“Oh, c’mon. You can’t tell me he isn’t fit as hell,” Jake dropped his head closer to me, “Can you imagine what he’s hiding behind the uniform?”
I lifted my attention from my food and found Ethan’s electric blue eyes from across the mess hall. Ethan sent me a wink with a slight head nod.
Jake dropped his fork. “Yup, my john just jerked.”
“Jake!”
“How the hell do you know him like that?” he asked me, but his eyes we’re still on Ethan.
“We’re friends,” I casually said, remembering the day so vividly. Originally, Ethan and I met when he had questioned me in the nurse’s station after Oscar’s attack. He had been the officer to take my statement. Now he was a security guard at Dolor, and the day Ollie slipped away, Ethan had scooped me from the hallway, carried me outside, and held me until I thawed from the mental state I’d been stuck in. His only explanation at the time was he didn’t want anyone seeing me like that—didn’t want them to send me back to the psych ward. Ethan had sat quietly at my side until day turned to night and I had no tears left to cry.
“Friends?”
“Yes, friends. He was the one who convinced me to start a support group.” I glanced from Ethan back to Jake, and Jake’s disbelieving grin didn’t falter. I pointed my fork to his tray. “Whatever, eat your dinner.”
“I’d much rather be eating something else.”
“If it isn’t Jake-the-bollock,” Bria chimed, taking a seat beside me.
“I prefer Jake-the-bull,” Jake smirked, “the raging bull.”
“Oh, you wish,” I laughed.
Bria and Jake exchanged summer adventures as we finished our dinner. Hearing Bria gloating about our program made me smile. Her eyes lit up every time she talked about the plans she made for the upcoming year. If Ollie were here to see this change in her, he would be elated. Of course, I took a little credit myself.
“So, we’re heading to new guy’s dorm to see what he’s all about,” Jake explained, lifting his tray. “You coming, Bria?”
Bria nodded as she finished her juice before tossing it into the nearest trashcan.
As we made our way out of the mess hall, Ethan ushered me over with a small nudge of the head. “I’ll be right there,” I called out to the two of them.
“Jake Tomson, he’s from last year, yeah?” Ethan asked, looking straight ahead with his hands fastened securely to his belt.
I’d known Ethan for seven months now. Over the summer, we’d established an unusual bond no one could know about. He’d become overprotective of me, and at times I believed Ethan used me to replace the relationship he used to have with his sister before she died. Other times, I wasn’t so sure. Ethan was very back and forth, treating me like a child, but also looked at me with pining blue eyes. He was hard to read, and I’d always been fascinated by him and his ways.
Ethan was a challenge—a tough case to crack.
But I was determined to figure him out.
“Jake Tomson is harmless, Ethan.”
Ethan tilted his head down, and for a brief moment, his icy blue eyes met my gaze before turning back to the mess hall before him. “No one is harmless, Jett,” he drew in a deep breath and adjusted his stance, “Don’t be stupid. There’s a bunch of dodgy blokes at this school. I can’t be looking after you at all times.”
“I never asked you to look after me.”
“Fine. You’re on your own tonight then.” His arms crossed over his chest, and my nerves twisted into knots.
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Rolling my eyes, I walked away before picking up into a light jog to catch up with Jake and Bria.
“No running in the halls,” Ethan called out, sarcasm dripping from his tone. A slow smile stretched across my face knowing Ethan turned back to watch me, and I didn’t slow down either because I was still the rebellious badass.
This was our relationship: hitting me with such comments, but his eyes held a different story. Though Ethan never smiled, he was the first one to help me find mine after Ollie left. The rest of last semester I’d spent in a fog, but Ethan pulled me out. If I’d never met Ollie, I could have easily fallen for Ethan, despite the way he treated me like a little sister. But I did meet Ollie, and there would never be anyone else.
“Is this the right door?” Jake asked as I approached them down the second wing.
