20. Nolan
How I can look forward to something and wish I never had to do it at the same time is enough to give me whiplash.
I usually avoid my father like he’s the hook in the water, but right now I’m actively seeking him out.
This won’t end well; it never does.
And yet I’m going anyway because I know Gavin needs her gone if he wants any chance at remaining sane this year.
Of all the people to walk through that door, she was the last person I expected, and for them to have no other rooms sounds like such a piss-poor job of management. It’s not that hard.
Not that we should have a fifth roommate, regardless of all ?that. The portal to the second pool house had been his fucking idea.
A way for him to guarantee I was ‘winning material,’ his words, not mine.
I take my time in the locker room, or as much time as I can. I can’t be late, or I’ll have to reschedule. Tardiness is a pet peeve of his; most things are.
For a man who just seems to despise his own kids overall, he sure picked a wild job. Though I don’t think it had anything to do with helping the younger generation the way he claims, no, I’ve never known him to do something that doesn’t serve him.
I make my way back through the portal to the dorm and down the stairs to find Gavin sitting at the table and Wren still asleep on the couch.
I pause for a second and really look at her. I’ve done my best to avoid her, but right now, with her unconscious, I see it.
She really is beautiful; it’s no wonder Julez is head over fin for her. And while most pretty women are his type, I’m not too proud to admit that she’s also mine, even if only to myself.
Everything about her screams fragile, docile, and in need of protection. She’s so small and a mortal on top of it; how could she not need someone to look out for her?
I shake the thought away and head toward the door without glancing back at Gavin. I’d like to say I’d love to sit down and have breakfast with him, but that would be a lie. I don’t have time, anyway; I’ve spent too long dragging my feet.
I make it as far as the door before I hear him jogging across the room to catch up, and I force myself to take a breath.
Gavin has always been a little much, and I get it, she’s his rival and all that, but I’m not sure I can handle him breathing down my neck on top of everything else right now.
Looking back, I’m thrown off when I see him carefully closing the door behind him.
I didn’t think he would give a shit about waking her up, but maybe he just doesn’t want to deal with her.
“Are you going to meet with your father?” he shouts after me, once again jogging to catch up.
I don’t bother answering him; he knows that's where I’m headed.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t deter him.
As if I need more to deal with this morning.
“Do you think she’s going to be able to move her? Why would he risk putting a mortal with us? And why the hell did it have to be her? The co-ed hasn’t actually been used in so long, and now!” He tosses his hands up in the air, clearly exasperated, but I just keep walking.
It doesn’t seem like he needs me to respond. He's doing just fine on his own.
Gavin continues to ramble, asking the universe questions it can’t possibly answer as we make our way through the school's winding halls up the stairs to the teachers' wing.
I’m almost there, only a handful of feet away, when I hear someone call our names.
“Gavin! Nolan!”
With a groan, I stop and force myself to turn around. If it were anyone else, I would have ignored them, but I actually like Dimitri, damn it.
“Hey, what’s up, D?” Gavin asks as his brother jogs over to catch up with us, his brows pinched and his posture stiff.
Strange.
Usually Dimitri’s pretty laid-back, especially with us. It’s hard to remember a time when he seemed this serious, especially with just us.
“Can either of you explain to me why Wren would ask if there’s a bathroom upstairs in the dorm yesterday?”
It’s impossible to miss his sharp tone, and I raise a brow in question. Of course, he doesn’t miss it.
She’s a student like us; she deserves privacy and a bed, but there’s nothing we can do about that, not really.
“Why did you see her yesterday?” Gavin asks, not even trying to hide his disgust or the side-eye he’s currently giving his brother.
If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say he sounded… jealous.
“I’m her mentor, and yesterday, before she left, she asked me if there was a bathroom upstairs. How is that something she doesn’t know?”
I can see how this would look bad, and honestly, it is bad.
“What does that have to do with her classes?” Gavin scoffs, pulling a face.
“I was ensuring she survived her first week with double the amount of classes as everyone else and dealing with your asses,” Dimitri snaps, and that seems to shut Gavin up.
He does have a point, and while Gavin might not like Wren, this is literally Dimitri’s job. It’s not as if he can simply ignore her because of their rivalry; that would be wrong.
“Not that it’s any of your business.” Dimitri runs a hand through his long hair before he quickly throws it up in a low bun.
I look back over my shoulder at the Dean's office door, and I know I need to wrap this up.
Time to cut to the chase, I suppose.
“She asked because she’s sleeping on the couch,” I say, turning back around to face him. Gavin suddenly can’t seem to look at his brother, and Dimitri, who had managed to cool off slightly, seems even more upset now.
“What!?” he bellows, looking from me to his brother and back again. “Tell me you aren’t serious. That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
I nod because, yeah, I agree, but Gavin doesn’t. I get the feeling he hasn’t put much thought into it, and if he has, he’s probably convinced himself she deserves it. If this were someone else, he would see, but everything is clouded when it comes to Wren.
She’s dangerous for all of us, which is the main reason I’m having to go through with this meeting despite what Gavin might think.
“You know she can’t have the extra room,” I remind him because he knows; he’s one of the few outside of us that do.
Dimitri might be Gavin’s older brother, but he’s always been there for all of us.
He feels more like a brother to me than my own brothers do, though I guess that doesn’t mean much given my family.
It takes him a second, but I see the understanding as it dawns on him, and his eyes fall closed before he takes what I can only guess is meant to be a calming breath in through his nose and blows it out his mouth.
Gavin and I share a glance, and I see the same concern in his eyes that I feel deep inside as well.
Maybe Gavin wasn’t so wrong in his questioning; Dimitri seems uncharacteristically upset about this over a student he ‘mentors.’
Or maybe he’s just already having a bad day, and I’m looking at this the wrong way. I feel like that would make more sense. Why would he ever be interested in Wren? She’s a student, one of his, and he’s her guidance counselor.
No, Dimitri is a very reasonable guy; he would never look at a student like that, much less his brother's rival.
Right?
Dimitri pinches the bridge of his nose, and I know he’s deep in thought. Gavin might be book smart, but Dimitri’s brain is just as impressive in other ways.
“And Julian can’t put it up and take it back down as needed?” he asks, still not opening his eyes, and I get the feeling he knows the answer already.
“Could he, probably?” I shrug because I don’t know for sure, but I know he’s powerful as hell, so I imagine he could.
“But that doesn’t matter. We really did gut that room to make a gym prior to Father’s brilliant idea.
There’s no bed or anything in there…” I let my words trail off and wait for him to peel open his eyes to look at me.
“But even if he could, and I’m sure he would for her, opening and closing a portal that often would be damning. One mess-up and suddenly anyone has access to our room.” I keep my voice low despite the hall being mostly empty.
I’m vague, but like I said, Dimitri knows us, which means he knows what I’m trying to say.
The fight drains out of him, and I know he knows I’m right.
Again, I glance down the hall toward my father's office, but this time he notices, and his eyes soften in a way I hate.
I don’t need pity, and while I know that’s not exactly what it is with Dimitri and the guys, it still feels like it makes me lesser, weak.
“Go, don’t be late on my account.” He jerks his head toward the door, and I glare at him for a moment before I turn away.
“But this isn’t over, you two. Wren’s been through enough; she deserves her own space and a fucking bed. She’s not a damn pet.”
I don’t turn back around, but I nod my agreement, and this time it’s impossible to miss it, that hint of possessiveness in his tone.
For now, it will have to wait. I have exactly two minutes to get to my father and talk even more about the girl I’d rather pretend didn’t exist...
Wonderful.