Page 12

Adam

Every time I think I'm prepared for that moment when Delaney and Cory come waltzing out of class together, and I never am.

They're usually giggling, linking arms and tripping over each other's feet because they're so excited to be close, and constantly interrupting and talking over each other because they keep sparking things they want to tell their partner.

Class schedules tend to get in the way of the things we all actually want to be doing, so we try to carve out time where we can, but it’s hardly ever enough.

It’s only been a few weeks since the long weekend where we spent as much time as possible as a chaotic family, but it feels like it’s been months.

I can give them a few minutes, though.

I hide behind the pillar and give a nod to the bulky security guards trailing amusedly behind them, staying out of sight so I can just watch them interact.

I fucking love the way Delaney gets aggressive with Cory, like now, when she’s pushing them up against the wall with a hand to their chest so she can kiss them silly.

Cory, in turn, is smiling through the kiss and burying their hands in Delaney’s hair, fisting it, and holding her close to them.

They act like high schoolers, and it’s so fucking endearing that I hate to interrupt them, but if I don’t soon, I won’t get any time with either of them until late tonight.

They’re both stuck in the world they’ve created for themselves, so they don’t notice when I sidle up to them and lean against the wall, close enough for them to feel my breath on their cheeks.

They pull apart and give each other a devious look that very rarely leads anywhere good; then they tag team me, and I really wish I could say it was in a sexy way, but alas, they’ve discovered how obnoxious I get when my side is tickled, and they revel in my high sensitivity there.

Basically, they assault me right in the middle of the hallway.

Halfway through the attack, they end up kissing again, tripping until we’re all sprawled on the ground, and I’m basically a glorified rug the way Delaney is pinning Cory down on top of me. Until she disappears, yoinked up by an irate unicorn.

“This is preposterous. Have you no decorum?” Oh my, he’s fuming. Holy shit, does his breath smell like…bubblegum? Yummmmm.

Cory takes too long to climb off of me, too eager to be lying there, wiggling their ass right over my crotch. Things are about to get a whole lot more preposterous if they don’t stop.

Delaney’s tone softens as she runs her hand over Saladriel’s upper arm. “Hey, how’s your day been going?”

She looks genuinely happy to see him, and I wish he could reciprocate for Delaney’s sake. “Fine. What is meant by this pornographic display in the hall?”

Delaney stumbles, holding her head. She lifts her head in confusion, then smiles and mutters an apology to Saladriel before continuing down the hall like she’s there alone.

“What the hell was that?” I jump up quickly, making sure Cory is steady before sprinting after her. “Delaney, wait!”

She spins and waves at me, giving me a side hug. “Hey, Adam. I forgot you went here. You on your way to class?”

I grab her arms and check out her pupils, but they look fine. “You feeling okay? You’re acting strange.”

Her lips tilt down in a pout, then she pokes me in the chest. “I’m fine. You should go take care of your partner over there; they look lonely. You want to catch a movie this weekend? Let me know when you guys are free!”

She pats me on the arm and strolls off, the correct direction to her next class, but I’m so thrown off by her behavior that August and Jackson catch up to her before I do, instantly on high alert.

August blocks the flow of students from Delaney as Jackson herds her to the edge of the corridor, speaking in low tones that she doesn’t seem to like.

“Just stop! I told you; I don’t need your help!”

“Woah, woah, woah, let’s all take it down a notch, shall we?” I suggest with the aim of not drawing more attention to Delaney. Something’s going on with her right now and we don’t need nosy people staring at her right now.

Delaney rolls her eyes and tries to distance herself from Jackson. “Can you get him away from me, Adam? I’m so sick of him pretending like he has any say in us being broken up. Jackson, this is on you! You didn’t want me, so now you don’t get me!”

Her voice is attracting attention anyway as it escalates in volume, so I push myself between Jackson and her so that I’m all she can see.

“Delaney, I need you to do me a favor, okay sweetheart? Can you please take a few breaths for me, try to get your head clear so we can talk about what’s happening? You’re freaking us out.”

She darts her eyes side to side, and I know she’s going to run before she makes any attempt to do so, and I’ve got her in my arms and pinned before she can get the drop on us.

I make sure she’s not uncomfortable, and I really hope one of her other mates is busy calling for medical or some other sort of backup because really, what the fuck?

“Baby, don’t fight me.”

“Get off of me, Adam! Don’t call me baby, I can’t handle it!”

I do the only thing I can do to quickly to steal her attention; I play dirty.

I go in for a searing kiss, stealing her mouth like it’s always been mine.

And really, hasn’t it? I don’t give her any room for doubt, I just give everything I have to make sure that she feels exactly what’s coursing through my veins for her: desperate need, always.

She responds, but she seems confused. When I finally pull back, she’s rubbing her mouth like she’s been betrayed by it, looking up at me with her fucking gorgeous lavender eyes so wide that I could fall into them.

“What’s going on, Adam? Why did you just kiss me?”

I take a few deep, calming breaths myself before I deign to answer. “I need you to tell me exactly what’s going through your head right now.”

We’ve definitely got a crowd around us at this point, and it’s not long before staff start showing up, trying to get the gawking students gone.

My heart is breaking because with every word she says, it’s further proof that she’s experiencing something right now that I’m not sure I can help her with.

