Page 55 of Peaceful Chaos

The hour drags on, and I'm not really absorbing any of the information. My notes look more like chicken scratch than my normal handwriting. I'm not sure any of this is actually helping me stay up on my work, but at least I won't have another absence on my record.

I'm so out of it, I don't even realize when class is dismissed until everyone is shuffling out the door. Jenna is wearing the same frightened expression on her face, but hurries to the front of the room to speak to the professor. It's the first time she hasn't left class a few minutes early. Her back is turned toward the room, so I can't snoop on her conversation.

A large body steps in front of me, blocking my view completely. I tip my head up to see who is standing in front of me with a concerned look on his face. Of course Sin chooses this exact moment to walk in the room.

My vision is still impaired a little from the concussion, but I manage to focus enough to recognize the guy as Ford's teammate. He and Sin exchange some kind of manly nod, and we wait for him to explain why he sought me out.

"Ford didn't come to practice this morning, and no one has been able to get a hold of him. You guys are friends with him, so I was hoping you'd know something. He doesn't really hang with the team much anymore, so no one knows anything," he says, cutting right to it.

"He and I were in a car accident last night. We were hit on the driver's side, so I'm in much better shape than he is," I explain, using the story we came up with on the ride to class. We'll have to let Ford know the details before he returns, but at this point there's so much we're keeping from people I doubt he'll flinch at having to tell yet another lie.

Sin reaches down and grabs my bag, then he offers his hand to help me stand. He turns to Ford's teammate. "Sorry, we didn't think to tell the team. We were up late sitting with him at the hospital, and then this one," he tips his head in my direction, "decided to be stubborn and insist on coming back to school with a concussion. I think his phone was broken in the accident. We'll make sure to call the coach and update him on his condition."

"Tell him I'll get his assignments," he offers.

"I'm sorry, I never got your name the other day," I apologize and wait for him to offer his name.

"I'm Daniel. Is he okay?" he asks.

Sin tucks me into his side and answers Daniel. "He's home now." Another lie, but we couldn't have people trying to visit him at the hospital when he's at a private facility. "He's got a worse concussion and more bruising. I'm not sure what that means for football, but he'll figure it out."

Daniel tips his head and heads for the door. I lean closer to Sin so I can speak quietly without hurting my throat. "We really should have thought about letting someone on the team know what happened."

Sin raises his eyebrow, and I roll my eyes. "Okay, at least a version that makes sense."

I look over to the front of the room, and I'm surprised to find Jenna is already gone. "Hmm," I mutter to myself.

He scans the room looking for a threat before his attention settles back on me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I say with a shrug. "I was going to at least point out the new girl, but she's already gone. The professor told her to stay after class, and I assumed the conversation about her poor attendance would have taken longer. Maybe talking to Daniel took longer than I thought."

"C'mon, we're going to be late ourselves if we don't get moving," he urges and leads me toward our next class.

The rest of the day drags, and by the end of it, I'm sure I'm being punished for my stubbornness. My ears ring constantly, increasing the steady pounding in my head. Letting Sin know how I'm feeling is not an option. The last thing I want to do is tell him he was right and I should have stayed home.

I can't help the sigh of relief that escapes my lips as our last class is dismissed. Unfortunately, it's the one farthest from the parking lot. Together we make our way through campus. Every so often I catch one of the Chaos soldiers weaving through the crowd. They do a much better job blending in than the FBI agents did.

Thinking about the FBI reminds me that my injuries prevented me from learning what happened with my uncle. "Sin, how's Grant? Did you find him?"

"He's still an asshole, but at least he's alive. He was left as a message from Damien."

"And that message?" I ask.

"That he's onto us. No one is above his retribution. Take your pick."

"Tell me we're done watching and waiting. He's been playing us, and I'm tired of being a pawn."

Sin nods. "Beyond done." He stops suddenly and scoops me into his arms.

I squeak as my feet leave the ground. "What are you doing? You can't carry me across campus!"

He chuckles. "Please, you barely weigh anything. Besides, you're moving slower than a hibernating turtle. We've got someone coming to see us."

My supply of stubborn determination is depleted for the day. The gossiping assholes will have more ammunition, but fuck them. I'm spent, and being in Sin's arms is my favorite place in the world. I can remind myself I'm mad at him later.

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