Page 98 of Brat Baby
I roll my eyes at her. “What, exactly, did you think my plan was? It’s not like I know where any of them live. My only option is to attack them while they’re on campus.”
“You can’t fuck faculty on campus!”
“Well, I did, and nothing bad has happened. There was no earth-shattering kaboom.”
“Yet!”
I concede that point and nod at her. “Yet. But also, that isn’t going to happen. I just need to convince Derek now. Then we can go back to planned dates at the apartment. No more on-campus fucking.”
The kettle makes its whistling noise, and I quickly pick it up and pour the boiling hot water into the mugs, hoping I’m doing this right. The container says to steep the bags for three to five minutes.
Crap, I left my phone in my room. Oh well, I’ll guestimate it.
Oakley’s ears are still pink when I turn back to face her, but she takes a sip of her drink and eyes me over the rim. The stare lasts an uncomfortably long time. It’s like she is examining me or something.
Just as I can’t handle it anymore, she lowers the drink and props her hip against the counter. “Have you come up with an idea to at least talk to Derek?”
I let out a noisy puff of air. “I thought I had. I was going to join the students that always want to talk to him at the end of class yesterday, but the bastard didn’t even show up. Sent his TA to teach for him. He’s avoiding me.”
And, really, I can’t blame him too much after Monday.
“Do you know anything else about his routine?”
“Not really,” I reply as I pick up one of the tags and kind of dunk the bag up and down in the hot water. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? “I’ve also gone to Grinder almost every morning at about the same time we saw them there, but literally none of them have ever been there. It’s frustrating.”
There is a click from the direction of my bedroom, and both of our heads snap in that direction as a shirtless Xavier walks out.
Fuck.
My focus darts to Oakley, whose mouth is hanging completely open as she watches Xavier approach, press a kiss to my hair, then take one of the mugs before retreating to our tiny two-person table, pulling out his phone, and scrolling.
I’m pretty sure I’m watching her have an actual out-of-body experience.
She points a finger in his direction, and it’s wobbly, before turning toward me, her face a little pale. “That’s Professor Knight.”
I shoot Xavier an amused smile, and I see his lips twitch, even though he is studiously studying his phone. “Yep.”
“In our dorm.”
“Yep, again.”
“He can’t be here.”
“I know.”
“Well, tell him to leave.”
“Look, I could totally do that, but it doesn’t mean he will. He’s been sneaking in here every night practically the entire time, and this is the first time you’re seeing him.”
Her mouth opens and closes like a fish for several moments before it’s like a light comes on and she straightens. “Oh my god! The groceries! And that time your room got cleaned up while you were sleeping. And when our TV was suddenly larger. That was all him?”
I shrug, not acknowledging how weird it is that we are talking about him and he isn’t even four feet away. “I haven’t asked.”
Oakley furiously blinks, almost like her brain is doing a restart or something. “I—but, how—actually, I don’t want to know.”
“Probably a good idea,” I reply before taking a sip of my tea.
The bitter flavor floods my mouth andblergh. I have to work to swallow it instead of spitting it in the sink. Sugar. Definitely needs sugar.
