“You two must be so in love,” Maxx sighs, and Tess shivers.
“They’re far too young for that,” she explains, and then it’s my turn to cringe.
Our conversation is interrupted by Delphine as she pokes her head in.
“Would you like me to clean this up when you’re finished or wait for the study session to be over?”
“You can clean in here throughout the day,” Tess directs, and I do my best not to sigh. I’d have a hard time ordering someone else around to clean up my messes like that; I’ll take my own plates to the kitchen, thank you. “Lord knows they’ll turn this room into a disaster.” She’s smiling now as she gazes at Parrish.
“Yes, ma’am,” Delphine agrees with a polite bow, even though she only has a few days of work left. I wonder if Parrish returning makes her feel safer, if she might be inclined to stay? Then again, I can’t decide if she’s guilty or not, so it’s probably best she goes. “And welcome home, Mr. Vanguard,” she adds, drawing Parrish’s attention her way.
He blink a few times and then shrugs one shoulder.
“Thanks.”
Delphine disappears and we dive back into our studies. Again, Tess stays with us pretty much the whole day, but I’m happy to see her pounding keys on her laptop. Writing a new book perhaps? I almost hope so; I’d forgotten how damn good she was.
That evening, I make sure to stay away from Parrish’s room until Tess tells the boys good night, drops in to do the same for me, and then leaves. I get up, leaving my schoolwork on the bed, and return back to my spot at Parrish’s side.
“She told me I shouldn’t sleep next to you without a shirt,” he tells me right off the bat, and I sigh.
“Are you sure you want to tell her about us?” I ask, and Maxx gives us both a sharp look.
“That’s a terrible idea. I’m telling you right now: you will not like what will happen after.”
Parrish returns his friend’s look with one of his own.
“I don’t want Dakota to be a dirty secret,” he explains, and X sighs. Chasm just shakes his head.
“He’s right. Tess will lose her shit. She might even send Little Sister here back to New York.” Chas pauses and then narrows his amber eyes. “Although, I guess she couldn’t because Justin’s got full custody now.”
“Don’t remind me,” I reply, feeling that surge of frustration all over again. I can’t stand this feeling of waiting and wanting anymore. First with Parrish, now with Maxine. I don’t think I’ll handle weeks of prolonged suffering very well; I need solutions now. “Let’s just focus on these finals, celebrate at prom, then we can dive back into a real-life Agatha Christie novel.”
“Prom …” Chas begins with a long sigh. “I’ll go, but I’m not about to be happy about it.”
“You’ll be thrilled,” Parrish drawls absently as we snuggle up again. “We’ll be the hottest thruple on campus.”
“You think that’s funny, but everyone is going to be obsessing over you already. Once again, I don’t think you’ll like what this does to your popularity.” Chasm rolls over and then kicks off one of his blankets in annoyance as it tangles around his legs.
“Whitehall is going to be hell tomorrow,” Maxx breathes, sighing dramatically. “If you need me, I’ll be on standby. I don’t give a shit if I have to kick some fourteen-year-old’s ass: I’ll do it.”
“Nobody doubts that for even a second,” Parrish agrees, but he sounds genuinely pleased by the idea.
Monday morning, Tess gets a call from those two FBI agents—Agent Takahashi and whatever the angry redhead’s name is—and finds out that Parrish needs to go in for another interview.
“You’ll only miss today,” Tess tells him, but I can see that he’s furious. If only the FBI was as easily swayed by Parrish Vanguard as everyone else is. “There are make-up exams available on Friday; I already inquired. You’ll be fine.”
“You’d think I was the one who did the kidnapping,” Parrish says with a curled lip. He waits for Tess to step into the garage before turning and grabbing me for a kiss. I beat him to it, getting on my tiptoes and pressing our mouths together. His tongue delves between my lips right away, hot and insistent.
The move reminds me of our first kiss—my very first kiss—and I smile against his mouth.
Chasm sighs with annoyance but waits patiently off to one side.
“If I can manage to get away sooner, I will,” Parrish promises, putting his hands on my hips and glancing over at Chas. “Let them all know that as soon as I get back, they’re in trouble.”
“I’ll try; they’ve gone feral,” Chasm says with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Even your baby sister was on the attack.”
Parrish narrows his eyes to slits, flicking them in the direction of the staircase as descending footsteps sound in the hall. His gaze locks with Kimber’s as soon as she appears from around the corner.
