Page 6 of Forever We Fall

“Yes, you are,” Miss Booth agrees.

The phone rings, and the secretary and I both jolt. The guy beside me does not.

“Willoughby Ridge Boarding School,” she chirps. Her forehead wrinkles. “Professor? Well, yes, I’ve been on the phone. It’s my job to answer the phone. Yes, he is.”

The secretary’s blue eyes find the guy beside me. The corners of his mouth turn up like he knows exactly what’s going on. I’m glad he does because I sure as hell don’t. I look at the door again. Thankfully, it’s still closed.

“No, not yet,” the lady says. “Headmaster Bridgeport is with a parent right now.”

I can’t fight the tremor that seizes me. It burns my side, twists my stomach until sweat coats my brow, and dims the edges of my vision. In the tunnel, all I feel is rage.

Parent?

Parent my ass.

“Are you sure?” Miss Booth bites her lower lip. “Right then. Sure, I will. Yes, I have it.” She hangs up and eyes the guy, who most definitely saw my reaction to her words. “Mr. Kido?”

“You may call me Hota.” He winks.

“Hota.” She licks her lips and swallows his name like a snack.

“Yes?” He gives her a smile.

“Your professor said you should not see the headmaster. You’re not in trouble.” She sets down her pen and sinks her hands between the cross of her legs. “He said it was just a misunderstanding.”

Hota tosses an arm over the back of the chair. The tips of his fingers come close to my shoulder. Too close. My insides twitch once more. “I understand perfectly.”

I’m sure he does.

The secretary can’t be more than twenty. She has no business working at a school where she’s the only source of straight male fantasy. Then again, I think she likes the attention. Her lashesbat, and she leans forward like she’s going to say something to the guy beside me.

The door handle to the headmaster’s office rattles. I’m already pretty fucking upright, but I straighten more. The secretary does too.

This little field trip has been an interesting experience. It will have to sustain me for the next few weeks. I know he’ll have found a problem with this place. He’s found a problem with them all.

He’s running out of time to get me enrolled, though.

I can’t listen to the tiny positive voice that has not yet been beaten out of me.

Hota straightens too, only more slowly than the rest of us. His eyes are on the door without looking in that direction. He’s slick, this guy. With the ladies, well, the only one I’ve seen in months. With making sense of the obscure. With everything, it seems.

The headmaster bursts out of the office with a jolly smile. “Well, Mr. Judge, welcome to Willoughby Ridge.”

Somehow, I school my features. I don’t jump from my seat and throw my fists in the air. Somehow, I manage not to say, “Oh my fucking lord! Thank you, sir.” Somehow, I give an almost smile and a sedate nod.

“Right then.” The headmaster claps. “Mr. Kido, perfect timing.” He points at the guy beside me. “You can show our newest student to his room. It will be your suite.” He swings his finger between me and the guy. “You two will share a bathroom, which might seem bad.” His gaze lands on me. He has no idea about bad. “But it’s better than the youngsters. Communal bathrooms.” His nose wrinkles.

“No problem, sir.” Hota stands and hoists his backpack onto his shoulder.

My uncle gets to the office door, looking like a bridge troll with his big shoulders and unsightly glare aimed at me over the headmaster’s shoulder.

The young guy steps imperceptibly to his left, placing himself between my uncle and me. He winks as though he shifted on purpose and motions toward the exit. “It’s this way.”

“Wait.” Geoff’s command rattles my bones.

I grip the arms of the wooden chair and hold myself completely still.

“I want to see your room,” he says, though I still can’t see him thanks to this guy, Hota.

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