She rises with him and turns to my father.
“Thank you for having us,” she says.
“My pleasure,” he replies warmly.
She glances my way and quickly looks elsewhere when she finds me already watching her.
My father looks between us, a question written on his face, and I ignore it.
“Leaving so soon?” my father asks as I move to follow them into the corridor. “Surely you can spare a drink with your old man.”
“Another time,” I reply, already on my way out. “I have somewhere to be.”
He watches me for a moment before giving a shake of his head.
“Very well then.”
Leaving my father behind, I step outside just as they’re preparing to leave, Ashthorne’s driver already holding the rear door open.
“Jonathan.”
He turns.
“I’ll save you the journey,” I say. “I’m returning to the academy. Piper can ride with me. No sense in taking two cars when we’re both going to the same place.”
His attention moves between us, assessing the situation. I expect him to refuse, but after a brief pause he relents.
“Very well.”
He turns to Piper and presses a kiss to her forehead, murmuring something too low for me to hear.
Whatever he says earns a reaction from her. It’s subtle, but I don’t miss it.
And I don’t fucking like it.
“Shall we?” I say, unable to keep the bite from my voice.
Because the longer I stand here and watch them, the harder it becomes to ignore the suspicion that has taken root in my head.
A suspicion I have no proof of and yet can’t seem to shake.
That he might be the one who hurt her.
And if he is, I’ll put him in the fucking ground.
She sends me an unimpressed look but says nothing.
Jonathan gets into his own car, and I gesture towards mine. After a brief hesitation, Piper walks past me and climbs into the back seat. I close the door behind her, circle the car, and slide in beside her.
The moment the door shuts, the space between us feels smaller than it is.
Her coconut scent fills the car, and every instinct I possess urges me to pull up the privacy screen and haul her onto my lap.
Instead, I keep my hands to myself.
As the car moves through the city towards the private heliport, she keeps her attention fixed on the view outside, determined to avoid me.
I let her have her silence for a while.
