26. Chapter 26
Chapter twenty-six
Bexley
G rumbling, I can't hide the disdain from my face as I ring the doorbell. There's only one small consolation to me voluntarily coming to this hellhole, and somehow, I manage to crack a smile when the door swings over and I'm tackled by Soph.
"I'm sorry!"
"Can't… breathe," I choke out.
She pulls back with a sheepish grin. "Sorry— again ."
After begrudgingly agreeing to unblock Tai's number, I had no choice but to admit I was at the mercy of the curriculum. I'm still not entirely sure why algebra requires us to partner up. Even more confusing is the so-called project that's now been assigned to us. Each pair has been issued with an equation to solve. I miss the days where mathematics didn't include the alphabet, and for a split second, I was certain that we'd probably be able to just solve the equation on our own—but I was wrong.
If I had to bet money on it, this bullshit series of numbers is more complex than at first glance. Not only are there at least two dozen steps to complete it, I'm almost certain that the equation in itself is unsolved. But we still have to work through the series of steps to find some definitive answer that we both agree on. Trying to come to a consensus with Tai… that will be the real test.
"So, this is your house," I mutter awkwardly, gazing up at the two—no, wait—three storey home. Well, it's not so much of a house as it is a mansion. It's even bigger than Rylan's place, and once again, I find myself a little annoyed that these men continue to dazzle in luxury and rub it in our faces like a weapon.
In other circumstances, I would have firmly stated that we stay at the academy to work on the project. There's no way in hell I'd let Tai into my house. But apparently, the academy decided to limit access to facilities outside of school hours. But I'm not stupid—I'd easily guess that it's to stop Cedar students from snooping around or being on grounds unsupervised.
As I said, the only consolation to agreeing to come here is that I have Sophia present as a witness in case I accidentally murder her twin brother. I'm still in dumb disbelief that I managed to befriend the one person that's tied to the three men that serve to make my life a living hell. Talk about luck.
Speaking of the Devil, he trots down the staircase with practiced ease, locking eyes with me from over the top of Soph.
"Spencer. A pleasant sight as always."
"It's as pleasant as a pap smear," I grumble, Soph snorting as I waltz past her. I'm keen to just get this over with. The less amount of time I need to be around him, the better.
Swinging my bag dangerously high, I nearly manage to connect with his precious face. He doesn't flinch though, just grinning at me like he's caught a mouse in a trap.
"Follow me. We can study in my room."
I don't immediately follow, instead turning to Soph. "You'll be nearby, right?"
She nods, words cut off as Tai gapes at us, offended.
"I'm not going to cause bodily harm," he protests.
"I might," I quickly answer, squeezing his sister's shoulder for good measure—a silent plea at making sure I don't leave here in handcuffs. Normally, I'd like being cuffed… just not under these circumstances.
He grumbles under his breath, leading the way as we climb the stairs. I gaze around, taking in the pastels—well, it's mainly just a lot of white. I guess Willowbrook Wolves never change colors. It's no secret that his father is an esteemed alumnus, making Tai and Sophia legacies. They care about their dumb rollcall as much as they do their funding.
But his house is so eerily different to Rylan's. Even though Max Astor is a Wolf too, their house still felt homey . There were pictures lining the walls, the smell of floral accents, and welcoming furniture. This house reminds me of a museum—cleaner than any building I've ever seen, smelling horribly of disinfectant, and not a single trace of livelihood. There's no pictures, not even any artwork on the pale white walls. It's as if they forgot to decorate it, and someone just cleans vigorously all day.
My stomach clenches at the smell and color. Flashbacks of the hospital spring to mind, and when Tai disappears through a doorway, I have to take a small breath to steady myself. But when I walk in, preparing to face more blank canvases, I'm surprised to find the opposite.
If you showed me a picture of Tai's bedroom next to a photograph of any other communal room in this house, I'd never know they were in close proximity. Where the walls are bare downstairs, Tai has photos, artwork and trophies lining around the room. My eyes fall to a large black and white canvas on the far wall, the charcoal streaks of wax pastel weave into shapes—the face of a beautiful woman.
Throwing himself into his computer chair, he swings around to face me, frowning at my hovering figure by the door. "You can come in. I don't bite. Well, not unless you ask nicely of course."
Ripping my eyes away from the canvas, I cross the room, sitting in the second chair on the other side of the computer desk. It's clear that it's not its usual place, and I'm silently thankful for the hospitality. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
"Have you looked over the equation yet?" I ask, dumping my workbooks and notes onto the desk.
"I figured you could just do it all for us."
Scratch that. It's going to be bad.
"I'm not doing the project solo," I snap. "You might have a free ride to graduation, but I don't."
"Chill, Spencer. I was just kidding. It's a joke, not a dick. Don't take it so hard."
My eyes snap up, face awash with frustration. He just grins in response, leaning back in his chair like he doesn't have a care in the world.
"And what does that mean?" I ask sternly, reading between the lines.
Tai cocks an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean, sweet Bexley?"
I might not know how to do this algebra equation yet, but I can add things together. The smug smile, the dancing eyes—a lot can be said about someone's facial expressions. And clearly, Tai knows. It doesn't take a psychiatrist to figure out he's taunting me with unspoken secrets.
"Get over it," I answer sharply. "What's done is done."
He leans forward, folding his arms on the desk. "I'm intrigued though. Tell me this—how did you manage to woo Ry?"
