“Nobody. I just need it out.” I shake my head, begging him to let it go.
“Wren.” Gavin’s concern is almost worse than everyone else's yelling. “What’s going on?”
“My aunt. She’s going to kill me, just like she did Jordan. It can't be purple. She can’t see it like this.” I sound crazy, I know, but I can’t help it, and I’m sure I don’t look much better as I claw at my hair hysterically.
“Jordan’s dead?” Titus’s question is valid; I haven’t told them or talked about it with anyone other than Dimitri and Felix. Dimitri, because he already knew, and well, Felix didn’t know either of us, so it was easier.
“Wren, why wouldn’t you have told us?” Julian sounds sad. Whether it’s because I told him about Jordan or I hurt his feelings by not telling him, I’m not sure, but I can’t seem to process either way.
Everything’s too much.
“Give her to me.” Nolan holds his arms out to Titus, but he doesn’t seem like he’s asking, and Titus must see that too, because he quickly hands me over.
I feel small in his arms, and when I mumble an apology for being wet, he hushes me, a hard look in his eyes.
I don’t think he minds the water so much, but I know he isn’t big on contact; he’s told me as much a few times now.
“Where are you taking her?” Julian asks, and Nolan seems torn on what to do or where to go.
Same.
“Let’s take her to D. He’ll know what to do.”
I don’t know who that is, but they all seem to agree. Even Felix seems to think it’s a good enough idea that he isn’t fighting.
He catches my eye as we move past, and I’m not sure what he’s looking for, but he seems to find it when he gives a nod and falls into step behind Nolan.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, we do. Now hush and let us help you,” Nolan says, raising a brow as if daring me to continue arguing.
I don’t, and when he tucks me in closer, resting his chin on the top of my head, I let myself nuzzle into his chest and find comfort, even if only for a moment.
Dis Dimitri. How I didn’t put two and two together and get four is beyond me, but I’m going to blame the stress of the day.
What I don’t understand is how he’s going to help. If anyone was going to be of help, I would have thought it would be Julian, but aside from his advice to avoid hot water when we dyed it, he doesn’t seem to have anything else to offer. Well, minus the anxious looks he keeps tossing my way.
I also didn’t expect us to go to his apartment. I knew all the teachers had them, but I’ve never seen them or really thought about them, well, other than the occasional naughty thought, but that’s not important right now.
“What!?” His door flies open, and he’s mad, madder than I’ve ever seen him before, if the look on his face is anything to go by.
His eyes jump from one person to the next before they land on me and go wide.
Yeah, I probably look awful.
“Wren,” he breathes my name with more emotion than I would have thought possible, and with the looks from Gavin and Titus, I’m not the only one who hears it.
“What’s wrong?” Dimitri asks, looking back at Gavin, who’s currently looking between us as if we’re aliens. Julian elbows him and nearly knocks him over, but he seems to get a grip.
“Wren needs help,” Gavin says, holding a hand out toward me as if he’d possibly missed me.
This time, Dimitri seems to keep himself in control, not so much as glancing my way.
“And?”
“For fuck's sake, let us in, and we can figure it out, asshole.” Julian pushes past Dimitri, and with a sigh, Dimitri moves.
That’s not what I expected at all. I didn’t exactly think he would turn us away, but mostly because of me. Julian and Dimitri usually get along like oil and water. I’d have put money on Dimitri shoving him out of his apartment and them getting into an all-out fight before I’d have thought he would just give in.
