Page 15 of Vexatious Queen

“Aye, I don’t think rock, paper, scissors will cut it,” I teased, making her smile.

Ren yelped and jumped behind me when someone yanked the curtain open. Nash and Liam stood there, letting all the warmth out of the stall.

“I fucking knew it. Told you he was in here with her,” Nash grumbled and walked away.

Liam looked me up and down and then smirked at Ren when she poked her head out.

“What do ya want? We’re kind of busy,” I said.

“I can see that. The kind of busy I really like. Isn’t that right, Little Rabbit?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, and Liam gave me a challenging stare. I remained quiet. If I ever wanted in on another group session, I needed to keep my mouth shut.

As if satisfied with my submission, Liam held out my phone.

“It keeps ringing. It’s Golden Oak.”

“Shite. Must be about Lip,” I said, grabbing my cell.

“Go, I’ll be out in a sec,” Ren said.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist before walking away to hit the recall. When I looked back over my shoulder to thank Liam, he was gone. Son of a bitch had taken my spot. Jerk.

Stepping out into the changing area, I waited for the school to answer.

“Golden Oak Prep, how may I direct your call?”

“This is Myles McCoy. I had a few missed calls on my phone.”

“Oh yes, Mr. McCoy, give me one minute, and I’ll transfer you to Dean Robinson.”

The standard elevator music came on the line, and I paced in a circle waiting for Robinson to pick up the phone.

“Myles, it’s Dean Robinson. I was calling because I’ve been unable to reach Mr. O’Brien, and we are having an issue with Filip.”

My heart dropped. “What’s wrong?”

It wasn’t a good sign that they had called so many times and tried Ethan as well. It was also worrying that he couldn’t be reached.

“He was disruptive in his classes today. And after declining dinner, he refused to go to his room. He also kicked a teacher.”

I closed my eyes and ran my hand through my damp hair.

“I’m sorry, he’s been through a lot and is having a hard time.”

Dean Robinson sighed, and I didn’t like that sound.

“I understand, and we are not going to punish or expel him…yet. But we do need to rectify the situation. Can you come to Golden Oak, preferably with Mr. O’Brien, so we can find a way to help Filip and ensure that the issues don’t escalate?”

“Aye, I’m nearby. I can be there soon, but Ethan is…not doing well himself and may not be able to attend,” I said, trying to keep it as vague as possible.

“I see, well, that explains why we haven’t been able to reach him. I’ll see you shortly.”

Hanging up the phone, I wanted to throw the fucking thing across the room. Fucking Lawrence. Lip was so smart, too smart, and his eidetic memory only made what he saw so much worse. The therapist said that the images would never fade or be easily pushed aside.

“Is everything okay?”

I turned around to see Nash sitting on one of the benches, staring at me.