Compounding Traumas (Artemis University #6) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,93

like watching a tennis match. “Can’t we just let the fae dogs eat this guy if he’s such a threat and get a new potions teacher?”

Dean White shot her an unflattering look and waggled her finger at me. “This is your influence. Ms. Kincaid is turning into the third amiga with you and Melody.”

Izzy simply beamed at her. “That’s a great compliment. Thanks, Dean White.”

It was hard not to laugh when Dean White simply sighed and headed for the door. We waited several moments after she was long gone and broke out into chuckles.

I went over to Izzy and hugged her. “That was immediately Mel and Ray’s plan. I thought it wasn’t bad either, but it could be a trap since he’s also a council plant. I’ll let Mel fill you all in. I’m totally wiped and just want the day to be over.”

She tightened her arms around me. “You’ll be okay. Runes are stupid.”

“No they’re not, but thanks. Today will be the worst class, right? It will get easier from here.”

“Totally.” Her tone sounded as confident as mine.

Which really didn’t sound confident at all.

She offered to go get us some splurge ice cream from the vending machine mecca, and I gladly accepted.

I sat down on my beanbag chair with my bag and debated what I should start studying first when all I wanted to do was nothing. I stared at it for a while, wondering if Izzy had caught Mel and they had got to talking, or if there was a line at the vending machines.

My phone vibrated with a message, and I was glad for the distraction. I frowned when I saw it was from a number I didn’t know, but then my eyes went wide when I realized it was another new number for Craftsman. I’d blocked that second number he’d sent me videos from.

Well, I assumed it was from him when the message was simply a link to OneRepublic’s “Start Again” featuring Logic. He was there when I had found out how integral music was to a fairy and their soul, and he’d been trying to use it to communicate with me. He had before too, when we were together.

Plus, we both loved OneRepublic. We’d danced to a lot of their songs over winter break in my kitchen and done cute, cuddly couple things like that with their music playing in the background. I listened to the song even though I knew it, truly listening to the words and letting them sink into my soul as tears ran down my cheeks. I didn’t bother mopping off my face this time and found my response.

I sent back the link to OneRepublic’s “Didn’t I” which was all about suffering through ending a relationship and the pain of moving on. It was about the most fitting thing I could think of for us right then. I had loved him and given all of me to him and it hadn’t been enough. I couldn’t give anything else or go back when I would risk the same outcome of killing part of my soul.

It took a few minutes for him to respond, letting me know he’d listened to it, but he did with the link to OneRepublic’s “Somebody To Love.” I broke down sobbing as I listened to the heartbreaking song about watching someone move on with a new person. Part of me hated Craftsman for breaking me, but I didn’t want him to hurt over my being with Lucca.

I responded with one final song before blocking the number again… Kameron Marlowe’s “Giving You Up,” the song I had listened to over and over again to try and get over all of them. I wasn’t sure there was any other song that more accurately said—especially for Craftsman—“you had your chance and walked away, and I won’t be stupid enough to give you another one.”

Why were we even having this back-and-forth?

Why wasn’t that a valid stance to have?

Because he asked for time?

Why didn’t I deserve better than being abandoned?

I gave up on even trying to do homework, heading back to my bed and wanting the day to just be over. Instead, someone knocked on the door again. At first, I ignored it, but when the knocked kept up, I sighed and caved.

“Oh, agra,” Darby whispered when I opened the door. “What happened?”

I shook my head and stepped aside to let him in. “What’s up?”

“Did you forget I was coming?”

I wracked my brain and came up short, not simply forgetting, but not registering