Page 121 of Whispers of Wisteria
Oh well, better him than me. I probably just saved his life anyway. One day, his shenanigans were going to catch up to him.
I looked at the door again.
“Can—can I go now?” I shifted my weight. My voice shook more than I wanted, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle any more questions.
“Why do you want to leave?” he asked.
“I—I have plans,” I told him.
Uncle Gregory tilted his head. “What plans?”
I sucked in a breath. There was no way I could tell him I was helping Gloria. That’d be a whole new lecture I couldn’t mentally deal with.
He’d made his opinion very clear.
Not that it was any of his business. Uncle Gregory was so confident, but… surely my sage would have warned me if hereallymattered.
Unless… This could be one of those teaching-through-omission moments. That sounded exactly like something he’d find hilarious.
But the book said—
No. Someone would have corrected me by now.
Still, I was following the rules.
Just not Uncle Gregory’s.
“I’m…” I pulled on my sleeve. What would be an acceptable reason to run away? “I’m looking into what classes I’m taking next semester.”
“Any ideas yet?”
Why! Why was he choosing now as the perfect moment for polite conversation? Couldn’t he read a room?
“Yeah, s-sure,” I flustered and focused on a loose thread. “Maybe Introduction to Psychology.”
There, I picked something that he’d like. There was no way he could find it lacking.
“Interesting,” he replied, leaning back into his seat. His glasses caught the edge of the light, and his voice was mild as he said, “And here I was, under the impression you loathed the subject.”
I was screaming in my mind. Why wouldn’t he shut up? He was doing this on purpose, I just knew it.
I didn’t want to talk to him, but I also didn’t want to be rude. My hands began to shake. I didn’t know what to do.
He paused, gaze moving over me, then waved his hand. “You may leave.”
I left before he could change his mind.
18
Damen POV
Bianca was rattledwhen she practically came running out into the hallway. She didn’t see me, obviously couldn’t hear me, and walked quickly in the opposite direction.
Whatever Gregory had spoken to her about must have really bothered her, because she was in the stairwell before I caught up.
“Bianca,” I said, grabbing her arm.
She jerked, but then looked at me, already masking, and my guilt grew.
