The Order: Hit and Run by Emma Cole Page 0,15
fly out of the suite and into the elevator. Jaeger must not have thought I’d take off as he’s too slow, and I’m able to slap the close doors button before he follows me. The last thing I see is the panic in his expression as they shut and muffle his “Cora!”
I’m shaking and rehearsing my speech about my need to change rooms when the elevator arrives at the ground floor with a cheery ding. The doors slide open, and I make it two steps before it registers that Jaeger is blocking the entrance to the building. He must have slid down every banister on the way down to beat me here. He’s lucky he didn’t break his neck.
“Cora, wait. You can’t ask for a transfer.” I’m about to interrupt him when he drops a bombshell. “Compliance with all assignments, remember? It’ll break your contract.” His voice drops on the end as if he’s ashamed to be part of it, which he should be. It was his best friend and him telling said best friend that caused me to be here now.
“You can’t be serious. Since when are dorms that co-ed? I mean, yeah, there’s mixed housing, but actually sharing a suite, no.” Crossing my arms across my chest with my now raggedy papers, I wait for his answer.
“It was the only suitable room available on such short notice," he stiffly informs me. "The school was full up until we had an— opening.” At his reluctance to add the last bit, it dawns on me then that I’m taking Damien’s room. A shudder rolls through me, and I feel sick.
“You can’t make me stay in his room. That has to be a harassment clause or something. That’s wrong, and you know it.” I need my meds. I’ve made it six days without them, but I’m now at my breaking point. Meds and a nap. I’m going to have to go back up there.
“No, I switched. You’ll have my room. I sent all his belongings to his parents except the ones he wanted me to keep.” The grief he still harbors makes an appearance in his countenance, and I can almost have sympathy for him. Except, you know. They killed my baby and took Kael from me.
It’s an odd thing; Damien and Jaeger had been inseparable nearly from the moment they met. Had I not known for a fact they were into girls, I’d have thought they were an item. Case in point, bequeathing belongings after death.
“Fine, I need to lie down. I can’t take much more today.” That remorse pops up on his face again before he follows me back into the elevator.
“I shouldn’t have stopped you. You’d be better off away from here. You can go and try to change it if you’d like.” Whoa, have a one-eighty.
“If you think I’m giving up that easily, you’re delusional. I need to regroup and take a nap, then I’ll be just fine.” I flounce out of the elevator and don’t even have to use the keycard to get in the door as Ash is holding it open. Except I stall out inside, having no clue which room is mine. My head drops back in frustration, and a growl escapes, much to the amusement of Drake who is waving me into an open doorway. “Thanks,” I grudgingly offer before entering, immediately slamming the door shut behind me, and flipping the lock.
“That was rude, you know!” Drake's voice is only slightly muffled through the door, and I hope I don’t have to hear what they do in the privacy of their rooms. Taking in the room, I see a toilet through an open door, and I'm really glad to have my own bathroom. Sharing one would have been a catastrophe with five guys. Especially ones that I’d be perfectly fine with falling out of my life.
I don’t bother to respond and barely take note of the dresser, desk and chair, nightstand, and bookshelf before I go straight into the bathroom. Fishing tablets out of my purse, I swallow them with water out of the tap in my cupped hands and lay down. It’s not long before I’m out hardcore.
***
It's well after dark when I resurface. After shaking off the disorientation from waking in an unfamiliar place and washing my face, I quietly go out into the living room with my purse on my shoulder, determined to find the cafeteria and get my belongings from my car. At least I'm hoping the cafeteria will