Sitting down, I ignore him, adjusting the workbooks so they are all symmetrical on the desk. Picking up my pen, I finally glance up, expressionless.
"Have you looked at the project?" I ask again.
Tai grins, folding his arms. "No, I haven't."
"Well, we may as well start there," I reply, annoyed.
Putting the project paper front and center, I pretend to examine the jumbled mess of numbers and letters. Fuck—there's brackets too. I feel like this is the one time that PEDMAS is going to fail me. Why teach us one thing just to have it completely contradicted later on in a different subject? Academic torture at its finest.
"I'm going to assume this relates to trigonometric functions somehow," I start. "It doesn't say outright that we're finding an angle, but Valkov has probably snuck it in there somewhere. Do you have a scientific calculator?"
When he doesn't answer, I glance up, ready to give him a good tongue lashing at his lack of interest. But instead, I find him staring at the paper, looking almost green.
Frowning, I put my pen down. "What's wrong? Are you that repulsed by my presence that you're on the verge of vomiting?"
"I hate math," he whispers painfully.
The tone is almost pathetic, full of indication that the Tai Beckett is on the edge of a nervous breakdown, that I nearly laugh.
"I don't like it either," I admit. "So, maybe Valkov was onto something when pairing people up. Suffer together, you know?"
Tai looks up. "We're going to fail, Bexley. This was a mistake."
What the hell is going on? There's something off-putting about his sudden change of behavior. But regardless of whatever crisis he is going through, I don't have it in me to fail. Not after everything else that has happened. The very least I can do is graduate after I lay Mom to rest. I still haven't sorted out the whole funeral mess, but I'll be damned if I don't pass senior year and fully implode my life into irreparable despair.
"We're not going to fail," I say firmly. "We have two weeks to finish this. It's not the end of the world. Truthfully, I don't think there's even a correct answer. We just need to show our working out process."
He doesn't answer, just remains frozen. Seconds continue to pass and part of me wonders if this is some type of ploy to catch me off guard. But the longer the silence takes hold, I start to genuinely panic that he's having some medical emergency and may need to get Soph to assist.
"Snap out of it." I wave my hand in front of his face.
A little head shake is all I get in reply. Sighing, I'm about ready to give up when there's a knock on the door.
Turning my head, an older woman walks in, carrying a tray of cookies.
"I thought you might like a study snack," she beams, pausing once she catches sight of Tai. "What's wrong, Bear?"
Her words seem to snap him out of his trance, cheeks reddening slightly as he gazes at her in alarm. "Nothing!"
She looks at me, offering a warm smile. "Is he doing mathematics? Poor child can code all day but the moment he has to multiply—" she trails off, laughing softly.
The tray gets set down on the edge of the desk, my stomach grumbling at the smell of freshly baked cookies. Holy fuck—they look amazing.
"You're not allergic to peanut butter, are you?" She asks suddenly. "Oh, goodness. I should have asked beforehand. I'm so sorry."
"No, no it's fine," I quickly say, reaching for one. "I love peanut butter."
I nearly choke on the words. Nostalgia threatens to send me into a spiral alongside Tai—what a pair we would be. Beckett breaking down over math while I wallow over peanut butter cookies. The smell reminds me of Mom and better times, but surprisingly, I find myself overcome with emotion-fueled fond memories instead of living nightmares.
A wave of relief crosses her face. "I'm glad. They are Tai's favorite. I'm just not used to having new faces in the house. When he said he had a study partner, I was expecting Rylan or Hunter. Though I'm not sure how much studying those boys get done. Boys and their videogames."
"I don't have the correct anatomy for that, I'm afraid," I joke, taking a bite of the… best fucking cookies I've ever tasted. Holy shit.
My eyes widen in surprise, causing her to laugh. I swallow, turning to her. "These are incredible," I boast. "Did you make them?"
She nods. "My secret recipe." Her smile is infectious, and I can't help but return the gesture. She reminds me of Mom in her better days—putting me at ease as I take in her delicate features and contagious happiness.
"I love to bake but this puts me to shame," I grin.
My gaze drifts back to Tai, momentarily forgetting his presence in my euphoric cookie moment. "Your mom is amazing."
He blinks before breaking out into a smile—one without sinister motive. The sugar starts to rush to my head because for a moment, my stomach clenches at the new expression. It's so different from his usual smirks and grins, that I almost forget about the cookie in my hand.
"This is Mary," Tai murmurs warmly. "She's our designated house queen and carer."
"Oh." Embarrassment floods my face. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."
Mary laughs again, the tone so warm and friendly that it makes me think of hugs and cozy Sundays. She reaches out and pats my shoulder gently. "It's lovely to meet you—?"
"Bexley," I answer, rising to my feet to shake her hand. She beams back at the gesture, letting me greet her properly.
"Bexley," she repeats with a smile, and I'm surprised to hear the lack of acknowledgement that usually comes from anyone associated with Willowbrook when they hear my name. "Pleasure to meet you, sweetheart. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs."
Mary makes her way back to the door, pausing to shoot Tai a final look. "Shall I take Calvin for a walk?"
"I'll do it," he answers softly, his face full of adoration. "He's too strong for his own good."
"If I can handle you, I can handle Calvin," she muses. "But he'll like that. He misses you during the day."
She vanishes down the hall and I hold back a laugh at Tai's flushed face.
"She seems nice," I say, amused. "Who's Calvin?"
In an instant, Tai's face changes again, a big grin reflecting back at me.
"Come on." He abandons the study papers. "I'll take you to meet him."