Page 72 of The Scars Within
Since the awful news of Hogboom’s death, I haven’t had a real chance to talk to Rhodes about the tavern. Or about how he’d scooped me up in his arms and kept me safe during the storm that night. And he hasn’t sought me out to ask why I was so upset on the rooftop. There were several moments when I wanted to find him... but I refrained. I don’t want to send him mixed signals. That would not be fair.
After my outburst about not knowing if he liked having me around, claiming I wasn’t seeing his brother… only to run into him at the librarywithhis brother.
And then kissing his brother.
And going to the tavern with him.
And sleeping in his bed.
And kissing his brother again.
I’m a mess.
This week has been a whirlwind of change. It started with my introduction as an air wielder in class. The relief of being spared from the impossible choice of facing the Burn Trials felt like a boulder lifted off my shoulders.
And learning to wield air? That was exhilarating.
Still, it is more complicated than I’d imagined. Air-wielding requires more focus and precision than I’d anticipated. After a few classes, I could only manage the most basic tricks. But it was progress.
Daydreaming about my element was enough to distract me from my tangled feelings toward the Wylder brothers—until one walked in.
“Hey,” Rhodes said, getting ready for his shift.
“Hi,” I replied, sipping my coffee as I leaned against the counter.
“How’s your week been? I heard you channeled air. Congrats.”
I was a little thrown by his talkative timbre—not his usual norm. But my response came naturally. “It’s been tough, but fun. Laney’s in my air classes, so we get to learn together.”
Rhodes took an order from a cadet, tucking the pencil behind his ear as he approached me. “That’s good. It’s nice you have her with you,” he said with a slight grin, revealing a dimple.
I had to look down at my coffee.
Dimples get me every time.
And I really need to figure out where my head’s at with these damn Wylder boys.
Clearing my throat, I held out my hand for the order form. He handed it over and went to grab the cups. Glancing at the order, I realized we’d need a lot more sugar—this study group of cadets liked their coffee extra sweet.
“Did you refill the sugar canister?” I asked.
“Nope. Too busy watching you play in a puddle of coffee, remember?” he deadpanned.
I rolled my eyes, smirking. “I was notplaying.”
“Whatever you say, coffee bean.”
I laughed softly. “I’ll go grab more sugar from the kitchen.”
Leaving the station, I headed toward the buffets. The kitchen door was behind them, giving the cooks easy access to the spread. I’d never been inside the cafeteria kitchens, and I was surprised at how busy it was. All I’d done at Jaelyn’s tavern was serve food—this was a whole different kind of hustle.
A worker made eye contact with me as she stirred a massive vat of oatmeal. “Sugar?” I asked.
She nodded toward a pantry door. Inside, I found three walls covered in high shelves loaded with cans, plastic containers, and bags of supplies.
There it was—the sugar. At the very top, of course.
I scanned the room for a stool but came up empty. Just as I was calculating how many shelves I’d have to climb, Rhodes walked in behind me.
