“If you can do that for me, I’ll give you your land legs.”
Just like that.
No, not just like that, because despite myself, I feel the guilt already seeping in.
I’ll do it. I don’t have much of a choice, but I’m going to fucking hate it. I’ve said it before; I don’t think Wren would be hard to like, but this...
“I can do that,” I assure him without hesitation, because I can. I’ve seen how easy she is to impress, and with Gavin there, it would be so easy to make myself look great.
This time, his smile is a little bit more real, and if I’m being honest, I think that might make him look even scarier.
“I knew I could count on you!” He’s back on his feet, moving toward the door, and I know my time is up even without him saying as much.
I stand, moving toward the door in a daze, unsure how this meeting got so out of hand, and that’s why I don’t see his hand until it’s already wrapped around my throat, not that I could stop him, regardless.
“And the next time you want to question my decisions, don’t. I don’t give a fae fuck if she has to sleep on the ground; that’s her dorm. We need her, and all the rooms are full. Figure it out, or I’ll come and handle it for you. I trust we can keep this between us, right?” He shoves me away so that my back hits the wall before he glares down at me for a moment as if looking for something.
When he finally pulls back, he does so with a sneer that is much more like the father I’m used to. He swings the door open, and I head out without so much as glancing back.
So much for ignoring her.
The urge to strangle them was strong.
She’s sleeping on the couch!
But it wasn’t just them I was upset with. I knew about the portal, but it hadn’t even crossed my mind.
I mean, I knew Gavin. He might not get along with her, but I didn’t think he hated her, and even if he did, I thought I’d raised him better than that.
Guess not.
Gavin had every intention of following Nolan. I see it on his face, but I stop him. Reaching out, I grab his arm before I haul him back toward my office.
It’s not like he can do anything while Nolan’s in the meeting. If anything, he will only make it worse. Nolan already looks miserable about having to see his father.
“What are you doing? I need to—” he cuts himself off as I drag him into the office and close the door behind us.
“No, you don’t. Nolan is a big boy. He can meet with his dad and report back afterwards. You’re being there won’t helpanything. You’ll only piss him off and make Nolan’s life harder, you know how his father is.”
That shuts him up.
He might not like it, but he knows I’m right. Nolan has spent his whole life trying to get away from his father; this meeting alone is probably stressing him out. The fact that he asked for it just shows how good a friend he is to my brother.
Though I can’t imagine Nolan loves Wren being in his space either.
It doesn’t take long, and we don’t talk much as we wait. I’m too busy in my head about what I can do to help Wren and how I was so stupid to forget about the portal. Gavin is busy pouting, though I don’t know if it’s from me stopping him or just him being pissy about Wren.
I really don’t care either way.
Nolan doesn’t knock; none of them really ever do unless the door is locked, which is fine by me. I feel like they're just as much my annoying kid brothers as Gavin is, so they might as well act the part.
I know the moment he walks through the door that he doesn’t have good news; it’s written all over his face.
“Is he going to move her?” Gavin asks, shooting out of his chair and scrambling toward Nolan, looking so hopeful I almost feel bad.
Almost, but not quite, because Wren didn’tdoanything to him to warrant this reaction.
She doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment, but I can’t make him understand that without telling him everything she’s been through, and I can’t betray her confidence like that.
