Page 34 of The Revenge

“I didn’t lie, Tori, but it’s more complicated than that.”

“Then you’re the one making it complicated.” Tori sighs. She shifts her weight, reaching for her sweater.

As she fists the fabric, I grab her hand. “I don’t want us to start tarnished by this place. If it’s just two more days, we can wait that long. Leave here, and either you forget about everything that’s happened here, or you don’t, but close the door on this place completely, and let us start something new, together, somewhere else.”

Tori looks up at me. Her eyes look like they’re starting to water, but she gives me a small smile. “That sounds… That sounds kind of perfect.”

XIII

Tori

“You’re late. I said an hour.” Syn scowls at me as he folds his arms.

Gemini uses his foot to push himself off the wall he’s leaning against, joining my side to drape his arm over my shoulder. “Does the professor suffer from performance issues?”

My nose wrinkles as I look up at Gemini. “Huh?”

“He’s old. Did it take him a while to get hard?”

“Fuck off,” I mutter as I shove my elbow into his side. Ignoring his cry of pain, I walk off.

My head is spinning, and much as I would love to blame the small amount of alcohol I had drank, that isn’t the case. I had not gone to Payne’s office with the intention of any of that happening, and what I need is some time to process my thoughts.WithoutSyn, Royal or Gemini within five feet of me.

“Where are you going?” There’s the sound of hurried, crunchy steps, and then Royal is beside me. “Gemini is being Gemini. He’s a dick at the best of times, but you know he doesn’t really mean anything by it, right?”

I wasn’t really paying attention to the direction I’d chosen to storm off, but when I realize that it’s in the opposite direction of Denali House, I decide that my subconscious is telling me something. “To see Penny.”

“You saw her yesterday,” Syn points out, sounding irritated.

“Says the guy who can’t seem to go longer than an hour without Tweedledee or Tweedledum by his side. If I want to see my friend, I’ll see my friend.”

“Hang on a minute.” Gemini runs in front of me. When it’s obvious I’m not going to stop, he walks backwards, matching my pace. “Am I Tweedledee, or am I Tweedledum?”

“More like Tweedle Dickhead,” Royal mutters.

“You want to put her at risk?” Syn asks me.

I whirl around. Syn is close enough behind me that he stumbles to avoid crashing into me. “I thought the whole point of the theatrics at breakfast this morning were to make sure that nothing was going to happen to either me or Penny. Either you have the power that you say you do, or you don’t. Which is it, Syn?”

Syn’s cheeks are already red from the cold air, but I swear, the color gets brighter.

I don’t give him the chance to respond. “You’re the one who decided I needed accompanying everywhere. If it’s that much of an inconvenience, go home.”

“Have her come to the house instead,” Syn tells me.

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t without going to see her. She has my phone.”

Syn’s jaw moves like he’s grinding his teeth, but he doesn’t say anything.

Turning on my heel, I take a deep breath and then continue walking in the direction of Penny’s dorm. Even if his motives are questionable, I know I’m the one in the wrong. I don’t want to walk around campus by myself, and even if it does feel like I’m being accompanied by a bad-tempered snake, I do appreciate them being here.

The problem is that I can’t seem to go ten minutes without being irritated by Syn, and I still need to unpack everything that just happened with Payne.

Thankfully, despite my suggestion, the three of them continue to accompany me all the way to Penny’s room. The corridor is the quietest it’s been for a while, with only a handful of doors propped open.

The speed at which Penny opens the door after my knock has me thinking she was right beside it. “Tori? Am I glad to see you.” Her eyes narrow as she looks at the three guys behind me. “You, not so much.”

Penny grabs the front of my coat and tugs me into the room before quickly slamming the door shut in Syn’s face. Almost at once, there’s loud banging on the door, and Penny opens it.

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