Page 104 of Hide and Seek

I don’t like being the center of attention, and I really hate being stared at. But then again, I’d stare too if I saw Jax in our dorm, no matter who he was with.

Jax doesn’t spare our audience a glance as he leads me through the foyer like he owns the place and right out the door.

22

JAX

Myles isnervous as we walk through campus together, but he does his best to ignore the many stares and whispers that follow us as we head toward Hamilton House.

When we’re finally in front of the gate, his hand is shaking when he taps his ID on the sensor. He lets out a big, relieved sigh when his card is accepted and slips his hand back into mine.

Myles’s eyes are as round as saucers as he stares up at the building while we cross through the front lawn and to the main doors, and I’m not sure if that’s because of the impressive architecture or because his nerves are back in full force.

The main foyer is almost empty when we step into it, and Myles squeezes my hand so hard my fingers crack when the few guys milling about all stop dead in their tracks and openly stare at us.

I don’t pay them any attention and bring Myles to the stairwell.

“You good?” I ask as we start climbing the stairs together.

“Yeah.” He shoots me a weak smile. “Just not used to people noticing I exist.”

“It’ll die down once the novelty wears off.”

We fall silent as we finish climbing the stairs, and Myles’s grip on my hand is tight when I push the door to my floor open and wait for him to walk through first.

“This is it.” I point to our door.

Myles draws in a big breath, like he’s fortifying himself, as I push the door open and bring him inside.

“Wazzup, bro,” Jace greets as he spins around in his desk chair to face us. “Hey, you brought him.” He beams a big smile at Myles. “How’s it going?”

“Good, thanks. How’re you?” Myles asks. His cheeks are flushed pink, and the slight tremor in his voice gives away how nervous he is, but he’s doing his best to hide it.

“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Jace rocks back and forth in his chair. “Did Jax tell you what he did to that guard from earlier?”

Myles shoots me a quick look, a ghost of a smile tilting his lips. “He told me he did something, but he didn’t say exactly what.”

“Then I probably shouldn’t give you the deets,” Jace says with a regretful smile. “This is probably one of those better left unsaid things. But trust me when I say the dude got what he deserved.”

Jace pulls one of his butterfly knives out of his pocket and casually flips it around his fingers as we sit on the couch together.

“You’re into knives too?” Myles asks as I drape my arm over his shoulders.

Jace grins. “I’m the one who got your boy into them in the first place.”

“You did?” Myles asks at the same time I say, “Liar.”

“Yup.” Jace shoots me a lazy grin. “And we both know I’m not lying.”

“You’re not being entirely truthful,” I point out.

“Aren’t I?” Jace asks innocently.

“No.”

“He’s just mad because I’ve got better skills,” Jace tells Myles as he rocks back and forth in his chair and flips the knife around in a complicated pattern of clicking metal on metal.

“Sure,” I say dryly. “We’ll go with that.”