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Swiping a hand down my face, I spin back to the main building and notice Erikel in the far distance, watching me. He was obviously watching the interaction between my father and me. Why? I don’t know. Maybe he is monitoring his trusty sword, but he doesn’t have anything to worry about. That man is Basilica’s mighty warrior more than he is my father.
Maybe it would be better if he really was dead. Then, my heart could still idolize my childhood hero instead of tearing it all to shreds in the form of the man standing before me.
Silence echoesin my ears as my pulse flickers harsh and fast. The company of just the air around me once brought solace and calmness, but today, it’s turned the walk to the locker room into a war in my mind.
Chatter and murmurs quickly eliminate the silence claiming me as I head inside. A few of the guys glance in my direction but no one says a word. Zane spots me first as I stop beside him, pressing my thumb into the hanger as Eldon’s eyes catch mine.
I can sense the worry and concern around them, but I don’t have it in me to console them right now. Instead, I focus on getting changed. Thankfully, my brothers give me the space I need to do so, but I should have known it wouldn’t last much longer. The second I’m ready to head out, Zane steps in front of me so I have to meet his stare.
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” I grumble with a sigh, the irritation clear in my voice.
Zane’s eyebrows furrow deeper as he plants his hand on my shoulder but I shake him off. “You know you can always—”
“I said I’m fine,” I interrupt, in no mood for his pep talk.
“That’s cool, man,” Eldon says calmly, appearing beside Zane. “I get it, it’s all a lot to take in and none of us can imagine what you’re going through right now. It’s going to take a minute for you to figure it out for yourself before you can even piece it together to share with us. So, you can be gruff and shit with us, that’s all good.” I don’t respond but my shoulders relax everso slightly. “But what you don’t get to do is use that same tone with Raven. We all know she’s going to be worried, as she’s a protector. She’s going to want to make everything okay for you.”
“I wouldn’t,” I balk, my muscles bunching at the thought.
“I’m just being sure,” Eldon states, patting my shoulder before taking a step back.
Fuck.
Turning for the door, I head out without a backward glance. Using the smallest reprieve of silence to get my shit together before I see her. As if sensing herself in my thoughts, her gaze latches on to me the second I step outside. A ray of light peeks through the clouds for the first time in days and lands right on her.
It intensifies the worry in her blue irises as her eyes pinch. Leila is talking beside her but her words are completely lost on Raven, who is solely focused on me. I stride toward her, almost barreling her over as I come to a stop, cupping her cheek as I invade her space.
Eldon is right. No matter what I’m feeling, Raven doesn’t deserve any of my wrath or misplaced anger.
“I’m okay,” I breathe, attempting to calm her concern. “He just wanted to be clear where his loyalties lie,” I admit, the words falling from my mouth without thought, but now that they’re out there, swirling between us, I’m not upset about it.
“With them,” she murmurs, a statement, not a question, and I nod in agreement.
Her hand finds mine at my side, squeezing tight as I stroke my thumb over her cheek. The rest of the students around us disappear. It’s just me and her, basking in a little ray of sunshine for the smallest of moments, but it clenches my heart.
“We’ve got you, Creed. Always.”
“I know.”
She pushes up on her tiptoes and caresses my lips with her own. My soul settles, my body relaxes, and a different kind of need takes over me, but she’s stepping back far too quickly for me to turn it into more.
I couldn’t give a shit who is around us right now.
I just need her.
“Let’s go,” she murmurs, tugging at my hand, and we fall into step with my brothers and Leila.
Following the crowd, we head toward the patch of grass that is framed by the forest at the side of the lake. Murmurs fade to silence and a different kind of tension washes over the space.
“Where’s your father, Leila?” Brax asks, and we all turn to look at her. It’s only then that I notice her eyes are a little red, but before she can open her mouth, a clap garners everyone’s attention.
Five of the students from Basilica’s institute stand in a line, dressed in their usual gear that almost seems like armor.
“Let’s get this class started, shall we?” the guy in the middle calls out, a sneer tipping his lip up.
“Where’s Professor Fitch?” Genie asks, more curious than anything, with a smile teasing her mouth.
