Viktor’s arrogant behavior during dinner really burned my ass, but Ryder’s response to all of it made me so proud of him. Louis and I were chatting about how much we loved the fact that Ryder didn’t let on that he noticed Viktor’s attempt to make him feel less than the others at the table.
I turned my head to the right when more people walked in. There he was. I relaxed the moment I realized it was Ryder and Finn. I focused on his face when I noticed that his demeanor wasn’t that of a relaxed young man who’d had fun in the Apollo suite. The smile on my face quickly faded as I stood. My pulsepicked up when I saw Will standing in the hallway looking at me. I pried my gaze off Will and stared at Ryder’s face.
“Ryder—”
“I don’t feel well, Atlas. How much longer before we can leave?” he asked. His voice was tense, and I didn’t think the wrinkle on his forehead could get any deeper.
Louis came to stand beside me, and I glanced over Ryder’s shoulder at Finn.
“Finn, did something happen while you two were mingling?”
“No. Well, yes. Ryder got a bad headache and went to get some fresh air,” Finn explained.
Something happened.
I know something happened.
I’d seen Ryder in his home after witnessing Roger Craig grab him abruptly. Even then, Ryder hadn’t seemed as tense and bothered as he was now.
“Yeah.” Ryder swallowed hard and sidestepped me to reach for his glass of water at the table. “Bad headache.”
I asked, “Did you talk to anyone?” My mind raced as I tried to figure out what had happened.
“Yes, we talked to some students and staff,” Finn said.
Louis and I looked at one another briefly before I went back to assessing Ryder. It was more than troubling to me that Ryder suddenly wouldn’t make any eye contact.Had someone said something to him? Had someone done something to make him feel uncomfortable?
“Was everyone kind and friendly?” Louis asked them.
“Yes,” Ryder finally said. “Everyone was fine.”
“Mr. Christos, Ryder was dizzy when he stood up.”
I reached my hands out and gently wrapped them around Ryder’s upper arms. His body tensed under my hands, and he turned sideways and leaned against the back of one of the dining room chairs. He’d moved out of our physical connection for themoment. I felt that much of the progress I’d made with him over the past weeks had just gone out the window. I wanted to keep my hands on him, but with such a large event going on around us, there were always eyes watching. Too many people were already curious about Ryder, and he didn’t need me giving him any reasons to propel into a scene to draw more attention. I was damn near about ready to turn the Apollo suite inside out and interrogate everyone who was in there tonight. At minimum, I was ready to locate Will and find out what the hell he knew.
Without looking at me, Ryder asked, “Atlas, can we go soon?”
“Now.” I glanced at Louis as I gingerly put my hand on the back of Ryder’s shoulder to nudge him forward. “Let’s go, Ryder.”
“Travel safely back to the city,” Louis said.
“Thank you, we will.” I quickly faced Finn and held my hand out to shake his hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Finn. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you more on campus.”
“Yes, sir. It was good to meet you.” Finn kindly pressed his fist against Ryder’s upper arm. “I’ll see you Monday, man.”
“See you, Finn.”
Quietly, Ryder and I walked to the hallway together. I knew Louis would get all the details he could from Finn about the evening. During our walk to collect our coats, Ryder hadn’t spoken or raised his head. I scanned the hallway to see who, if anyone, was looking at us. Will lingered in the hallway across from the dining room. He was with a group of Kings and Kaleb, but his gaze was locked on Ryder and me. He seemed to purposely have stood there so he could see who went into or left the dining room. Tonight was the first time he’d seen Ryder. Could he have been instantly hooked? If he’d been unhappy with my selection of the young man who was destined to be his, I doubt he would have been lurking around so much. Perhaps these were my first glimpses of an obsessed Will.
Professor Marteens and Professor Wilson were near the coat check talking quietly. As Ryder and I walked closer, they cut off their conversation and looked at us. As we reached the desk to collect our coats, I acknowledged the professors silently by nodding, and managed to force a smile onto my face. They returned the smile and nodded back. I prayed that neither stopped us to start a conversation.
“Ready for your coats, Mr. Christos?” the man at the coat check counter asked.
“Yes, please.”
“Shall I also summon your driver?” he asked.
“Please.” My gaze immediately went back to Ryder. I noticed that he was staring blankly at Professor Marteens’ tattooed hand as it dangled loosely at his side. “Doing all right, Ryder?” I asked.
