I ground my teeth together. Reese didn’t notice me as I passed this time. He moves fast. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms as she leaned over him. Her hair fell between them, and he caressed it back over her shoulder. I jerked my head and looked toward the exit.
When we reached the outside courtyard, I inhaled the fresh air. I released tiny, clipped breaths, holding back the tears that prickled the corners of my eyes.
I turned toward Lana. “Hey, I’m actually pretty wiped. Think I’ll go take a nap before our first class.”
“All right,” she said. “Then I’ll see you in Chemistry.”
I smiled at Jace. “Sorry, need a break. That guy really put me to sleep.”
“Sure.” He nodded, but I could see questions burning in his eyes. “See you later.”
I turned and stalked off. I was about to lose my cool, I could feel it. And I wasn’t wearing my eye lenses. If Reese was with me, he could warn me before my eyes changed color, but he wasn’t. And I didn’t trust my emotions right then.
By the time I opened my unit door, the tears blurred my eyes. Asshole. Was he flirting with that girl to show me how it felt? Or did he really like her? I threw myself down on my bed and covered my head with a pillow. The tears flowed. I choked them out in painful gasps. He’d barely acknowledged that I was in the same room after staring at me like I was his enemy.
I wasn’t done with my crying fit, but I’d run out of time. I only had ten minutes to get to my class, and I was still a blubbering mess. I wandered down the hall toward the community bathroom and splashed cold water over my face. It helped calm the blotching. Pressing a towel to my face, I took in shallow breaths. My sour reflection stared back at me, but it was as good as it was going to get.
I went back to my room, grabbed my bag, and headed off to my chemistry block. As I entered the classroom, Lana waved me over. She sat next to Jace and Nick. Great. That meant Mr. Tuner had worked all our schedules to be the same. I’d probably have every class with Jace. And I just needed some space.
Sitting down next to Lana, I spotted Reese. He was talking to the Shythe girl. You gotta be kidding me. I quickly looked toward the head of the class, where Mr. Liam was writing his name on the blackboard, and slumped down in my seat.
The class was a two-hour block. A two-hour block spent trying to avoid eye contact with Jace and Reese. By the end of the class, I wanted to claw my eyes out.
I closed my chemistry book and shoved it into my bag. Although the Academy was mainly for learning about Kythan and our power, we were also taught the basics of human knowledge. After all, we’d be in service to them the rest of our lives.
Jace knelt in front of my desk. “Since today’s schedule is messed up because of the assembly, we have a free period instead of our power training course. Lana, Nick, and I are heading to the cafeteria and taking our dinner to the courtyard. We were thinking the rec room, afterward.” He raised his eyebrows. “Are you still up to it?”
He ran a finger along my forearm. I averted my eyes from his and saw Reese staring at us, his eyes blazing red. He slammed his book on the desk and quickly packed it away, then stalked down the steps—his eyes burning a hole through me the whole way. My stomach knotted.
Jace squeezed my hand, and I met his eyes. “Yeah, I could use a little play time,” I said, biting down on my lip after the last word. I’d have bitten right through it if it meant I was able to focus on that pain rather than the stabbing in my chest.
He pulled me up and led me through the classroom. I knew at that moment it was wrong for me to find solace in Jace’s touch, but he was one of my best friends. Even though he was part of the reason I was experiencing the pain, I still found comfort in being near him. It was a strange mix of emotions—one that I just didn’t have the strength to explore.