Chapter 35
Skye
If you forget my birthday, I’m disowning you.
Good one, I replied sarcastically.
I mean it, Skye. I’ll throw you to the wolves…er…men. No more defending you against Shadow Dick and Regular Dick.
I snorted out loud, but thankfully I had my phone in front of me, so it seemed like I was reading something funny. I was in the hall outside Wyatt’s office, waiting for him to emerge. I could hear deep voices on the other side of the door, so I knew he was in there. I’d made an appointment for…
I checked my watch and huffed a sigh.
My appointment time was for five minutes ago.
Bun Bitch had her door wide open, and she kept glaring at me over the top of her obviously fake glasses.
They were perched on the tip of her nose and she never looked at anything through them.
She wasn’t in a bun today, instead wearing a very tight, high ponytail that swished at her shoulders every time she jerked her head to look at me.
She wore a tight, white button-down with one too many buttons open at the top, exposing an almost indecent amount of cleavage for the workplace.
Did she think Wyatt was into that?
I almost gagged.
What in the fuck was that?
I snorted again.
Sorry. Wyatt’s ex whatever is glaring at me right now.
Ew, tell her she can have him.
My blood pressure spiked just hearing that comment.
Zephyr didn’t notice, and he prattled on about how he was closing down the café the day of his birthday party, hoping I’d be there, because who else was he going to invite?
I’d already told him a million times that this wasn’t a milestone birthday, but he didn’t care. He loved celebrating birthdays.
I checked the time again as I said goodbye to my brother, then groaned out loud. Was Wyatt always late, or was it just when I was waiting on him?
I stood, knocking on the door, much nicer than I had the last time I’d been here waiting on him, before I confronted him over his treatment of Aiden.
The door swung open, and fucking fuck, I’d expected Lana. But no, none other than River Mac stood there, wearing a delicious-looking blue hoodie that was big on him, so it’d totally dwarf me like a blanket–
What the fuck.
“Oh, God. Not you,” I snapped, even though I was pissed at my thoughts.
And also? Fuck this guy. When I reexamined AlarmGate, as Willow was calling it, it really seemed like River was trying to get me soaking wet on purpose, and obviously hadn’t known I’d have a PTSD meltdown.
I’d never done anything to him. He was always pissed, always scowling, and then he’d punched the wall next to my head.
Fuck him.
Aiden had been so pissed when I told him everything, he’d fucked me like an animal half the night and then wouldn’t leave me alone even to pee.
Double fuck him just for that one.
River looked shocked to see me, and my snapping at him hadn’t helped. He sneered at me, slipping around me like my skin was poisonous before he took off down the hall.
And as if that couldn’t have gone worse, he smelled good.
I rolled my eyes, convincing myself that he didn’t smell that good, and his hoodie didn’t look that comfortable, and even if he was really hot, he was still an ass.
A bigger ass than this ass that sat at his desk in front of me.
I slammed the door behind me.
“Hello, Mr. Craig. I’m here for my state-mandated appointment,” I said, keeping my voice polite and formal.
Wyatt glared at me, though his eyes seemed to dance with a little…mischief?
“Come on, Skye. We don’t have to talk like that.”
“Oh, good,” I said, smiling before teleporting so that I stood right in front of him. “Because I have a fucking bone to pick with you.”
Wyatt looked surprised, like he always did when I used my most secret affinity, but he exhaled slowly.
“What?” he asked flatly.
“You gave me another detention?” I blinked, still in disbelief. “Are you kidding?”
“Did you see the first detention was with me before you skipped it?” Wyatt asked. “Here I was, thinking we’d have some time alone to chat.”
“We’re alone right now,” I said, stepping closer to him.
Wyatt’s jaw worked, and he shook his head.
“I’ll take the detentions off your record. Rafe told me you were pissed.”
And now, I was pissed at Rafe. He was meddling too much.
“I don’t need the Prince handling things for me,” I started, and Wyatt chuckled.
Wyatt’s chuckle was warm and genuine, and it made me think back to our first meeting, when he’d laughed so easily with me.
What the hell had happened to us?
“Get used to it,” Wyatt said, reminding me we were talking about Rafe. “He’s going to do whatever he wants.”
I blew out a breath, then looked to the window, watching the trees outside sway in the breeze and I shivered. It was fucking freezing outside. I couldn’t wait to go home for the weekend and sit in the sun.
“Do you not have a coat?”
I startled, having forgotten Wyatt for a moment.
“What?”
“I asked if you have a coat,” Wyatt said slowly. “It’s freezing, Skye.”
