Page 84 of Stealing Embers
I can’t help the laugh that springs from my chest. I think I have a girl-crush on my roommate.
Steel glances at the door above my head and bares his teeth before zeroing in on me. “Just make this easy on the both of us and tell me what your second and fourth period classes are so I can prepare.”
“Easy on the both of us?” The laugh that shoots out of me is forced and full of disbelief. “What would be easy on the both of us is if you just left me alone. You don’t need to do this.”
Scrubbing a hand down his face, Steel shows the first real signs of weariness. He cracks his neck and heaves a sigh. “Listen, I’ll try not to be so invasive, okay? But you’re wrong; I do have to do this.”
My gaze flits over his face, taking in the dark smudges under his eyes, the clumps of hair falling over his forehead, and the pronounced worry lines between his eyebrows and stemming from the corners of his eyes.
I don’t understand what makes Steel tick, but I do believe that he believes this is something he has to do.
Placing two fingers on each of my temples, I massage in circles. A headache is going to hit me any minute now. Steel has that effect on me. I don’t have the energy or desire to fight him anymore tonight. I just want him gone so I can sleep.
“History and math.”
Pulling his bottom lip into his mouth, he bites down on the flesh and nods once. “See you in the morning.”
As I watch him turn and start down the hall, I think about the end of our dinner this evening. Greyson and Sterling wouldn’t look his way, Ash glared daggers at him, and Nova barely ate any of her meal. This stunt of his, however justified he thinks it may be, is already causing some ugly waves.
“Steel.” He stops when I call and turns his head. I can only make out the side of his face. “This isn’t going to make you any friends, you know? You’re only pushing the people closest to you away.”
It’s several heartbeats before he responds. “Not having friends isn’t the worst thing that can happen in our world.”
As he rounds the corner and disappears from view, I can’t help but agree.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The rubbernecking is worse than the day before. Hunching my shoulders, I focus on the shiny marble floors and put one foot in front of the other, moving at a brisk clip.
Would pretending I’m not suffocating under the heavy weight of everyone’s regard make the trek between classes more bearable?
Nope. It does not.
“This is awful,” I side-whisper to Ash, ducking my head even further and digging my chin into my sternum.
“It will blow over. I promise.”
My knuckles whiten as I grip the stack of textbooks plastered to my chest. “How quickly?”
Yesterday was bad, but today has brought me to a new level of Hell. Not only have the stares and whispers increased, but I also have a six-and-a-half-foot Neph “shadow” today. Steel has escorted me to and from every class this morning. That alone is bad enough, but he insists on following about ten feet behind—his idea of being nonintrusive, I guess, but really it’s just awkward.
I don’t need to turn to know he’s there right now. I feel his eyes on me like a fiery brand. I itch to escape.
A large body side-checks me before looping an arm around my neck. I swerve to the left before being yanked back. “Hey there, sis! Welcome to the family.”
“Sterling, what are you talking about?” I’d dig my fingers into my temples if my arms weren’t filled with books.
“Now that you’re with my brother, we’re practically related.” He bends over and matches my five-ten height. “Between you and me, I like having a hot sister.”
I free an arm to shove the giant man-child away. “Ew. That’s gross. You’re not supposed to think your sister is hot.”
He wags his eyebrows at me.
“But that’s beside the point. What’s this about me and Steel?”
“Oh, I see you haven’t heard that juicy rumor yet.” He slants his head to check over his shoulder before continuing. There’s a flash of anger in his eyes that I’ve never seen from the jovial twin before. Fallout from Steel’s actions, no doubt. Sterling and Greyson are not happy with their older brother at the moment. If he wasn’t currently making my life so difficult, I may have been able to drum up some sympathy for him, but as the situation stands, I’m fresh outta f—
“Apparently the fine angel-borns in this institution think stalking is a sign of true love.”