After a few minutes, I decide she’s had enough of it.
“I didn’t expect to find you there,” I say. “Of all the places I thought you might be, my father’s dining room wasn’t one of them.”
She keeps her attention on the window for a few seconds, watching the lights of the city pass by.
Then, slowly, she turns towards me.
“I had lunch with my father earlier. He had some business in the UK and made a last minute visit,” she says quietly. “Afterwards, he suggested dinner with one of his associates. I was already there, so...” She shrugs. “It didn’t feel like something I could refuse.”
I study her closely.
There’s something in the way she says it. Like she didn’t even have a choice in the matter.
The thought does nothing for my mood.
I knew I should have at least punched the bastard.
Looking at her, she seems tired.
Not just physically, she looks worn.
And because of that, I don’t push.
For once, I leave it alone.
The silence that falls between us remains for the rest of the drive and follows us all the way through the helicopter ride back to the academy.
By the time we arrive, darkness has fallen.
The car pulls up outside the private dormitories and, before I can say a word, Piper has already opened the door and disappeared into the cold November air.
I follow a moment later.
Without so much as a glance in my direction, she makes her way towards her building.
I find myself following before I’ve even made the decision to do so.
She must hear my footsteps because she stops and turns.
“Not tonight, Hunter.” Her voice is quiet, but there’s no mistaking the resolve behind it.
It stops me in my tracks.
I say nothing and make no move to follow.
I simply watch her.
She turns and disappears inside the building, the doors slide shut behind her.
I remain where I am, staring at the entrance long after she’s gone.
With one last look, I head towards my own dorm.
Just for tonight.
Because tomorrow is another matter entirely.
Tomorrow, I won’t be so easily kept at a distance.
