“We’re due at the Canin Pod in five minutes, sir,” Mac said, sweeping his hand in front of him.
Kendrick made one last sweep of the room, and then they were gone. Almost immediately, people jumped up from their chairs, slinging bags over their shoulders.
“This is such bullshit,” Morgan said. “We have less than zero time for a social life as it is, and now, we have to spend our nights playing Nancy Drew?”
Dove scoffed. “Speak for yourself. I look great in knee socks and a snazzy cardigan.”
“Me too,” Mos said, his voice so neutral nobody knew whether to laugh or not.
“Anyway,” Drake said, dragging the word out. “We’re more like the Scooby Gang, no?”
“Like the cartoon dog or like from Buffy?” Remi asked.
Drake gave him a weird look, then snorted, patting his curls. “You’re such a little nerd.” Remi gave him the finger then turned, waving at Lennon. Before they could exit the room, Drake called out, “Meet me at the library before our murder mystery theater begins. You know the spot.”
Remi flushed, pushing caramel curls out of his wide green eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“See you there,” Drake called.
Remi didn’t dignify that with an answer, but there wasn’t a single person in that room who didn’t know Remi would be there waiting if and when Drake decided to show up.
Gift felt sorry for him. He knew what it was like to be in love with an asshole.
Speaking of.
“So, now what?” Gift asked Payton.
“Now what, what?” Payton asked.
“Now, what’s step two?”
“Patience, grasshopper. We don’t want to spook him.”
“What is he? A horse?” Morgan asked, shoving a breath mint into her mouth.
“Well, Gift is hoping to get mounted,” Drake said around a laugh.
“I hate you all,” Gift muttered, making a run for it. “I have to go. I’m late for Suri’s class,” he called.
“Wait for us!” Dove hollered, grabbing Morgan’s wrist and hurrying to catch up.
They were barely down the hall when Gift heard Payton shout, “Hey, me too. Why am I being left behind? I’m helping, remember?”
For the second time in two days, Park barged into Boone’s office without knocking, not waiting for him to acknowledge him before he said, “I want Gift moved to another dorm room immediately.”
Boone didn’t look up from his paperwork, tone bored as he drawled, “No.”
Park was already half turned and prepared to leave, a “thank you” on his lips when Boone’s refusal sank in. He whipped back around. “Wait, what?”
Boone shifted one stack of papers to the side and grabbed the next. What the hell did he even do at the Watch?
“No,” he said again.
No? Why no? Why was Boone being so unreasonable about this? Did he want the students fraternizing with each other? How could that be good for the program? Things got dangerous when feelings got involved. At least, that was what Park had heard, anyway. Look at Kendrick and Anchali. He’d practically ruined her life because she’d rejected him.
The memory of Payton caressing Gift’s cheek floated back into Park’s head, and another wave of fury hit him like a truck, his hands balling into fists. The audacity of that little…shithead. Gift washis. His to protect, anyway. And he doubted Anchali would think he had succeeded if her precious baby boy ended up losing his virginity to a psychopath.
Just the thought had a thousand images forming in his brain, popping up like tiles on a computer screen. Payton on top of Gift. Gift on his knees. Payton on his knees. The two of them kissing. His stomach lurched like his body was rejecting the idea. There was no way someone like Payton would be patient or gentle or could even care for Gift…not like Park—
