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He frowned, half-convinced he’d missed everything Chris had just said. ‘What are you talking about? He likes it! Everyone does!’

‘Uh, yeah,’ Tilly cut in, wrapping her arms around them both. Her height was somewhere in the middle of theirs, which meant she could reach his shoulders in a way Juniper would struggle to do. ‘It’s fecking epic. Are you kidding?’

‘It doesn’t fit in with the others,’ Juni said. ‘Tom and Amir were sniggering as though it was all just one big joke.’

‘Take no notice. They don’t get it. They’re just used to more classical pieces.’ Tilly squeezed Juniper’s arm.

Aiden had to admit, he might have been laughing with them if he hadn’t been the one to make it. There was a divide between artists who studied more classical forms and those who worked outside the box – but it was the latter he always admired more, one of the many reasons why Elmington hadn’t challenged him much. There’d been twenty or so Toms in his class, all of them talented but complacent, just like Aiden had been raised to be.

‘Fuck them. They don’t know anything about decent art.’ He was surprised at the anger in his own tone, surprised at how much he wanted to march over there and tell them both where to shove it. They’d upset his—

His what? Not his anything. She’d made that clear. And yet he still grew taut with the instinct to protect her, as though she could ever need his protection.

Since there was still one more presentation left, they fell back into their quiet, but Aiden still buzzed with annoyance. When he heard Amir and Tom tittering away, he parted from Juni and Tilly to join them. Unsurprisingly, they were making fun of Nomi and Tia’s presentation now.

‘Nice job, mate. Great exhibit,’ Tom started, lifting his arm for a high five. Aiden left him hanging, tucking his hands under his armpits.

‘Cheers. I heard you two had a lot to say about it.’

Tom and Amir exchanged a wide-eyed look, Amir saying, ‘Oh, we were just saying how good it was. Though it could have been better if you were paired with someone who matched your style, I reckon.’

‘And what’s my style?’ He leaned in close, feigning interest, though really, he already knew the answer. Whatever art his father bought.

‘Y’know…’ Tom’s smile was dithering. ‘Something a bit more refined.’

‘Hm.’ Aiden pretended to contemplate that, rocking on his heels in an effort to stay calm. ‘Interesting.’

Tom scratched the back of his neck, scrambling for something to say. Meanwhile, Amir was slowly drifting away from them both. Wise choice.

‘So, isn’t your dad here today? Maybe he can buy our pieces after we get our grades.’ A forced laugh. ‘Though I heard he usually sticks to paintings, doesn’t he?’

‘Yeah, he does.Refinedones.’ Aiden inched closer, and Tom had the sense to look intimidated. ‘I’m sure you’re used to putting people down, but next time you have something to say about Juniper’s work, or mine, how about you come to me?’

Tom paled, scratching at his lobe. ‘We didn’t mean anything by it, mate. You know I have a lot of respect for you.’

‘You have a lot of respect for my father,’ Aiden snapped, his chest tightening. He was so sick of this, now more than ever. Like hell was he going to let them upset Juni, too. ‘And like him, you think everyone’s art should look the same, and that’s why you’ll end up washed up and disappointed in a few years’ time, so you can shove yourrefinementup your arse. We’re all here for the same reason. It takes some real insecurity to stand here and mock everybody else’s work. Maybe that’s somethingyoucan work on, yeah?’

He didn’t give Tom time to reply, sauntering back to his friends.

From the looks on their faces, Tilly wide-eyed and Juniper wary, they’d clearly heard enough.

‘Shite, now I kind of get why you fancy him,’ Tilly said.

Aiden took it as quite the compliment, all things considered.

Juniper, however, narrowed her eyes. ‘I don’t need you defending my honour.’

‘I wasn’t. I was defending mine.’ A lie, though it had felt good to finally set a boundary with someone like that. If nothing else, his connection to Juniper and even Tilly and Luc had taught him that he was more than just his father’s son, and he deserved to pave his own bloody path.

He turned back to the presentation so that she would stop burning a hole right into his soul, only to be surprised when her pinkie finger scraped his. ‘I can think of a lot of other things Tom should shove up his arse. Our Cerberus sculpture, for instance. All those spiky ears and sharp canines…’

He coughed to mask his laugh. ‘I’d like to see that.’

He knew that it was her way of sayingthank you, even if she didn’t want to. He relaxed, finally, and so did she, their final exhibit glowing under the spotlight at their side. Fuck Tom, and fuck whatever Juni believed Chris had criticised. They’d made something beautiful, and he wouldn’t let anyone take that from them.

22

See? Told you we aced it.