Page 30 of Laid Bare

“Ready to go, Bailey?” Zane murmurs, a bright smile stretching across his face the second I make eye contact with him.

I’m about to retort that class isn’t over yet, but the bell rings, signaling that this period is indeed over.

“Yeah.”

After grabbing my stuff, I toss a wave over my shoulder at Thaddeus and follow the brothers out, dragging my feet as slow as I can because I really, really don’t want to go to my next class.

Professor Asshole’s Transmutation class.

Yippee.

Not.

The doorof the containment room slams shut after Bailey and the Acheron brothers walk out, leaving me in silence. I stumble back, hitting the wall and sliding down until my ass hits the floor. Composure was easy while they were here, but now that they’re gone? Shame makes my face burn over what I’ve done.

Things used to be easy for Sunshine. She didn’t have a care in the world, and she was learning. Thriving even.

Now, because of my impulsive actions against Veronica—the callous bitch—she’s being targeted as a homewrecker. A whore. A mistress. And she’s anything but.

I know these assholes know it too, because a lot of them were there that night and witnessed why I sent her ass packing back to Faerie.

But they don’t give a shit. Now that they know Bailey’s true origin, they know the moment she retaliates, she’s done for. The showdown at the gala has left Bailey at a huge disadvantage, unable to fight back against those who threaten her. It’s only her first day back in classes, and fuck. Somebody has already talked about casually raping her.

No wonder Bailey’s always been scared of supernaturals.

Getting to my feet, I drag my hands through my hair as I head toward the door. The hall of the containment rooms is dead silent, along with every other hallway I pass through on my way back to my room. There’s more than enough food there to avoid the dining hall.

Not that I want to. But I hope without my presence there, Bailey will be able to eat in relative peace instead of taunting whispers assaulting her ears.

After taking the steps two at a time, I emerge into the hallway of the staff dorms, my eyes immediately going to Bailey’s room. She’s not in there, I know that, but I wish we could go back to right before the gala.

She was so damn happy. Always smiling. Care-free.

Now it’s like darkness has overtaken any happiness she once had.

The distance she’s put between us since the scene in the gala, her more formal words, all of it points to her no longer being comfortable in my presence. And here we are, stuck together for classes every day of the week. But there’s no one else I would trust with teaching her. I don’t even want those brothers in the room when she’s learning, not that I can do anything about it.

Council sanctioned bodyguards. I blow a raspberry, thankful to be alone. I don’t believe that bullshit for a second. There must be another reason. One I’m determined to find out.

Lunch goes by quicker than I’d like with my mind focused on all things Bailey-related. The food I pulled out to eat remains untouched on my coffee table, and the new snowflake charm I ordered after the gala sits in its protective packaging, just waiting for a use.

The plan was to make her a new glamour charm, but the unexpected call from my sister stopped that idea. She was very adamant that Bailey continues her journey without hiding who she is. It was useful in the beginning when she was first learning, but now Talia swears it’s time for Bailey toownit. Whatever the hell that means.

She’s the one with the seer abilities, so I’ll have to trust what she says.

The alarm on my phone chimes, knocking me from my thoughts and alerting me that it’s almost time for classes to resume. Third period is my last class of the day, and the one with the most troublemakers. If I could call out, I would in a heartbeat.

But being a winter fae, I don’t contract the common ailments that humans do. Other supers may, but me? Never once have I had a cold or a fever.

So that leaves me without reason to miss any of my classes during the week.

I take one last look around my apartment, then leave my room, the door snicking shut behind me. It would be simple—easy even—to portal down to my classroom, but I find myself enjoying the simple action of walking where I need to go.

In Faerie, everyone pops in and out of where they need to be, never really enjoying the scenery because every fae has a go, go, go mentality. I’ve always been the opposite, though when I visit home, there’s always so much to be done that I don’t have any other choice but to go, go go.

Now that I think about it, there’s a human saying that fits what I like to do perfectly.

Stop and smell the roses.

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