Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
M ax dropped us off at Camelot Courtyard, and the sympathetic look he gave me instead of his trademark smirk made me feel worse.
But I forced a small smile before he left to clean up the escape rooms.
We wouldn’t know what failing the challenge meant until the final scores were posted. It depended on how the other group did, and they hadn’t returned yet. Knowing they hadn’t tripped the alarm early made our outlooks bleak.
Our group slowly dispersed. Izzy went over to Tristan’s room instead of hers, since some of the Knights were staying through the end of the third challenge. With her room empty, I went and sat on what would be my bed at some point.
I thought about going up to Kingston’s wing alone, but three surly voices echoed in my head, warning me not to do that. Grabbing my backpack to pull out my phone, I called Gia to tell her what happened yesterday and today.
“Oh my god,” she laughed, wiping the corner of her eyes. “I would’ve paid to see that Vivian chick forced to wear her hair like that. I don’t even know what she looks like, and somehow, I have the most satisfying image in my brain right now.”
“Black hair, ice-blue eyes. Just picture the Queen of the prom.” I snorted. “Turns out she was that girl. And yes, that’s me being petty and jealous because I wanted to be a cheerleader, but my dad couldn’t make the practice times work.”
Gia groaned dramatically. “Ugh, that reminds me.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. Not to respond to your thing with my thing, but I’m a mess over this new crush and need to tell you about it. It feels wrong that I haven’t.”
I cocked my head. “You can always stop me from rambling about my drama if you need to talk. Spill it.”
“Okay, so...remember how I told you about that hard-ass professor you lucked out and avoided?”
“Yes…” I eyed her suspiciously. “The one you never confirmed as a hard ass or hard-ass.”
“Well, turns out it was not the fun one. He was actually a total prick. Tried to pressure me into—Doesn’t matter, you know I took care of that swiftly.”
I sat up higher. “Of course, but…are you okay? Is that why you’re feeling like a mess?”
“No, not over him.” Gia groaned again, flopping onto the couch. “I signed up for this workshop he teaches off campus. I thought it was a noble thing, like for underprivileged kids or something, but turns out it was just a way for him to scam on chicks from his classes.”
“Oh, gross!”
“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes at his behavior, like it wasn’t all that surprising even though we both knew it should’ve been. “I met someone there. That’s the problem.”
My eyebrows rose. “Do tell.”
“Gorgeous blue eyes, dark hair but dyed blonde. You know I’m a sucker for anyone who does that because, well”—she flicked her naturally dark hair, currently dyed honey blonde with purple, off her shoulder and smirked—“you know my self-love is off the charts.”
I winked at her. “Literally and figuratively.”
“Hear! Hear!” she cried, raising a glass toward her bedroom, where she kept her vibrators.
“So, what’s the problem?” I laughed.
She bit her lip. “Well…I went out with the professor after the workshop one night, and that was when he dropped the act and got a little aggressive.”
“Aggressive? What do you mean, aggressive? Aggressive, how? I’ll kill him.”
Gia laughed as I scrambled off the bed. “Easy, killer. It was handled. Pretty sure that guy won’t be teaching anywhere anytime soon, either. The bartender and my crush, who I’ve affectionately named The Problem, took care of him. Quickly.”
I scrutinized her face for any sign she might be hiding more from me, but she caught on to what I was doing and shot me a look.
“Alright, alright.” I put my hands up. “Okay, so I didn’t know The Problem had joined you on this night out with the professor.
How’d that happen? Were you trying to bring them both home? Because you know I approve.”
“Well, that wasn’t the plan, but I did end up going home with two suitors on my arm.
” She perked up her shoulders like she was fluffing out peacock feathers.
“When Mr. Dickhead got too handsy, that’s when The Problem , who’d overheard the professor propositioning me in class, stepped in. With the help of the hot bartender.”
“Now, are these their official titles? I just want to be sure for my Maid of Honor toast.”
Gia snorted. “I’m getting there. And purposefully avoiding giving you their name because…The Problem was Nancy.”
I waited for her to say more, but when she didn’t, I thought I’d misheard her. “Wait, did you say Nancy, or a nancy ?”
“Nancy.”
“That’s what I thought you said. So, why’d you stop?”
Gia arched a brow. “No comment on that?”
My brow furrowed. “Why would there be?”
“Nancy is a girl’s name, Quinn.” She said it like I had no idea but should’ve.
Rude. I stuck my tongue out at her. “I know that, Gia .”
She blinked at me.
And it hit me. She’d honestly expected me to comment on it, which surprised me more than finding out she’d met a nice lady at a bar and decided to visit V-Town instead of P-Town for the night.
