Zane’s gaze moves to the monster behind me and then back to me, and his brows fly up as if to say, “What the fuck?”
My eyes close, and I sigh heavily. Honestly, this would have been so much better without Rathyn right behind me.
“What the fuck does that mean? His companion?” Zane asks when I don’t explain, his voice cracking slightly.
Quilliyn leans forward, his elbows on the desk, his chin cradled in his hands as he listens intently, a tiny smile playing at his lips.
“What’s going on, Ev?” Zane asks. His stare pings between Rath and me, his fingers digging into my shoulders so hard it makes me wince.
Rathyn steps up beside me, and his tail moves up, flicking Zane’s hands from my shoulders.
Zane stares at him with wide eyes. “Excuseyou.”
I glower at Rathyn and then turn my attention back to my roommate. “I’m sorry. I got caught up with stuff. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t come home! I thought…” His words choke off, and he swallows loudly. “I thought something bad happened.”
“I’m sorry. I completely lost track of time.”
Zane’s gaze moves toward Rathyn, and his fists clench. “Ishethe reason you lost track of time?” I nod, and Zane huffs. “Fine, you can tell me all about it, but I want to hear it without that creep looking over your shoulder.”
“I am not a creep. I am the commander of armies.”
Zane just flips him off, making Quilliyn laugh softly while Rathyn murmurs something in his language to him. It’s a low,questioning hum, and I wonder if maybe he’s asking what the middle finger means.
I hope Quilliyn isn’t totally honest. I don’t want Zane and Rathyn to hate each other forever. Not that we’ll be together forever, but still.
While Rathyn is distracted, Zane grabs my arm tightly and leads me away from the two monsters, guiding me into the locker room. It’s much quieter in here, and I take a moment to breathe in the silence.
“Seriously,” Zane says after a long moment. “Tell me what the fuck happened last night? Do you need me to sneak you out of here? I have money. We can totally flee the country…”
I shake my head, cutting him off. “No, I’m good. I promise. Just…well, Rathyn…the monster…he offered me a position working for him.”
God, what a terrible lie. But I mean, Iambeing paid for it, so…
“What does that mean? What kind of position? Is that what the companion thing was about?”
“Yeah, and you’re not going to like it.” Zane holds his breath as I figure out how to word it. “I’m gonna live with him for a bit.”
Zane’s eyes widen, and his mouth drops open, clearly at a loss for words. “What the fuck?”
“Yeah, and it’s a done deal, okay? Some people are gonna come and move my shit out of the apartment?—”
Zane shakes his head. “No. No fucking way. I’m not letting you shack up with a fucking monster, Ev. You’re my best friend, and I swore I would take care of you.”
My heart twists in my chest. “Yeah, I know, but this changes nothing. I’m not in danger, okay? This is just something I need to do.”
His mouth opens and closes, and his voice goes soft and more vulnerable than I’ve ever heard it. “But…what am I supposed to do without you?”
I freeze when the door opens behind me, and I see Quilliyn and Rath move into the locker room, their rainbow eyes on us.
Zane’s mood switches immediately, and he flips them off.
I let out a loud sigh. “You really need to stop that. He probably has no idea what it means.”
Zane leans over my shoulder. “It means fuck you, asshole!”
“Oh my god,” I hiss and then pull Zane a little further away from the two overly curious Vyastil. “Look, I’m really sorry about this. I know I should have discussed all of this with you, but fuck, it feels right. And honestly, I’m getting paid for my time.”
