Page 49 of The Order of the Bitter Hunt

He grips my elbow gently to guide me in the opposite direction. “You’re fucking hopeless.”

Jun isn’t particularly good at cheering me up, but somehow, that’s more comforting than if he were trying to lift my spirits. Jun pitying me is a low I’m not ready to fall to.

He guides me to his dormitory, and it doesn’t feel much like pity. It especially doesn’t when he opens the door and reveals his huge, lavishly decorated room. I’ve never seen a dormitory this beautiful. The bed has to be king-sized, and red crushed-velvet furniture decorates the room. It’s fit for a king. The tears pricking at my now eyes are joyful.

Sleeping in this room may be the best thing to come from my newfound alliance with Jun.

This is miles above the typical masculine college student’s dormitory. It’s tidy, his bed is made, and while the decor is more minimal than I enjoy… it will do for the night. There are a few personal touches, I would add—a designer rug, vintage knick-knacks, and a few stuffed crows—but Jun surprises me.

I had a nicer room before Tobey came to Strode. Making my way into their room felt like a success. It took some convincing and begging, but my father helped me pull some strings. Protecting Tobey meant leaving behind my coveted single room.

“Oh, how I miss sleeping alone.” I drop my jacket onto the floor and glide through the room.

Jun bends over to pick up my abandoned outerwear, setting it neatly on a cushioned armchair. “You’re not sleeping alone.”

I turn to him with wide eyes. “Well, I am certainly not sleeping withyou.”

“Thank fuck for that.” He chuckles, heading to the bed.

I half expect him to flop on it, but he doesn’t. Instead, he grabs a pillow and drops it onto the small couch.

Yes, the room is big enough to fit a couch. I hate him more than ever. Son of Strode, indeed. If I didn’t believe him before, I certainly would now.

“I’ll be over here,” he says, sinking into the couch with a sigh. “And I have a private bathroom too, so… enjoy that.”

“You know what?” I look around, my cheeks hurting from smiling. “I think I will.”

Relishing an evening with Jun as my only companion is unfathomable. No, my joy tonight is not abouthim—it’s the amenities. A hot shower is soothing and gives me a safe space to cry for a bit. When I crawl into his bed, my body is heavy, begging for relaxation.

My mind won’t give it to me, spinning right back to Tobey. My best friend. The only person I trust.

She still doesn’t trust me.

“Do you think we can trade beds?” I ask, searching for a distraction. “Yours is gorgeous.”

“Even if I would—and I won’t—there’s no room in your shit-hole dormitory for my bed.”

Jun flops one leg off the side of the sofa, with his hands resting behind his head. It doesn’t look comfortable, but I won’t turn down a good night of rest.

He’ll live. And I’ll sleep like a baby for the first time in a month.

“I only live in that ‘shit hole’ because of Tobey.” My eyelids flicker shut. And there I go, thinking about them again. “My last room was more like this. It wasn’t as large, but it was bigger than I have now… and the bed was nicer, too.”

“It sounds like you gave up a lot for them.”

The tightness in my throat returns. For the first time since Tobey arrived at Strode, someone can see how much I’m doing for them. My grades and performance are deteriorating. Other friendships have fallen by the wayside. I let go of my singleroom, and more importantly, I risked my life more than once. Now, potentially, I’m throwing away my relationship with my father for her.

Frustratingly, Jun is theonlyone who can see it.

I don’t expect anything in return, but for her to continue mistrusting me… it hurts.

I nod, even though he likely isn’t looking. “I care about them more than I care about anyone. We’ve been best friends since we were five years old. Do you have any friendships like that?”

“Nope. I got kicked out of too many boarding schools to make real friends.”

“Ah. So, you’ve always been the bad boy type. Color me shocked.”

“I’m not any type.”