She’s acting like everything between any of us hasn’t happened.

“I’m…really confused. I was just trying to get to class…and then Jackson,” she spits his name, but I can tell it’s coming from a place of hurt, of betrayal, “kept trying to…and then you…why is everyone looking at me like that?”

Cory gets on their knees and crawls to where we’ve ended up, on the floor with Delaney straddling my lap as I sit against the wall. “Prettiest of girls? Do you know who I am?”

She looks quickly between me and Cory and then gasps. “I’m so sorry! Fuck, I ruined everything! I’m so sorry, I never meant to come between you!”

Her eyes begin to tear up, and the pit in my stomach gets deeper.

“Hey, hey, hey, I think we should go to the infirmary and get you checked out. We’re concerned about you right now; do you think you could do that for us?”

“I won’t kiss him again, Cory, I swear! I know you two are happy, I don’t want to ruin it!”

I’m not even surprised when they lean forward and kiss Delaney for themself, leaning into her until she’s gasping underneath them and grasping onto their collar.

“Everything okay here? I know this university caters to the conduits, but I must insist on not performing in the hallways. I don’t think our donors would like it if word got to them.”

Delaney scrambles away from both of us, cheeks a bright red.

“I’m so sorry, sir, I don’t know what came over me…

I…” she holds her head, but that’s not what’s concerning.

What’s concerning is that she just called one of her mates ‘sir’ like she doesn’t know his first name and doesn’t know what his face looks like when he comes.

“Woah, Delaney, I was just…hey, are you okay?”

I’ve only seen Delaney cry a few times, and it’s gutted me every time.

She falls into me, presumably because I’m the only known variable in this scenario she finds herself in, and I hold onto her as tight as I can without bruising her or restricting her breath.

“We’re going to get this figured out, okay?

I don’t know what just happened, but you have to know we’re all going to take care of you. ”

“I can’t bear to have August and Jackson look at me like that Adam, it hurts too much. It’s so hard to stay strong,” she whispers against my skin.

I get the feeling that we need to live in her delusions for a bit, if only to help her calm down.

We need to get her seen by someone that knows something about, well, anything.

“I’ve got you, Delaney. Can I take you to the infirmary to see if we can figure out why you’re feeling so confused right now? I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m…I’m fine, Adam. I just get overwhelmed sometimes when they…”

I don’t have to look over my shoulder to see that she’s made eye contact with one of her twins.

Actually, scratch that, I do. She’s not even looking at them, because they’re definitely in front of me.

“Holy fuck, Adam. There’s a unicorn in the hall. Did…those are real?”

Bless that sad man. “Uh, yeah, I heard about that. I think he’s an exchange student.”

She pushes away from me and approaches Saladriel, who has shifted and is standing in all his blue unicorn glory in the middle of the hallway. Don’t know how he’s going to fit out the doors, but I guess that’s a later-us problem.

“Oh my gods, you’re beautiful. Sorry, is that offensive? I really want to touch you right now, but you probably would be so creeped out by that, wouldn’t you? Okay, okay, I’ll give you space.”

Zac, Cory, and the twins are all still loosely ringing Delaney, covering our bases in case she makes a run for it again. She holds her hand up to her head again and sways where she stands, and Saladriel shifts in time to catch her in his arms.

She smiles up at him, dopily, before wrapping her arms around his neck and batting her eyes. “My hero.”

I can’t help but snort at how cheesy she’s being, but there’s something seriously fucked up happening.

I send out a text in the group chat alerting them that we’re bringing Delaney to the infirmary but to stay calm when they get there, then shove my phone in my pocket and forget about it.

I make eye contact with Saladriel and motion for him to walk towards where the healers are, and he gives me a nod and begins to talk to Delaney in low tones, keeping her from getting upset again.

She giggles a few times while he’s carrying her, and I can almost see that he wants to fall for her, but the whole situation just kind of sucks, because I know he doesn’t feel like he can actually be with her until he talks to the woman he was dating back in his realm first.

I could kiss him myself though for being the one that is able to get her to the infirmary.

By the time we make it there, a couple of the others are there already, a few more trickle in, and there are so damn many of us that we make the small reception area look even smaller.

Everyone is understandably anxious and wanting to rush Delaney, but I quell that with a look and approach the reception desk instead of giving into hysterics like I really want to do.

“Hello, how can we help you, dears?”

I grab Delaney’s ID from her pocket and check her in since I know all her information anyway.

“Our mate…we’re not sure what’s happening, but she was fine one moment, and then the next, it was like she forgot everything that’s happened since the semester started.

She…she doesn’t even know who some of us are. I…”

The panic starts to hit hard, and I can’t help but look back at Delaney to make sure she’s really physically okay and not fading into nothing.

“Oh, my. That sounds…okay. Has this ever happened before? Does she have a history of head trauma or anything like that? Has she fallen recently or ingested anything that could interfere with her magic?”

I shake my head no, and it seems that I’m done talking. I sink into the nearest chair before my knees give out, so worried about my girl that I can’t actually function now that the adrenaline is wearing off.

I have the clarity of mind to at least text her parents first, making sure her mom knows something is wrong with Delaney and her memories, because that feels like something she ought to know. Also, I’m maybe hoping for some brownie points so I can be the favorite son-in-law.