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As confident as she was around me, Thea seemed to put her into a tailspin, and she was scowling, taking slow tentative steps back, hoping we wouldn't notice.
“Good to see you again, Thea,” Rachel spat out. “Anyway, I just came to check on you. I’ve got to get a few things tidied up for any potential pledges.”
With thinned lips and folded arms, Thea just watched Rachel slink out of my room like she was her prey. It was strange because although I’d known Thea for a couple of months now, I’d never seen her so serious.
“What was that about?”
Thea waved me off. “Nothing. I’ve just heard a few things from some girls on my course, and I may have confronted her when I was out the other night.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it. Right now, I want to know how you’re holding up.”
My hand gripped the suitcase tighter because I couldn’t exactly say I was fine, but things could have been worse. “I’m okay.”
Thea drew me into a hug. “You know I’m not going to let anyone come near this room while you’re gone. If anyone as so much touches the door, I’m going to make them regret it.”
“Thanks,” I said numbly, still not completely sure how to feel about it all, so I decided to cut it short. “I should probably bring my suitcase downstairs. I don’t want to be charged extra for holding the taxi up.”
“Let me help.”
His voice had the ability to make me melt without trying.
“Tanner, what are you doing here?” Without thinking, I fell into his arms, letting his body fill me up with the warmth I'd been denying myself. His woody scent mixed with cinnamon stirred something deep inside my soul, and the pain of leaving him behind became more real. It was exactly the reason I didn't want to see him before I left, because seeing him meant that I'd have to admit some very hard home truths.
I didn’t want to leave Tanner because I loved him.
It wasn't a shouty, over-the-top kind of love. It was just a constant steady beat for the man that had somehow pushed me out of my comfort zone and the thought of leaving him behind pulled my heart down to the depths of the ocean.
I didn't want to leave him. I didn't want to leave Covey U, and although this was all temporary, it still felt a little too permanent to believe.
“Did you really think I’d let you leave without saying goodbye?” I pursed my lips because I knew the answer he wanted, but I could only give him the one he didn't. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “You can try to push me away as much as you want, but I'm in this with you. I'm going to support you through this. You have no choice now.”
I gave him a small smile, because I didn't know how else to express my gratitude. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“And I’m leaving,” Thea shook her head, walking away. “Why do you guys always have to make it weird between us with your googly eyes?” She didn’t expect an answer. She was already walking to her room, grumbling in annoyance.
“So, you’re leaving?” he said, gripping my suitcase and bringing it to his side. “You know you don’t have to.”
I laughed bitterly. “Well, I’m certainly not allowed to stay on campus for the next two weeks.”
“You could always stay with me.”
“And have Aiden try to charge me rent? No, thank you. Besides, I need to be home with my mom.” Tanner nodded knowingly. Without another word, he rolled the bag out of my room and headed for the elevator. “I can roll the bag myself you know?”
“I know, but I’d appreciate it if you’d let me be the attentive boyfriend for another few hours since I have no idea when I’ll see you next.”
I pursed my lips shut, and he draped his arm over my shoulder, pulling me in. I gladly accepted because, as much as I wanted to think I could get through everything on my own, I was happy Tanner was here to support me.
Chapter 23
I stared at the marble floor as Alex opened the door. We walked out in silence, not really sure what to say. Hazel brushed past me as she leaned against the wall. Her lips were pursed, and her brows were creased. Blowing out breath, I wondered which one of us was going to be the one to break the silence. Hazel gave me an uneasy glare before turning her attention to Alex. “That was crazy,” she said in disbelief. I couldn’t bring myself to talk because no words could describe how fucked up this whole thing was.
Has Aster ever encouraged you to use alternative means to get your grades up? Has she negotiated any extensions or extra credit work with tutors? How helpful has she been with re-writing of your essays? I see your grade jumped from a C to an A-, how did you manage that?
Two hours of questioning and it felt like they had gotten nowhere. Hazel, Alex, and I could deny all we wanted that the help we received from her was wrong, but it felt like they'd already made up their minds about her.
And about us.
