Page 56 of Colton

Colton is sitting in a chair across from me, ready for the day. As per usual, he’s wearing a button up shirt, a black tie that matches his pants, and a blazer neatly on a hanger on his closet door, ready to be used. His hair is perfectly combed, a little gel holding it back, and even his stubble is neatly trimmed.

He’s sipping tea — of-fucking-course — and reading newspapers. He looks at me, and immediately folds it, resting it on the small table next to him. A warm smile is on his lips, and he’s not looking away from me.

“How did you sleep?”

“Eh,” I shrug, and another yawn slips. “I only managed to get two hours of sleep, and today is the day our exams start.”

I glance at the clock, a sigh of relief coming from me. It’s only seven in the morning, which means I have a little while before I have to go back to my dorm, and get ready for the hell that the next two weeks are going to bring.

“My apologies for keeping you up late,” he glances at me, and the hunger in his eyes reappears, though briefly. “I forgot that it’s today.”

“It’s alright,” I smile. “But… how am I going to sneak out?”

“I have some of my sister’s clothes to lend you,” he says, and stands up, walking over to the bed. “Just walk behind me, by now, every staff member is either at the cafeteria, or the teacher’s lounge, since the exam season is starting. No one is around.”

I nod.

There’s a speck of humility in his expression that I haven’t seen before. I thought that the morning after everything would be awkward, that I’d run off again, and try to pretend it never happened. Yet, for some reason, I’m comfortable here. He makes me comfortable.

“Would you care for some tea?” He offers. “We have some time before we have to leave.”

“I’m more of a coffee kind of girl,” I chuckle, and he lifts a brow. “But tea is fine. Whichever you have.”

He pours me a steaming cup of tea, then sets it on the bedside table. He goes back to his closet, pulling out clothes that seem a size too big for me, but they’re definitely feminine and expensive looking. It’s a pair of dress pants, and a blouse, but God, just by looking at them, I can tell they’re not cheap.

“I’ll return them after I’ve washed them.”

“No need,” he waves me off after setting the outfit for me on the bed. “Dahlia’s not wearing them anymore, which is why she never came back for them.”

“Does she stay here often?”

He shakes his head. “Not anymore. Her visits to the Academy are few and far between after she graduated. Before that, she used half of my closet space as her own, because her dorm was too small — her words, not mine. That’s why I have some pieces left here.”

I nod, then grab the tea.

This feels almost too nice. Like a dream that will either turn into a nightmare, or I’ll wake up and be left with nothing but disappointment. He’s not pushing to talk about last night, and I’m grateful for that because right now, I don’t think I’d be able to. I need some time to process that I actually started something with him that deep down, I know I shouldn’t have.

The cup is warm, my fingers curling around it. The steam hits my face, and it’s not too hot. Slowly, I taste it, and yet again, it’s tea that’s sweet. It’s different from the one I tried in his home, but it’s still tasty.

“I won’t be able to see you for some time, Avalon.”

I pause, the tea cup half-way to my mouth. My brows narrow, and a pang of disappointment flutters through my chest. With a sigh, I put the cup back onto the bedside table, and look at Colton. My shoulders are a little tense, because this is definitely not what I thought was going to happen.

“Why?”

“It’s exam season,” he starts explaining, sitting back in his chair. “You’ll be busy, and I’m not going to distract you. You need to put all your focus on your studies right now, and no one should compromise that.”

That’s unusually thoughtful of him.

The truth is, I did prepare myself to the best of my abilities. I’m no born genius like Sophia, or someone that can simply make things work like Grace, but I’m far from being stupid. I know I’ll do well, I’m confident in my abilities because I’ve been honing them for years.

“Ah, are you on the committee that’s overseeing the exams?”

Colton nods. “Yes, which is why it’ll be rather busy for me, as well.”

The Academy is strict, strict.

They pride themself in their discipline, and the way their students leave the premises with the most elite knowledge. After all, not just anyone can come to study here, yet another reason why I’m both grateful, and sticking out like a sore thumb.