Pascal put up his hands. "Okay, sorry. I didn't mean to rile you up. Remember, I haven't met the guy, so I'm going on your word alone." He smiled. "I've never seen you this head-over-heels before, though, so Devereaux must be a special guy."
I sighed contentedly. "He is."
Even just thinking about him sent pleasant fluttering through my nerves. It was strange how this warm feeling of infatuation battled the pain, going toe-to-toe with it. I never imagined I'd live a pain-free life, not after dealing with my disability for so long, but to be able to live with someone who kept it at bay would practically be a miracle.
But just thinking about Devereaux wasn't the same as being near him, or feeling his wonderful hands on my skin. I was still here bed-bound in the orphanage while Devereaux was trapped on the castle grounds, unable to come to my side for whatever reason.
Pascal's uncertainty about Devereaux's claim wasn't completely misguided. I, too, wondered why Devereaux was trapped there. But I believed him when he said that even he didn't know the answer. Maybe the next time I went there, we could try leaving the grounds together. Would the guards let him through if I asked nicely?
"Hey. Florian."
I craned my neck towards Pascal, who was smirking.
"You were zoned out while I was talking to you," he said.
I flushed in embarrassment. "Oh! I'm sorry."
He chuckled. "It's fine. I was just saying how smitten you are and you proved my point."
My body felt warm. Was I smitten with Devereaux? I supposed so. Nobody else in the world ever stirred these feelings inside of me.
Pascal suddenly narrowed his eyes and grinned like a smug cat.
"What?" I asked.
"Have you... y'know?"
"Have I what?"
He pointedly gestured at my lower half. "Had sex with him?"
Heat flooded into my face. "Pascal!"
As usual, he shamelessly grinned. "It's an honest question!"
I might've been less embarrassed if I hadn't just pleasured myself to thoughts of Devereaux, but now Pascal's comment reminded me of just how intense my feelings were. I never thought of myself as a sexual person before, but now...
I opened my mouth to respond but before I could get any words out, the floorboards outside groaned.
Then the door to the bedroom flew open to reveal an enraged Headmaster.
My blood turned to ice. How long had she been standing outside the door? How much of our conversation had she heard?
Pascal stumbled back. He stood close to my bed, as if acting as a barrier between me and Headmaster.
"Headmaster!" Pascal said, forcing chipperness into his voice. "I was just checking on Florian to make sure he's—"
She cut him off. "In bed again? Of course. I've never met a lazier omega in all my life, always making up excuses for why he can't do anything around the house."
Normally I wouldn't have been so hurt by Headmaster's accusations, but it stung while I was bed-bound. A dark voice in the back my head whispered that maybe Iwasjust lazy. I could get up if I really tried, even if it would fry all my sensitive nerves.
I was too exhausted to stand up against Headmaster. Her yelling was the last thing I needed right now. I honestly just wanted to lie here quietly until she went away. It wasn't like anything I said or did would change the way she thought about me.
Pascal bristled. "He's not lazy! He's sick!"
"Is that so?" Headmaster countered. "Well, he's apparently well enough to whore himself out."
The word struck me like a slap in the face. My jaw fell open in shock and I lay there, frozen.
