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He smirks. “Yeah, sure.”
“I’ll book it for seven o’clock out front.”
Archer winks. “See you then.” And then he walks out of the staff room, leaving me alone with Oak.
When I turn toward him, he’s watching me with an odd look.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nothing, you just seem...”
“Different?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He looks concerned.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to fly off the handle.” I’m not entirely confident of that declaration, but all I can do is hope that somehow I hold it together. “I’m just pissed off with covering math.”
His brow furrows. “I promise I’ll get it sorted. Maybe I can ask Arch to cover some classes.”
I snort. “You know he can’t take a class that doesn’t involve moving around.” Archer has ADHD and can barely keep his attention on anything. It’s why combat and gym suit him as subjects to teach.
He’s always moving.
“I’ll ask the other professors, see if any of them can split their time and help.”
I nod. “I appreciate it.”
“You sure that’s all that’s bugging you?”
Oak has known me for too long, and I know he can sense something else is wrong, but I can’t trust him with the thoughts swirling around in my head.
If he knew the depraved and fucked up things I’d done to Camilla, he’d lock me in my dungeon until I see a shrink and sort myself out. A shiver races down my spine as I remember him forcing me to see a fucking shrink for months after he found me and gave me a home here.
“Certain. It’s just the workload that’s put me off kilter.” I head for the door. “I’ve got anatomy junior anatomy class starting in five minutes.”
“Sure, see you later,” Oak says.
I walk out into the hallway and take a deep breath to settle myself. If I don’t get it together soon, Oak is going to call me up on my shit. Somehow, I need to get Camilla out of my mind and stop pushing the boundaries, before the darkness tears the both of us to shreds and leaves the academy in tatters.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve left carnage in my wake. I fear if I don’t get a handle on the darkness inside of me soon, we’re heading for a train wreck like that night in the motel when Oak found me. Only this time, I know better and if I let the darkness return to the surface; I know I won’t come out unscathed this time.
* * *
The stadium is crammedfull tonight.
I hate places like this as it feels like I can’t breathe, and yet I was so desperate to get some distance from the academy, I agreed.
Clutching a hot dog in one hand and a large beer in a paper cup in the other, I follow Archer to our seats. I don’t normally drink beer, but this kind of place doesn’t serve scotch. “You guarantee there aren’t any students here, right?”
Arch’s brow raises. “Why does it matter if there is?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You said—”
“I know, but I lied.”
“Fuck,” I murmur, running a hand over the back of my neck. “Miss Vasquez is here, isn’t she?”
He shrugs. “I may have overheard that she’s coming to the game tonight, yes.”
