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“For fuck’s sake, Gem, he doesn’t mean here,” Royal says.
“I know,” Gemini says as he winks at me. “But if I don’t follow instructions, Synny’s gonna get pissy.”
“I swear to God—”
“He kinda has a point,” Royal says quickly, cutting Syn off. “Tori wore that dress to support me at the game. And she’s in the bedroom upstairs because I told her to move in there. You told me she was only going to stay in the basement for a couple of nights and it’s been weeks. Whether you agree with my decision, I’m the one who made it and Tori’s only listening to what I told her to do.”
Syn’s glare morphs into a look of incredulity as he turns to Royal. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“When you look at it, she was late to dinner. Because of that dick professor. No other initiate has ever been kicked out for breaking a rule, without punishment.”
“Being kicked out is her punishment, and I don’t have to answer to you about it.”
Royal sits back in his seat, settling an ankle on his knee as he relaxes. “No, but if you think Gemini’s annoying now, how do you think he’s going to be tomorrow? Next week? Christmas? How much peace do you think we’re going to get if he’s not allowed to do at least one punishment he’s had lined up in his perverted little brain for the past month?”
Gemini’s mouth drops open. “Hey, I’m right here, dickhead.”
As whatever this is turns into friends bickering and insulting each other, I keep quiet. I need to stay, and much as I’m not sure I’m even capable of receiving Gemini’s punishment, the last thing I need to do now is voice my opinion.
“Ah, come on, it will be fun,” Gemini whines.
Syn rolls his eyes. “For who?”
“Definitely for me. I think Royal will enjoy it, and I also have a feeling Vixen is depraved enough, that she’s gonna enjoy it too. You might too, if you could remember how to laugh.”
I’m honestly expecting Syn to snap. Instead, he looks down at his hands in his lap and rubs his thumb over the bandage wrapped around his other palm. Royal and Gemini share a look, and I get the feeling that neither of them know what happened to Syn’s hand.
“Fine,” Syn mutters. “If you all want to delay the inevitable, let’s.”
With a small squeal of excitement, Gemini claps his hands together. “Tomorrow morning, you’re going to meet us in the entrance, and we’re all going to go to breakfast together.”
I wait, but Gemini doesn’t give any more details, even when Syn asks.
XXXIII
Tori
Even though Gemini has said we’re all going to breakfast together, I still get up early to make sure the table is set, before I return to the house to wait for the others, as instructed.
The three of them descend the stairs together, as if they had a group chat to coordinate their entrance. Royal’s skipping whatever workout or training he’s supposed to be at, and like Syn, is dressed impeccably in his uniform.
I’m not sure there are many colleges that enforce the uniform rule, and until moving into this house, I’d never really cared either way. Until I had to spend time running back and forth to swap between whatever clothing Syn decreed I needed to wear…
Of the three, Gemini’s wearing his uniform in the vaguest sense of the term. Black, ripped skinny jeans instead of the dark blue pants guys are required to wear. He probably is wearing a shirt, though the top buttons won’t be fastened, and won’t be wearing a tie. But all of that is hidden beneath the thick, black hoodie he’s wearing.
The band aid that had been on Syn’s temple yesterday is gone, and I can make out a thin red line beneath the light brown hair that’s falling over his forehead. Both of his hands are in his pockets, but I can still see the crisp, white edge of a bandage poking out.
He doesn’t look happy. Not that I’ve ever witnessed more than a twisted, evil smile directed at me, but there’s something about Syn today that seems off. I almost ask him if he’s okay, but I catch myself and remember that he’s a dick, and I don’t care.
With his hands in the big hoodie pocket, Gemini jumps down the last two steps, landing just in front of me. “Ready for your punishment, Vixen?”
“Could you just ground me and send me to my room?” I mutter.
“But then you’d miss out on eating breakfast with us.”
There’s absolutely no way on earth that the only punishment is that. There’s clearly a catch…
Tilting his head, Gemini looks me up and down, as if he’s only just seen me. “Why are you wearing that?”
