Page 100 of A Lesson in Obedience
“WHAT?!” I almost leaped off the floor, but her hand found where I rested mine on the ground.
“It wasn’t for long and he was spouting all his normal rhetoric, but he plans to hurt River or Grayson for messing up his plan with the wolves. They removed one of his assets and he wants retribution. Maybe he’s bluffing. I don’t know, Asher.”
“Then we can have Ike or another wolf stay here with River, so they can tell us if something goes wrong. Grayson will be close to you, so we’ll know. We can make it work, so please don’t push people away.”
She squeezed my hand and I found myself not wanting to let go. “I just don’t know how much more I can take, knowing I’m the surrounding factor. It’s not fair to anyone. You could fight for me and you’ll get hurt…I could end up hurting you if I’m not careful. Look what I did to…”
“Stop. Just stop with his mother. You have remorse. So much fucking remorse for this person who wanted you removed from this world and yet, you still think you’re a problem. You are actually too good, little liar.” I traced a circle on the top of her hand.
She took in a shaky breath. “You knew my dad, right?”
“I did.”
“Sometimes I wish I had the power to go back in time, you know? Tell him not to leave the house or something. Chancellor Fowler keeps pushing to try to be this parent and I’ll never see him that way. Not because he’s a literal monster, but because I already have a dad—had a dad, I mean.” Her voice broke for a moment, but she kept going. “He also told me that I was too good for the world, and he wished that I didn’t have to ever face the bad things so I could keep my confidence and positive outlook.” She chewed the inside of her cheek, while her tone wavered as she spoke.
She was looking at me now, her bottom lids wanting to overflow from the tears filling them. “One of my favorite places to go was the San Diego Zoo, so rain or shine if I was feeling bad, he would take me there if he was able to. There was a time during my senior year that I didn’t know what I was doing with my life. Mystic Riegan was always an option, but I just wasn’t sure. He didn’t ask me much about anything when we walked around, but at one point he looked at me and said, ‘Riley I…’” She stopped talking and closed her eyes, lifting her face to the ceiling. It looked like she was mentally counting to ten before she gave me her attention. “He said, ‘Riley, I don’t think I’ve seen a more genuine smile than when you are right here. I don’t care what you do after high school, but make sure it makes you smile just like this and I’ll be h-happy no m-matter what.’” She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, her shoulders shaking from crying. “I miss him and this entire mess makes me think of all the other people I could lose. I’ve already lost Marianne; I just can’t go through that again. I don’t really know why I’m telling you this.”
I looked off to the side, trying to find the right way to say what I wanted. “I don’t either but I’m…happy you did. Did it make you feel better?”
“I think so. It doesn’t change what’s happening, but at least you weren’t a total dick and told me to just suck it up.”
I used my thumb to wipe under her eyes. “I’m sorry about the things I said about your dad before. Before everything withushappened. I think I was just…a little…” I cleared my throat deciding that if no secrets is what we all decided on, I shouldn’t break that kind of trust. “Riley, I was the one who met with your dad the night he died. I’d already left campus before everything happened with Chancellor Fowler. I didn’t mean to keep him so long, but he was a good man. He’d seen a few interactions with my father and well, we talked from time to time. It wasn’t a particularly good day and I wanted someone to vent to and he was there. I think I…I just didn’t want to consider what would have happened if I would have stayed and kept talking to him. Chancellor Fowler wouldn’t have felt the need to speak to him. I’m just—sorry.” The words came out so fast and I didn’t know if I had said them too fast or if I was even speaking in complete sentences.
She threaded her fingers through mine. “Thank you for telling me. We both have a lot of regrets, but that won’t help us win this.” She squeezed my hand and I felt the sensation throughout my entire body. “Did you tell him about just your dad or did you talk about River?”
I felt Beau’s breath near my face and I side-eyed him to shift away from me. I was starting to like the familiar, but not that much. “Really just my dad, but River came up a few times. Thomas was really easy to talk to and sometimes things just came out. My father didn’t have money growing up and he was adopted by humans who never really appreciated his telepathic ways. He met a well-off man at a part time job that grew fond of him and also had telepathy of his own. He helped my dad harness his powers and when he turned eighteen, he left home to live with this wealthy man who gave him all the things he could ever want…he even wrote my dad into his will.”
My jaw ticked. “My father was taught that your own power was important but creating more, gaining more kept you ahead of the rest. It made you the best. And showing off the fact that you havesurmounted so much power was important. It made sure you were talked about, kept at a level of superiority. When my parents met and got married, my father wanted to give her all the things and when hisbenefactordied and left him everything…I’d already been born, but I hadn’t ascended into my own powers yet, so he waited. He waited for me, he waited for River, and let’s just say he took the showing off portion too far.”
“Asher…” she started, but I shook my head.
“I always wanted to make my dad proud, but at some point, it always felt like it was never enough. I didn’t want to go into strangers’ dreams and meddle just to prove how strong I was. I didn’t want to take elixirs that his witch friends would make to try to improve my powers. I was a fucking kid, but when he didn’t have me, he moved onto River and that’s when I needed it to stop.” I found my voice drifting off into the place I didn’t like to go, back with my brother and his scared helplessness that I always tried to fix. “Our dad was worse on him all the time. If I said no to things, I got scolded, but when River did it was like the world was ending. He was never a fan of how River latched onto me…well, until he learned how to fight for himself. Before then, I fought for him.
I, umm…. I may seem hard on him, but I’ve always wanted the best. Not in that weird pretentious way, but I just wanted him to be happy but safe. I got into his dreams all those years ago because what my father was, what heis, haunted his dreams. I just wanted to make it better. I’m a hard ass, but I could have gone to any school, yet I chose Mystic Riegan to be closer to him, to keep an eye on my father. I’ve tried my best, Riley, I really have.”
She cupped my cheek and stroked her thumb on my cheekbone. “You are a good brother, Asher.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, scanning her eyes along my face. “Mmhmm. I’m going to assume he doesn’t…know or remember all the more invasive things you’ve done?”
“He doesn’t. I think he chooses to blockthings out and that includes everything I helped him with. We bicker now, but there was a time I was like a shield for him and he loved it.” I ran a hand through my hair, but kept my other hand locked with hers.
Her hand was warm against my face. “We all love your brother. You, me and Grayson, and we’ll protect him. What you’ve done won’t be for nothing.”
I leaned into her touch. I didn’t know why, but it felt like the right thing to do. It felt good. “And we’ll protect you. That’s it.”
“Your caring is showing again,” she teased, sniffing as the last of her tears fell past her chin.
I grabbed her wrist and leaned my face down, kissing her. Her lips were soft and inviting, opening up for my mouth. The kiss was slow and our tongues were lazy as they moved together. I pulled away and kissed her forehead, saying against her skin, “You’re ours to protect.”
37
Grayson
Iwas looking over my shoulder more frequently, not exactly sure what I was afraid of. Everyone knew the plan and I kept checking my phone to make sure I had the time right. I bounced on my feet while I waited outside my last class. I knew Riley would be coming this direction anytime now and in about an hour she would be headed to the Celica meeting and I would be monitoring, just like Asher wanted.
I wasn’t going to encroach on Chancellor Fowler’s plan and cause more problems, but I was more than happy to watch over her. And if something did pop off then I wouldn’t hesitate to ruin anyone who threatened to hurt her, but for now, I would stay in my shadows and let her deal with things until she really needed me.