Not sure why I called either of their parts that, but I wouldn’t be doing it again. “Gia, why would the gender of your lovers matter to me?”
She groaned again, the loudest one by far. “ The gender of my lovers ? Okay, please, promise me you will never say anything like that again.”
“Can I call it going to V-Town and P-Town to distinguish between the two?”
“No.”
I heaved a sigh like that was all very inconvenient. “Okay, fine . But I’m serious. I know you’ve never gone there before, but you’re such a free spirit. I always sort of figured if you met someone you really connected with, it wouldn’t matter what they were packing in their pants.”
“Nope.” She shook her head adamantly. “That’s off the table, too.”
I laughed. “Stop deflecting.”
“Okay, Kettle.”
“Spill it, Pot.”
Gia inhaled slowly through her nose, pinching the bridge before peeking at me from beneath her hand. “I liked her. I think. But I freaked out because I’d never really gone there before. Other than a few random make-out partners for attention during my Katy Perry Cherry-Flavored ChapStick phase.”
I smacked my lips. “Yes, I do remember that. Vividly.”
“You loved it.”
“I love you ,” I said pointedly. “So, I don’t have any comments to make on who you love, like, or have interest in unless it pertains to them treating you badly and me needing to know if I should murder them. Alright?”
She faked an exaggerated shiver. “I love when you get all bloodthirsty for me.” Then she sighed dramatically. “My dad is going to be so bummed.”
“Why? You think he’d care?”
Gia cackled. “Not at all! He’s just going to be bummed it’s not you. He told me if that was ever something I wanted, he loved me and supported me, but that I should pick you because they trust you.”
“Poor, Mr. V.”
“I know.”
“You told him I’m juggling three broody men with secrets, right? He knows all my slots have been filled.”
Gia’s eyes widened. “Do you have anything you need to share with the class?”
My cheeks flamed. “Oh my god, no! They haven’t even breached the back door yet. Technically.” I smothered a grin. “But I mean…we’ll get there eventually. I just meant my hands are full.” When Gia smiled wide, I added, “Figuratively!”
“I did tell him. Honestly, as soon as he found out you joined The Quest, he gave up hope. That’s why he’ll be fine.”
“Ugh. Well, now, I hate that I disappointed him.” I groaned, lying on the bed and rolling over onto my stomach to get comfortable.
As soon as I did, Gia’s eyes went wide and locked on something behind me.
A puff of breath escaped instead of words out of her slack-jawed mouth.
My heart leapt.
Flipping over, I threw my phone toward the door and at the attacker I immediately assumed was behind me.
A fucking stupid move in hindsight, but I’d panicked.
Thankfully, Tristan Léon, the reason for Gia’s sudden inability to speak, had speedy, catlike reflexes.
He snatched the phone out of the air before it could smash into the wall. Since I would’ve smashed it and not my would-be attackers with my poorly aimed attack. Izzy’s eyes were wide as she stood by his side.
“Holy shit.” Gia’s voice was slightly muffled by Tristan’s palm, until he turned the phone over, and she let out an odd little squeak I’d have to tease her about later. “That was nuts. Oh. Hey. I know you, don’t I?”
I rolled my eyes at her move, sharing a grin with Izzy.
He tilted his head. “Professor Batson? Macroeconomics?”
“Hmm…Maybe.”
She knew damn well that was the class they’d shared.
“Thanks for saving my friend’s phone. You’re like a real Knight in Shining Armor, aren’t you?”
“That’s what they tell me,” he said with a smile, handing the phone back to me once I scrambled off the bed to grab it. “Nice to see you again.”
“You too,” she called out.
Izzy, who’d been standing by Tristan and smiling between him and me as if she knew exactly what was going on with Gia, came up beside me and waved at the phone. “Hi Gia,” she said, completely unbothered.
I imagined holy shit was a phrase often whispered breathlessly around both of them.
Gia was unruffled, of course, almost equally excited to see Izzy. “Hey, girl!”
I shot Gia a knowing look as they stepped back outside the room to finish their goodbye. “Have I ever told you that you have a gift for subtlety?”
Gia shook her head. “Not nearly enough as you should.”
I laughed, flopping back on the bed.
Izzy walked back in a minute later with a blush on her cheeks. “Sorry we scared you, Quinn.”
“ You didn’t scare me.”
I stared pointedly at Gia, who had the decency to blush, before she refocused on Izzy. “Can I just say you and Tristan look like you were literally made for each other? I’m not going to lie. I totally had the hots for him in class.”
“I picked up on that,” Izzy laughed. “But I don’t blame you. That’s where he caught my attention, too.”
“He’s so focused for someone with all that golden retriever energy.”
“Exactly!”