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By unspoken decision, we waited until we were back in the suite before continuing the discussion.
“What do you know about them?” He ducked into his room, but he left the door open so I could talk while I headed for the coffee maker.
“I didn’t even know it was athem. I haven’t really thought about it much. Except that the first set of riddles took me out to the pond where RJ was waiting.” That was a surprise enough. “Then Lachlan showed up and I never found out what it was about.”
“It’s a secret society,” Jonas said as he padded back out in a dark t-shirt and pajama bottoms.
I’d just finished pulling the shots when he motioned to the coffee maker.
“I’ll finish if you want to change.”
“Thanks.” I headed for my room. We’d made progress all week restoring stuff here, though I’d literally had the old mattress taken and a new one brought in. I just couldn’t bring myself to lie on it after the shit.
Just—no.
“And a secret society?” I called. Like Jonas, I’d left the door open. He couldn’t see me where I changed just like I couldn’t see him. “For real?”
“Yes,” he said. “It’s a stupid, dated tradition. They’re called Knots and Chains.”
That was—a weird name.
Casual clothing options were limited. I hadn’t bothered with buying more just yet. Aubrey loaned me a couple of outfits, and I still had two of Jonas’ tees. I dragged one of them on right now; it was super soft. Sleep shorts fit on under it.
“And they’re like a real secret society? All Skull and Bones?”
“Yep,” he said and if he followed it with anything, I didn’t hear it over the milk steaming. I slipped into the bathroom to empty my bladder. After, I checked my appearance in the mirror as I washed my hands. You couldn’t quite see where they’d had to shave part of my head to do the stitches.
I’d give the doctors credit, they’d been careful. But I also had to keep my hair loose to cover the missing chunk. If I could make it through the rest of the semester without another disaster, that would be great.
I paused on the way through my room to stare at the empty guitar stand. It was a very real, physical pain for my guitar to not be there. The second one had to be re-strung, and apparently Lachlan had taken it to get it fixed.
He’d even left a note to tell me where it had gone. That was almost sweet. Beyond that, he’d been a ghost. Outside of classes, I hadn’t seen Ramsey either. Though his attention rested on me so firmly in both classes I had with him that I could feel the echo of the weight even now.
With a sigh, I left my room. I hated that empty stand. When I’d reached out to the cops and campus security, both denied taking a guitar, so the one Dad gave me was just—gone.
That…hurt.
Jonas held out the coffee to me as I returned. The latte was practically perfect. “Thank you… you’re getting good at this.”
“You’re welcome.” Not for the first time, he waited until I settled on the sofa before he joined me. Only this time, he brought over a blanket. “It’s a little cold for shorts.”
“I’m out of actual pajama bottoms,” I admitted with a sigh. “Aubrey wants to go to town to get some but I just—I have bought two full wardrobes this year. I almost hate to buy more.”
“You could order some,” Jonas offered as he sat at the other end of the sofa. “I’d loan you mine, but they wouldn’t fit.”
“Well, if they had drawstrings,” I said, trying to keep it light.
"Ramsey’s have drawstrings,” he said after a minute. “I don’t like them. But he’s too tall.”
He didn’t offer up about Lachlan and I didn’t ask. “Maybe I’ll go shopping next week.”
“I can go with you,” he offered. It wasn’t the first time he offered something like that. Where I went, so did Jonas. I hadn’t missed how he and Aubrey made sure I was never alone in the suite, or between classes, or pretty much anywhere.
They’d become my unofficial guardians. It was very sweet.
“One thing at a time,” I said before taking a sip. “What do you know about Knots and Chains?”
“They are the only secret society on campus; they don’t allow others. That’s why there are no fraternities or sororities for the college students.”
