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I scratched my chin. “Yeah. Our time is better spent learning how to stay alive than studying calculus, for now.”
“It might be a good idea for me to go home later and grab some of my clothes,” Chait added.
The old me would’ve gone mad from the thought of him staying overnight anywhere near Tessa. But we needed Chait’s help every hour of the day. Even then, we might not be safe. “You think we should snag that book? There might be something else in there that could help us.”
“Hey, guys.” Tessa came up behind me and slid her hands around my waist to interlock under my ribs.
I turned around and brushed my hands down her arm. “How are you feeling? Better?”
“Much. Still a little freaked though.”
She wasn’t the only one.
* * * *
A stream of profanity spewed from my mouth as I ate my pride for the zillionth time. I rubbed my hip that had taken the brunt of my falls.
Chait mashed his lips together and looked away. As if I couldn’t figure out he was trying not to laugh.
Maybe I’d perform better if I wasn’t so distracted. I didn’t like Tessa being away from me where I couldn’t protect her. “You think she’s safe at school, right?” I asked.
His mouth dropped open, then closed. He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. But Boris has no reason to act. I think we’re okay.”
“Yeah.” Just a few more hours and we’d pick her up. She’d be fine.
“We should stop and eat. I’m starving,” Chait informed me. “Plus, you need to recharge.”
“I hurt all over. How fast do we heal?”
“Food. It does a body good. I think you’ll be almost like new by the time we finish lunch.” He slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Hey. It won’t always be like this. I’ve trained a lot of new guys and I’ve never had anyone keep up with me the way you have today.”
My brows scrunched together while I tried to make sense of his words. “I don’t get why I haven’t done better. I’ve been training for years.”
“We all start off weak. Mostly because we don’t know our powers or how to use them yet. Right now, you’re more skilled as a warrior, but I’m stronger and faster. In a few weeks, you’ll have caught up and, I’m sorry to say, you’ll be giving me a stomping.”
“I still have a few weeks before I’m worth anything?” I scowled.
Chait chuckled. “You’re hardly worthless now.”
But if Tessa were in danger, I wouldn’t be much help; not against more experienced witches. Even if I became much stronger in a few weeks, the strength would come after her eighteenth birthday and after she a
Not only was I useless, but having me around was a huge liability to her.
“Suddenly, I’m not that hungry.” Thinking about what I had to do made me want to pound on something. “Let’s spar a little longer.”
* * * *
Since my car couldn’t accommodate Chait and Tessa, I parked it at home and settled on my mom’s SUV. The Mercedes had cost over a hundred grand and wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, but stood out less than mine. And since I’d never be caught dead in my mom’s car at school, no one would know I was behind the tinted glass. It wouldn’t look good to be seen at school when I hadn’t attended my classes.
“We should consider renting a car, something more generic.” I spotted Tessa exiting the double doors of the school and sent her a visual of the Mercedes. When she looked my way, I hit the horn for a split second. “Whatever we can do to throw off any followers might be nice.”
“You have to be twenty-five to rent a car,” Chait said. “They’ll figure out it’s us, no matter what we drive. Your mom still has like four other cars in the garage, right? So we’ll switch when we need to.”
Tessa jumped in the front seat and held her hand out for me. I took it, wanting to kiss her palm. But I couldn’t. Not when these were our last few moments together as a couple. I had to end it quick and clean.
I released her slowly and gripped the steering wheel. “We’ll stop by Chait’s so he can pick up a few things,” I said.
Tessa pivoted in her seat to see Chait. “You think you can sneak that book out?”
“I’ll try.”
“How did you guys do today?” she asked.
“I got my ass handed to me over and over,” I mumbled.
“Great,” Tessa said, making sure we knew by her tone that she didn’t think so at all. “Gives me something to look forward to tomorrow when he beats the crap out of me.”
“How did it go with Frank and Lila? Did you see either of them?” I asked.
“Yes. Both. They asked where you were and I told them that you were spending time with your mom while she and the pervert go through the divorce stuff. Then Frank kind of hovered like he wanted to ask me something. I figured it was because he knew we were hanging out with Chait a lot. I told them how disillusioned and betrayed Chait felt over the whole Rena thing. Now they think he’s considering switching sides.” She gri
“Tessa, you astound me.” Chait held up a palm for a high-five.
I was too caught up in my own i
A few minutes later, we parked about a block from the huge house where Chait and the rest of them lived. He jumped out of the SUV, leaving Tessa and I alone.
This was my moment.
“Tessa, I’ve never been this involved with a girl before.” I stared straight ahead, unable to face her. “I mean, I really care about you but—”
“Are you dumping me?” she asked sharply.
“It’s not like that.” I jiggled the keys hanging in the ignition.
“Then what is it like?” Her eyes narrowed in my peripheral. “Because what you said usually precedes a breakup. So you’re not breaking up with me?”
I sighed. She wasn’t going to make this easy, not that I thought she would. “It’s just that… we’re so different.”
“Oh my God, Hayden, you are dumping me. I can’t believe you. It was only Saturday night that you asked me to be your girlfriend — less than forty-eight hours ago.” She turned away and leaned her head against the seat. “What did I expect?”
“I’m not right for you. You need a guy who wants what you want.” I hesitated, hating myself, but knowing I had to go on. “I’ll never be the doting boyfriend who watches chick flicks and does baby talk and crap like that. A girl’s lucky if I call, much less text. I thought I could do that with you, but I can’t. Not without feeling suffocated.”
She made an odd little noise and I paused. I’d hurt her, but couldn’t stop now. I had to finish it.
“I don’t want to be told what to wear or who to hang out with. I’ll never ask before doing something — I’ll just do it. That’s me, Tessa, like it or not. You need a guy a little more accommodating, someone who sucks up to you and doesn’t mind getting his nose dirty. Someone who’ll play Daddy to Bree. That’ll never be me. Besides, I need someone a little more… relaxed.
“These last two days have been awesome but,” I paused then forced myself to continue, “no way can I keep that promise to not sleep with you for the next few weeks. It’s time to move on.” I glanced over at her, my voice lightening up. “Might not be such a bad thing. It frees you up for Chait. He’s probably more your type anyway.”
“Wow, Hayden, you have that little speech down perfectly. Wrote it a while ago, did ya? Probably before you ever met me.”
I ran my hand through my hair, knowing I deserved everything she threw at me.
“It’s impressive that you lasted almost two full days in a committed relationship. So the real reason you’re moving on is because you need sex? Did I get that right?” The bitterness in her words sliced through me.