“Do you ask all your students that?” I asked, gesturing outside as I referred to River, who also hadn’t been wearing a proper coat.
“No, Skye,” he said lowly. “I don’t ask all my students that.”
“I must be special then,” I said lightly.
Wyatt looked at me like he couldn’t tell if I was joking or not, and part of me wasn’t sure, either.
It was easy to be around Wyatt when he was by himself.
Zephyr always found a way to make Wyatt’s innocent commentary sound evil, and if I ever checked Wyatt out for too long, a feeling of inadequacy would run through me.
Aiden couldn’t hide any of his feelings from me, it seemed, and a lot of times, I found myself trying to adjust to them instead of just allowing him to feel whatever he felt.
Once again, I was pissed Wyatt was being so stupid. That was definitely something I should’ve been able to discuss with a counselor.
“You know what,” I said suddenly. “This is so annoying, Wyatt. I need an actual counselor. Why do you have to be such a dick?”
Wyatt scoffed.
“By all means,” he said, gesturing with his hands, which only had my gaze catching on his veiny forearms. “Tell me your troubles.”
“Well, one of my Links is annoying as fuck,” I said.
“Yes, I happen to be friends with the Prince. I know how annoying he can be,” Wyatt said dryly. “Have you tried bringing it to his attention? When he gets in one of his moods, tell him he’s acting inappropriately.”
“No fucking way that works,” I replied.
Wyatt snorted. “Not a chance. He’d probably get worse.”
I chuckled, and then we stared at each other. The awkwardness grew along with the silence, and I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin.
“Why?” I asked quietly. “Can you just tell me why?”
Wyatt chewed his lip before dropping his gaze. “I’m not sure I know anymore.”
“Then at least apologize to Aiden,” I said, ignoring the hurt I felt at his response. “He needs a counselor, Wyatt, and he doesn’t trust anyone anymore.”
Wyatt shook his head. “I didn’t do anything to him, Skye. I’m not a Telepath. I didn’t get in his head and mess with his thoughts, or whatever he thinks.”
“You tried telling him I would hinder his success at school,” I said slowly. “You were confusing him.”
“I was trying to keep him alive,” Wyatt said defensively. “His mother was breathing down my neck every six days wanting an update on his progress. I had to give her something, and I wanted to make sure he stayed on a schedule.”
“And you can’t lie?” I said, raising my voice slightly. “You lie all the time, Wyatt, why couldn’t you lie to that bitch, too?”
“I do not lie all the time,” he said, shaking his head.
“You pretend you don’t want me,” I said without thinking. “You pretend like you don’t trust me, and–”
Wyatt shook his head, laughing in disbelief. “You lied about your affinities.”
“And you didn’t?!” I threw my arms out to the side. “I don’t even know what the hell you do, Wyatt!”
“How?” Wyatt demanded. “I’m an earth affinate first, then a Healer, then a memory scrambler or whatever the hell it is. How do you not know that about me?”
“You say that like we spend so much time together,” I scoffed. “You were dishonest with me, too.”
“Lying by omission is still lying.” Wyatt gritted out.
It was my turn to laugh in disbelief. “You think, what? That you can come into my café, ask my affinities and I’d just tell you? I had no idea who you were!”
Wyatt scrubbed a hand down his face. “You are infuriating.”
I scoffed. “So are you.”
“I don’t even know how to apologize,” Wyatt snapped. “Willow’s pissed at me too. Our dad is a massive asshole, her mom is getting worse, I–”
“Her mom? What’s wrong with Willow’s mom?” I cut him off. That was the second comment I’d heard about Lauren. Willow had never told me much about her mom, and I hadn’t worked up the courage to ask her.
Wyatt sighed deeply, then shook his head. “Ask Willow,” he said lowly.
“Fucking hell, Wyatt. You don’t trust me with anything!” I cried.
Wyatt squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t even know where to start. I don’t think you even want to forgive me, you just want me to participate in some humiliation ritual. What am I supposed to do, Skye? Get on my knees?”
“Maybe you should,” I said softly. Wyatt’s hazel eyes flashed. We stared for several seconds, locked in a showdown, neither of us wanting to back away from the challenge.
Wyatt slowly breathed out, his heated gaze slowly cooling into something icy. I braced myself. I really hated this version of Wyatt. I wished I could figure out what caused this switch to flip inside him. I’d avoid it at all costs if I knew.
“Like Aiden?” Wyatt scoffed. “Is that all it takes? You just want some sexual submission and that’ll clear everything up? I won’t be pathetic like him–”
The sound of the slap I delivered to his face was frightfully loud in the silence of the office.