council making me meet the hordes of their choosing.
“If I wear a garbage bag, maybe the other dragons will leave right away.”
Knox pressed a kiss to my temple. “You’d still be the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen.”
My mouth curved. “I think you’re biased.”
“Never.” He pulled me tighter against him. “We don’t have to go shopping. I just thought you might want to have that bit of control.”
“No, you’re right. It might help. Like armor.”
“Exactly.”
I stretched up on my tiptoes to kiss the underside of his jaw. “Thanks for knowing me.”
“I’m a quick study.”
As we stepped out into the sunshine, we almost collided with someone.
“Sorry,” Knox said.
Professor Brent glared at us, his expression colder than I’d ever seen it. That frigid stare landed on me for a beat more than was appropriate, but my advisor didn’t say a word.
Finally, Knox simply guided us around him and toward the familiar X5. “I really don’t like that guy.”
“You and me both,” I muttered.
Knox opened the passenger door for me. “You can request an advisor change.”
“I’m going to as soon as I’m done with his psych class. I don’t want him to give me a bad grade because he’s pissed I asked for someone else.”
Knox’s mouth thinned. “We’ve got months left in the semester.”
“I can deal with him until then.” I hoped I could, anyway.
“Tell me if it gets worse.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded. I didn’t trust my voice not to give away my lie.
Knox closed the door, letting the enforcers know where we were headed so that they could follow. In a matter of seconds, he was behind the wheel, and we were on our way toward downtown.
I glanced over at Knox, just taking in his beauty for a moment. The light brown hair with golden highlights. The green eyes with flecks of gold. The jaw that could cut glass.
“You’re staring.”
I grinned. “I like staring at you.”
Knox took my hand, weaving our fingers together and resting it on his thigh. The action felt so normal. So comforting.
“How are things with you and Easton?”
It was the wrong thing to ask. Knox’s easygoing expression turned stormy.
“They’re fine.” But the words came through gritted teeth.
I squeezed Knox’s fingers. “I don’t want to be the reason for you two fighting.”
“You’re not. East being a stubborn ass is the reason for us fighting.”
“He’s scared, Knox. You said that yourself.”
“He might be, but at some point, we have to stop excusing his fucked-up behavior because of it.” Knox swung into a parking spot, his gaze coming to me. The flecks of gold were brighter, swirling in the green depths. “You almost died because of him. I can’t just sweep that under the rug.”
“Knox—”
“I can’t, Hayden.”
I let out a long breath. “Okay. Just hear him out when you’re ready to talk. Promise me?”
Knox’s jaw worked back and forth. “All right.”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“He doesn’t deserve your loyalty,” Knox grumbled.
“I’m not doing it for him. I’m doing it for you.”
Knox stilled, his eyes burning. “Don’t know how I got so lucky to find you.”
“Me either,” I whispered.
A door slammed next to us, breaking the moment.
Knox kissed me again. “Come on. Let’s go get you a hell of a dress.”