Page 195 of Forever Relentless

He scratched his chin and looked away. “I don’t think he plans to stay.”

His words drew me closer. “I don’t understand? Is he dropping out? Mason!”

“Jesus, Bri, will you let me think?” he snapped. “He isn’t dropping out, but I think he made the motion to . . . move.”

I gaped at him. “He’s transferring?” I stared at him. “Again?”

Mason poured a coffee, fed up with waiting for the pot to fill. “I think so.” He looked up. “But that’s good, right? Getting away from here?”

“No.” I walked over and sat down on the couch. “No. His friends are here. He and the guys are close.”

“The guys who turned their backs on him?”

“It’s been a week.”

“A week too long,” Mason grumbled. “Long time to do something so monumental and be held up and judged for it.” He took a sip. “By everyone.”

“I don’t need your barbed comments.”

He shook his head but said nothing, leaning against my counter, drinking coffee.

“Did he say where?”

Mason nodded.

“And is this also a secret?” I snapped at him.

“Nope. Just not mine to share.”

“You’re not telling me?” He really was the worst brother. “Do I have to guess?”

“Nah. Try asking your boy toy.” Mason finished his coffee. “Okay. If you’re not leaving, I am. Call me when you want a hand coming home.”

I watched him shove his feet into his boots.

“You’re going home?”

“Yup.”

“You make no sense.”

“Okay.” He reached down and kissed me on the top of my head. “Love you. Stop him from being a prick and sort your shit out.”

And with that nugget of wisdom, he was jogging down my main stairwell, whistling.

“I don’t understand men.” I closed the door and paced.

It might have been true. I knew from the others, with whom I had seemingly become friends, that no one had spoken to him yet. Not because they were dicks, as my brother presumed, but because when Noah Matthews shut down, he shut down.

I’d wanted him to understand what it felt like to have a choice taken away.

Instead, I’d punished him for saving me from one I wasn’t brave enough to make.

I tapped my fingers off my thigh.

“Damn you, Mason.” I grabbed my keys and headed out.

I found Savannah first, simply because I knew to go to the tutor rooms in the library. A girl was coming out of a meeting room, and I poked my head in the door and saw Savannah packing up. She looked up when I rapped my knuckles on the door.