Page 30 of Secrets at Dawn
“Do you think I should skip class today?”
Griffin turned. “If you don’t, we need to call Riley, so you’re not alone.”
Toby followed him down the hall and into the kitchen. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You have to stay safe, too, Griffin.” Toby sighed. He didn’t understand why Griffin was so nonchalant about everything.
“My dad has my schedule. He knows everywhere I’ll be and will check on me throughout the day. I’m also planning on putting up wards around myself.” Griffin pointed to a to-go mug and lifted his eyebrows.
Toby nodded. “I want to know your schedule, too.”
“How do you take your coffee, Toby?”
“With just a little sugar and a lot of cream. Are you going to give me your schedule or not?”
Griffin sighed. “Not.”
“Why can’t I have it?” Toby took the to-go mug when Griffin slid it across the kitchen island.
“You don’t need to come to my worksite. If there’s an emergency, call or text. I’ll come.”
Toby shook his head. “Or you can give me your schedule so I can check up on you, too.”
“I need the fucking space, okay?” The hurt was clear when Griffin ran a hand through his hair. It was etched into his forehead. That was when Toby noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
Toby wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be alright, but he didn’t know if it would be. He didn’t know how dangerous the dickwads really were. He knew Head Dickwad could attack people in a public park and in broad daylight and that he couldn’t fight nearly as well as Toby could. Head Dickwad would target people whom he thought were weaker than him. He may view weakness as being only physical, which was always a mistake and would bite a person in the ass. And he’d take whatever he wanted from people regardless of their willingness to give it.
Toby’s main problem was that he had lost control of the situation. The second he magicked Wet Dickwad into the creek was the second he gave them leverage. He didn’t know how to get it back. And he didn’t know what to do about Griffin either. All he knew was that Griffin made his heart ache. And that meant he was already in too deep.
Chapter Sixteen
Toby could swear he felt Griffin’s pain. It mirrored his own in some ways.
Toby’s pain made him want to go to Griffin. He had an instinct to protect Griffin almost from the first time they met, but since their talk that morning, he also wanted to take care of Griffin. He wanted to make all that hurt disappear.
Professor Mistol talked about the ethics of magic use, which was this week’s unit. It included several reading assignments and a paper. Toby couldn’t concentrate. He thought about Griffin’s withdrawal. He used his work as an excuse not to have to deal with the pain Toby had caused him. He probably fell into his work for a lot of reasons when he had things he wanted to avoid. His hustle mentality was a crutch.
So maybe they had the same problem. The break was a difficult one and probably the wrong move for Toby to make. Hindsight being what it is, Toby might have to grovel later. They handled it in the exact opposite ways, though. But that was alright, too.
Toby darted his gaze to Riley. Riley jiggled a pen in his grip until the professor said something Riley deemed important enough to make a note.
Toby hadn’t taken a single note, but not because he thought he had a great memory. He was about average in his learning ability. Toby just couldn’t concentrate on anything, and he was exhausted.
Riley tapped his pen on his notebook. Once. Twice. He cleared his throat.
Toby zeroed in on what Riley pointed to with the end of his pen.
You okay? You seem off today.Riley wrote in the margins.
Toby picked up his pen. He at least had his notebook open. Not that the professor gave a shit if one of his students failed the class. Toby had learned during his first week of college, three years ago, that no one was going to hold his hand or hound him to get the work in. He was the master of his own fate. So he tried hard because, again, as an average learner, he needed to put in effort.
Something bad happened last night.Maybe he shouldn’t tell Riley about it. Especially if Toby and Griffin wouldn’t work out.
Riley raised his eyebrows and nodded toward Toby’s paper, as if telling him to keep going.
Griffin found an envelope on the sidewalk in town with my name on it. It was a threat because I stopped the attack on that wolf shifter in the park the other day. And I’m being watched all the time.
