I glance at her. “What?”
She shrugs, thoughtful. “I don’t know. It’s just funny seeing them together. I always forget that they’re siblings.”
The class is already half-full, students settling into their usual seats, notebooks out, bored expressions firmly in place.
And Anderson stands at the front, adjusting something on his desk, and the second we step inside, he looks up.
His expression doesn’t shift, but his posture does—straightening slightly, acknowledging our arrival.
“Good morning,” he says, polite. Normal.
Lilia stops walking and just stares.
I nudge her not-so-subtly in the side, leaning closer to whisper, “You’re staring.”
Lilia blinks, like she just came out of a trance. “Oh.” Then, after a pause, “Gross.”
Anderson watches us as we settle in, but I keep my expression neutral, even as my stomach twists, and my heart literally flies out of my mouth.
I make my way back to my usual spot and, like an idiot, make a colossal mistake. Because just as I move past, my gaze flickers—completely by accident, I swear—toward Kai.
Yeah. Big mistake.
He’s leaning back in his chair, one arm slung carelessly across the backrest. Not a trace of boredom on his face this time, though. His eyes catch mine, and for a beat too long, he holds them. A slow, knowing smile curves at the corner of his mouth.
Will, sitting next to him, watches this entire exchange with an eyebrow raised, glancing between us, before his gaze lands back on Kai. He mutters something to him that I can’t make out, but I’m not sure I want to know either way.
“Subtle,” Liam mutters from the seat next to mine as I finally sit down.
I huff but say nothing, reaching into my bag to grab a pen.
Liam leans back; arms draped over the back of his chair. “How’s the leg?”
“Better,” I say.
He nods, then tilts his head. “Face still hurt?”
Across from us, Christian looks over then too. I smile at him. “Way better. I took some painkillers.”
Liam nods approvingly. “Well, honestly, I was expecting you to come back with crutches, so this is great.”
I shake my head. “Nope, no crutches. Just mildly traumatized.”
Liam taps his fingers against the desk. “Eh, emotional damage builds character. You’ll be unstoppable by next term.”
I try to smile, but there’s something else that’s bothering me. Something I haven’t let myself think too hard about.
I hesitate, then glance at Liam. “Hey, Liam.”
He leans back slightly. “Yeah?”
I exhale, choosing my words. “Did you happen to be at the hospital yesterday?”
I wait, watching Liam carefully. Because I already know the answer.
I just want to hear him say it.
Liam looks shocked for a moment. It’s brief—barely a flicker—but it’s there. His head tilts just slightly, the muscles in his jaw tightening before he quickly smooths his expression.
