Page 171 of Forever Defiant
“You, alone and idle, wanting to do something without waiting for others.” She ticked them off her fingers. “Offended? Or just frustrated we all know you so well already?”
“I’m offended you seem to have figured me out so quickly,” I muttered. “I always thought I had more of an air...”
“Of mystery? Yeah, it’s more like a cloud of trouble.”
“Wow.” I didn’t hide my grin, though. “How’s your dad taking this?” It was a random question, but it was worth it to see her flustered, a little table turning, and I felt the ground beneath my feet firm up more.
“Dante? Or this?” She gestured to the apartment.
“Both.” I settled on the chair and waited.
“He’s adapting.”
“He asked me how much you’d told me.”
Savannah didn’t say anything for a moment. “What did he think you didn’t know?” Her tone was casual, but she fidgeted as she waited for me to reply.
“I don’t know, he was pretty accepting that it wassomething, and I didn’t push.”
“Why?” She looked surprised. “That’s not like you.”
“I always find meetings with the dean to be tense affairs.” I pulled a thread from the sleeve of my sweater. “He holds the power to keep me here, or see me out. I like to stay on his tolerance side.”
“Histoleranceside?” She gave a light laugh. “Not his tolerant side?”
“Nope. I don’t think I’m on it; I’m at a level of tolerance that might get me there, but not quite yet.”
Savannah considered it. “In that case, I may be there too.”
“Hey, Savvy, can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
“Are we actually going to stay in their apartment, or are we going to snoop?”
She met my look and grinned. “I’m trying to be good.”
I stood with a flourish. “Fuck good, this is what I was born to do.” I gave her a conspirator’s grin. “You want to come to the paper archives with me?”
“Am I allowed?” she asked skeptically as I headed to Dustin’s room.
“Who cares! It’s called research.”
“It’s called being a nosy bitch,” she corrected, following me quickly.
“To-may-to, to-mah-to!” I stood in his room, checking I had everything. “You want to come?”
Savannah nodded. “I’m ready.”
“This is why we’re going to be great friends,” I told her with a wide smile, and we set off together to snoop.
They were already home when we returned. Dante looked between us, reading the defensive line.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“What—” Savannah was going to deny it.
“We utilized the resources that are available to us,” I told him.
