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I grinned. “I’m thinking yes. Would be an idiot who’d bar the mother of the woman he loved when that mom was coming around to check on her.”
She grinned back but didn’t reply. Her head ducked as she turned away, and she moved to an SUV that I knew Peter had either given to her or was letting her drive. Maybe there was something more permanent about their sleeping arrangements than I’d originally thought.
Then I stopped considering it, because I had a lunch to get to, a lunch I knew I’d have no appetite for.
TWENTY-SIX
Bailey
Rolling over in bed, I picked up my phone and saw my mom was calling.
I hit Decline, like I had been since Kash told me she and Peter were sleeping together. I didn’t know how I felt about that. I didn’t know if I could feel a certain way, so I was avoiding. Chrissy would be able to spot me being fake in two seconds, so avoiding was the better option.
And rolling the rest of the way out of bed, I didn’t have long.
Three days ago, Kash had lunch with Victoria, so I was also avoiding her and her minions.
I was avoiding Matt, too. Or I was avoiding Naveah.
I stayed in the apartment all weekend and I hacked. I studied. I did coding. I was in computer heaven.
Melissa called on Saturday night to invite me over to Liam’s for pizza and the latest gamer console that had come out. Dax and the guys were in their own heaven, but I didn’t go. I didn’t want to ask if Hoda was attending and I didn’t want to put them in the situation where they felt they had to choose one over the other. So, again, I was avoiding.
The only person I wasn’t avoiding was Kash, and that was because he came home after lunch. He had a dark and intense look in his gaze as he made his way through the apartment. He picked me up, took me to bed, and he laid claim to me for the rest of the day. The way he was doing it was as if he needed to either brand me into his skin or brand himself into mine. I wasn’t altogether complaining, since he made me see stars three times that day.
This life we had was working out just fine by me.
He was a workaholic. So was I. So he’d go and work. I could do the same.
He’d come back in the middle of the night, wake me with his mouth between my legs, and I was purring within the hour.
But it was Monday now and I checked my phone right before hopping into the shower. Melissa.
Today is Peter Francis day! Are you excited?
A second buzz.
I mean, you probably aren’t since he’s your dad and all, but we’re excited. I can already feel the group buzzing. That’s how it always is whenever someone from Phoenix Tech comes in. Oh hey. You want me to grab you coffee? I was going to stop at Bucks since it’s a treat day for us.
Today was Peter Francis Day.
Jesus. Shit.
I raked a hand over my face.
I wasn’t ready for this day, but I typed back.
Me: Whatever that has the most espresso. I don’t care. Just load it up.
Melissa: On it! I know exactly what to get you. See you at school!
The!! All the!! So many!!
I was already hoping this day was done and I hadn’t gotten into the shower yet.
* * *
When I got to school, I got a surprise. I was invisible.
I loved it.
People did not give one crap about me.
Melissa hadn’t exaggerated, which was also a nice surprise.
They were buzzing. There was extra energy in almost everyone, professors, even Busich and Goa, as I spotted both in the hallways. Like everyone else, they didn’t blink an eye at me. Not once. There was extra security in the hallways. I recognized some from the Chesapeake Estate, but a few had on Hawking University apparel, so I was assuming the university had kicked in with its own security, too.
When I walked into the computer lab, Melissa shrieked. She almost flew across the room to me, my coffee in hand. “Here,” she breathed, pushing the cup to me. “Have you seen him yet?”
My phone had buzzed a few more times this morning.
Kash checking in, like he usually did.
Another call from my mom.
There were two texts from Peter.
I’m going to your class today. Did you want to ride together?
And
I’d like to speak with you before your class. Wait for me outside.
That’d been it.
I hadn’t replied to the first one because I didn’t get it until I was halfway to the university. And the other … I murmured something to Melissa. I didn’t know what it was, but it appeased her and she went back to her computer.
