Page 92 of Class Studies
Ashe shook his head. “Fuck, A, Officer Keres doesn’t hate you. He wants to find a way for your illegal magic to fucking exist in society. That’s it.”
I flattened my lips. “When I see proof of that, I’ll believe it.”
Ashe grunted. After eyeing me for another moment, he held out his hand to Saffron and gestured for his phone. “Only because A has a good point.” Ashe’s beard bristled. “See, I’m learning to fucking share.”
I snorted. Waking me up for some one-on-one time in the morning was not learning to share.
Ashe took Saffron’s phone and put Beryl’s program on it. I assumed Ashe added him to the group chat that had spontaneously started in Metaphysics, but I wouldn’t know.
“I forgot! My phone’s broken.” I hit my palm against my forehead. “I didn’t tell Beryl!”
Ashe frowned. “You fucking didn’t tell any of us.”
“Ah, right.” I tugged on my braid, unsure if I should share something which happened between just me and Beryl with all my boyfriends.
I took a deep breath. I really had no idea what I was doing with five men in my life. I made light of it last night, but balancing personalities didn’t sound like something I could do. I couldn’t even hang on to a single card in the stupid social game Tederwinkle made us do in Moral Philosophy.
“Do you know how it broke?” Saffron asked, turning to me from his spot on the couch.
I clenched my jaw. “I broke it while taking a picture of something in the restricted section.”
Saffron raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Keith warn you about that?”
I wanted to kick the Greek God. “He did, and obviously I forgot.”
Saffron grunted, and I had an urge to lunge forward and strangle him.
Ashe still stood tapping his foot and scowling. “I’m not sure if I’m authorized to get you a replacement.” He squeezed his phone before bringing it to his face. “But I’ll let the group know. I’ll add fucking Tanwyn, as I’m probably stuck with him, too.”
“You’re stuck with us?” Saffron scoffed. “You can be on your way out anytime, asshole.”
Ashe ignored Saffron and looked at me. “Something feels fucking wrong. Even here, mages have a right to privacy. The MA only had access to dorm rooms if there was suspicious activity, and even then, it was a fucking mountain of paperwork.” He shook his head. “Tederwinkle shouldn’t have fucking access, and I’ll find out who gave it to him.”
I hugged myself, Ashe’s words didn’t reassure me in the least.
My Gentle Giant walked to my side and gave me a quick kiss, already focused on his task. After a short dance with Vac, who looked ready to eat Ashe if he made a wrong move, the beast rolled away from the door long enough for the Gentle Giant to squeeze through.
The minute the door closed, Saffron came to my side and rubbed my arms. “The recruiter didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
I laughed, Saffron’s words echoing Ashe’s sentiment this morning. “If this is an excuse to get into my pants.”
Saffron scowled. “Is that all you think I want from you?”
I blinked rapidly. “No, sorry, Ashe—”
The moment the name fell out of my mouth, Saffron tensed. I squeezed my eyes shut before meeting Saffron’s gaze. “You know, never mind. No, Saff, I don’t think sex is all you want from me. I did, but I don’t anymore.”
He relaxed his shoulders and gave me a hesitant smile before kissing my cheek. “Good. Because I want a lot more from you than sex.”
He looked at my lips and leaned forward to kiss them but stopped and leaned back. “Breakfast, my treat.”
I smiled.
* * *
I sat across from Saffron in the eerily silent cafeteria for breakfast. Neither of us dared even pick up our utensils as our peers stared at Vac.
Tanwyn’s summon sat next to my usual spot. His glowing orange and red textured tongue hung out of his mouth as he scanned the room. The tables directly next to mine emptied the moment we sat down. Saffron shook his head and chuckled. He stabbed his breakfast sausage with a fork, and the sound rang. Immediately our peers burst into conversation. A few phones came out, and I swear Vac posed as they took his picture.