“I can’t help with that. The telepathy is gone.”
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. “River, what do you want from me? I’ll get you anything you want, I just–”
“Are you suddenly deaf?” River snapped. “I said it’sgone.”
River ignored me as I began to slip away, out of the alcove and against the stone wall, toward a line of shrubs.
“Listen, I know your mother–”
“Stop calling her my mother,” River growled. His blue gaze released me and I finally took in a breath.
With Alex’s back to me, I began to shimmy against the wall, almost to the bushes. I needed to get out of here before he saw me.
“You know she struggles,” Alex said. “She needs you, River.”
“It’s not my responsibility to manage her emotions,” River said.
“What?” Alex scoffed. “Where the hell did you get that from?”
“My counselor,” River said defensively.
Alex muttered something that sounded a lot like‘fucking Craig’, and then River strode away from him, in the opposite direction from where I was standing.
“River, come on,” Alex’s fancy shoes clicked along the stone as he gave chase, and I’d never run away from a situation faster.
My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would beat right out of my chest. I slowed it using my affinity, then took a minute to calm myself.
What the hell had I just listened in on? River was adopted? Alex knew his parents?
I shook my head. I shouldn’t have heard any of that. It was none of my business. But…
It definitely explained why River might be such a dick.
I rounded the corner, feeling a little less anxious, and then I was shoved back into the alcove.
I growled around the hand covering my mouth, waiting for my affinity to lash out like it had last term with Wyatt when we were in an eerily similar situation, but nothing happened.
I blinked up at the man who held me, and then groaned.
River.Again.
“You just can’t stay away from me,” I snarked when he lowered his hand.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I knew I should’ve let him have you.”
“He seemed happy enough with you,” I huffed, then rubbed at my chest. Weird. Alex’s comment about Wyatt must’ve upset me.
“You okay?” River asked.
I raised my eyebrows. “I’m fine. This happens all the time.”
River rolled his eyes. “Not that, I meant…after the…yeah.”
“After you punched the wall next to my head and gave me a PTSD attack? Yeah. Peachy.”
River blew out a heavy breath. “I’m…sorry about that. I didn’t realize you’d freak out like a baby at a little loud noise.”
My jaw dropped. “Fuck you!” I said. “You’re the baby, running away just because I was gonna throw up. Real mature.”
