I keep mute. I have nothing to say to him at this moment in time. He is a jerk. That’s my conclusion after my first impressions.
Shaking my head, I lug my backpack from the floor and throw it over my shoulder. “Nora, I’ll see you later.”
I squeeze past the burn in my throat, walking towards the door which he is barricading. His eyes burn into mine, not an ounce of remorse in them. I hear the sound of Nora trying to stop me, but I blank her out as I close the gap between myself and him, my stare hardening as I approach, my feet falling to a halt. We’re toe to toe.
“Thisstuffy geekis looking forward to our time together,” I say through gritted teeth before knocking into his shoulder and walking back down the hallway, my steps quickening as I look for the exit.
I needed out of here.
I was done.
Chapter Five
Royce
My heart jackhammersin my chest. I had never seen someone look so disappointed in me than the girl that just knocked into my shoulder. Nora dashed after her, but not before flipping me off.
Fuck.
Running my hand around the back of my head, I give my neck a squeeze and ignore the way the tension spreads across my shoulders. Slumping on the bed, I drag the drawer open and reach for three tennis balls, throwing them against the wall, one after the other.
I knew Athena was coming, knew she was going to piss me off at the same time. Annoyingly, she felt like a babysitter, and I knew the truth, knew she wasn’t and that she was here for work, but still, it didn’t sit right with me.
I properly messed up there. Not ideal, at all.
Scrubbing my face, I twist by body and tilt my head as I stare out the door, tongue pushed into my cheek. I should have followed, that was the right thing to do, yet I stayed grounded. Sighing I let my eyes lazily trail back to the wall as I begin to throw the tennis balls once more.
My phone begins to ring, and I don’t even have to look at the caller ID to know who it is. Slipping it out my pocket, I press answer and bring it to my ear.
“Do you think there is any way that at some point in your life you’re not a complete idiot?” My dad’s tone is harsh, gravelly, and I shake my head.
“Sorry,” I mutter, the sound of the ball hitting the wall filling the room again
“You don’t have to apologise to me, Royce. You fucked up, again. You knew Athena was coming, you knew the deal and yet…” He trails off and I hear the sound of a heavy sigh pass his lips. “I can’t keep having the same conversation with you.” He sounds defeated.
I hold onto the ball, staring straight ahead. I hate that he sounds like that.
“What do you want me to do?” Sincerity laces my voice as I wait for instructions.
“I just want you to behave. You wouldn’t get away with this anywhere else.”
He is right, I know he is. I do push the boundaries more than I should, but I think it’s because I know deep down, he won’t do anything about it.
“Okay,” I mutter quietly.
“Thank you,” he forces out before the phone line goes dead.
Dropping my phone to the bed, I rest my head against the wall and slowly avert my gaze towards the door, weighing up my options. After a few moments pondering over what I should do, I push from the bed and storm from the room, closing the door behind me.
I have no idea where they would have gone, but my first bet is Nora’s office, if not hers then Anaïs’s. I don’t talk to anyone as I make my way to her office. I stop just outside the door and try and work out what I am going to say to make it right. Sorryseems like the right word, but is sorry enough? I am a douche bag, I know that. It’s not like I do it on purpose… it just kind of happens.
Messing my dark hair up, I knock on the door and wait a moment or two for her to call me in, but nothing comes. I knock again, this time a little louder and still nothing.
Furrowing my brow, I look up and down the hallway then trudge my way towards Anaïs’s office. I’m met with another silenced knock and frustration bites at the base of my neck, annoyance flickering against my skin.
Tugging at the root of my hair, I make my way to my dad’s office, hoping he can give me a clue where they may be hiding. I walk straight into his office. His eyes lift from his screen.
“Royce?” He looks surprised to see me.
