Chapter Seventy

The drive to school goes by too fast, leaving me wishing that I had a little more time to gather my thoughts into a neat bundle to be tucked into the back of my mind. I pull the wagon into a parking space farther from the doors than is really necessary, feeling that the few extra minutes that it will take to walk to the school may offer the little extra time I need to feel ready. Adrian sees the way I deliberately pass by multiple open spaces to park farther away, and I can feel his gaze on me as I put the SUV into the parking gear. I turn to him with a smile, playing it off as I unbuckle my seatbelt. “I want some more time alone with you before we have to go inside,”

The crease in his brow disappears at my explanation and he smirks at the confession, reaching to touch my thigh. “All you had to do was ask,” He says, humor lacing his words. “Let me get the door for you.”

I nod and allow him to exit the vehicle first, coming around the front to open my door for me. He holds his hand out with a flourish and I accept it, stepping from the warmth of the cab into the chilly breeze outside. I don’t recoil as much as I have the past few days, which makes me feel a bit proud of myself. Maybe I’m getting used to this cold weather, after all. I reach to lace my fingers with Adrian’s as we head to the building, our steps in sync with one another as we walk. “So, what did you do while I was gone yesterday?” I ask casually, deciding to bring the subject up while we’re around other people. Not that I expect that he would lie, either way, but the listening ears that pass by give me some peace of mind, insurance, if you will. Surely some of them know about Jasper’s Madness curse and have noticed his absence the past few days as well.

Adrian doesn’t miss a beat, his content expression unchanging. “I went to see Jasper, like you suggested,” He says, making my stomach drop. Though I suppose it isn’t entirely a mistruth, the fact that he says it so easily makes me feel a bit disappointed. So, hiding something from me is no problem for him. At least it eases my guilt a bit when it comes to keeping my secret from him; It makes us even in my eyes.

“Oh, that’s good,” I say, keeping my placated smile and my tone light. “I haven’t heard from him in a few days, so I was starting to worry. Did he seem okay when you saw him?”

Adrian glances at me with a reassuring squeeze of my hand, knowing that I’m really asking about the sickness he has. He told me about it himself, so I shouldn’t be so nervous about bringing it up, but I feel the back of my neck slicken with sweat anyway. “He’s okay,” He says, comforting my concern. “He should be here today. Should I ask him to come to see us between classes?”

“Sure, I’d like that,” I say, hoping that my tone doesn’t sound as plastic as it feels. He doesn’t seem to notice as he guides me ahead of him when the pedestrian traffic thickens the closer we get to the ancient building. For no apparent reason, I crane my neck to glance up at the spires far above us, eyes scanning the windows that look onto the green that we’re walking across. A shape stands in the window of the tallest point of the building, lifting a hand in a wave at my noticing them. I stare back for a moment, realizing that the figure is The Dean, watching from above. Has he always looked over the campus at his students? I guess I just havent noticed until now, thanks to my heightened senses. In fact, the whole campus is alight in the corner of my mind with all of the different auras that each person brings with them, reminding me of an energetic Christmas tree with diversity. Like the dorm rooms from yesterday, I can even classify each person into one of the three species that attend classes together. I wonder vaguely if it’s just as easy for everyone else to tell one another apart like that. How strange would it be to be able to sense things so clearly your whole life? I guess it’s only strange to me, though, since I haven’t been able to do it until now.

Starting to feel a little overwhelmed by all of the different sensations that are tugging for my attention, I take a steadying breath of Adrian’s scent beside me, allowing the hints of mint to clear my mind and bring me back to the present. I realize that he said something and is waiting for my response, looking down at me expectantly. I offer a guilty smile, feeling the warmth of his hand in mine and focusing on his presence, allowing it to drown out the others around us. “Sorry, what did you say?”

He quirks a brow in curiosity. “Penny for your thoughts?”

I give him a coy smile, glancing around to make sure no one is listening to us. Just to be safe, I lean closer to him as we reach the doors, pausing as Adrian holds them open for me to enter ahead of him. My lips brush his ear as he leans down to help me reach him to whisper, “Just thinking about last night.” I don’t wait to see his reaction as I go ahead of him, walking into the warmth of the corridor. The door falls shut and Adrian’s hand is on my arm, pulling me to stay beside him as he catches up.

I could almost swear his cheeks seem a bit more red than usual, but he masks it well with a cocky grin, reaching to adjust the collar of his shirt. He didn’t bother dressing warm today, wearing a simple fitted T-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. It seems like he’s getting comfortable enough with me to dress how he actually wants to, instead of feeling the need to impress me with his style. As expected, he dresses about the same as every other guy, but he puts a bit more effort into his grooming, at least. I like the short sleeves, though, because it shows off the tattoos on his skin that disappear up his arm, teasing everyone and leaving them wondering what the full sleeve looks like. Not that any of these people will get to see for themselves, unlike me. The thought makes me grin and I bring my hand up to wrap around his bicep. I look up at him through my lashes innocently.

Adrian pushes me away from him playfully, but keeps his grip on my hand to pull me right back to him. He’s in a surprisingly good mood today, surprising me with his open displays of affection despite the stares that it brings us. I guess now that it’s publicly known that he and I are Mates, it isn’t such a big deal. I’m glad Adrian doesn’t feel the need to act like there’s a stick up his ass anymore. “You’d better behave,” He whispers, wrapping his arm around my waist to pull me closer.

I snicker, gazing up at him expectantly. “Or else what?” I tease him, earning a discouraging look from him. Though I can tell that he’s still joking, his expression tells me that I already know what would be the outcome, daring me to make him say it out loud where everyone can hear him. I’m not embarrassed nearly as easily as he is, but I decide it’s best to keep my mind out of the gutter for the time being. I’m grateful for the light-hearted air around us now, so I’d rather keep it that way to help with the oppressiveness of our classes.

Adrian guides me into our lecture hall and to an empty seat, which is easy to accomplish considering that we’re still ten minutes early. I decide to play on my phone until class starts, unbothered that Adrian watches over my shoulder as I scroll through my social media, checking in on my followings. I’ll have to make another post for my Instagram sometime this weekend in order to keep my credibility up as a model, but my last series of photos seems to have done well enough. I glace at Adrian’s expression as I check my number of followers, pleased to see the mildly impressed look on his face. I’ve checked his accounts too, and he has a decent amount of followers despite his lack of content. He’s just handsome enough that no matter what he posts, people will flock to him regardless.

It isn’t long before the Professor enters the class room, followed by a familiar head of white-blonde hair that sneaks in behind her, taking his time to find a seat. Adrian’s demenor changes as he also recognizes the late comer, following their retreat to an open seat with a deathly glare. What is Vincent doing here? I didn’t think that I would share any classes with him, considering my major. As if sensing my thoughts, he turns to look at us over his shoulder from the seat he chose a few rows ahead of us. He grins and nods his head in a greeting, shooting me a wink.