“Enough,” Melissa booms, giving me my first glimpse at the hard-arse teacher she hides beneath her soft expression.
Rhea rolls her eyes, and I have to smother a laugh.
This girl must be hell to teach.
I love her already.
“Come on, Rhea. Before you get in any more trouble, huh?”
She smirks at me as I try to direct her toward the door.
“Sure, but I will have my say,” she warns Melissa.
“I don’t doubt that, Rhea. You just have more important things to do right now.”
I don’t see Rhea’s reaction from behind, but something tells me there’s another heavy eye roll.
“So where first?” I ask, hoping to distract her, but she says nothing.
I follow her silently, wondering what the hell she’s playing at, but I find out the second we spill out of the hallway lined with offices and into what looks like an inside courtyard. It would look more at home in some fancy shopping centre with benches and potted plants than it does a school. This whole place is mind-boggling.
Finally, Rhea spins around and glares at me with her hands on her hips.
I steel myself to be dumped on the very first leg of their tour by what I’m sure is one of their most defiant students.
But when her mouth parts and words spill free, I realise I’m wrong.
So very wrong.
“You’re the one who’s fucking Nico,” she blurts.
My chin drops in shock, firstly at how she even knows that, and secondly, at the volume with which she announces it.
“Rhea.” It’s meant to come out like a warning, but instead, it just sounds like a plea.
“Oh don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, Miss Andrews.” She smiles so sweetly at me that I have to fight my groan as I wait to hear what’s next. But then she surprises me. “Not if you don’t want me to. Us girls have to stick together against the men of the Family.”
My eyes widen, a move she misses as she spins around, ready to take off again.
“So, gonna be his teacher as well as his fuck buddy?”
“Oh my God,” I mutter.
“Don’t worry, contrary to popular belief around these halls, you can trust me. It’s the others you want to watch out for. Always out for themselves. Let that bit of gossip out and they’ll all have a field day with it. Me, however…” She makes a show of zipping her lips and locking them. “Vault.”
“I appreciate that, Rhea. But how about we focus on what we should be doing?” I suggest.
“Sure. So, as I’m sure you already figured, this is the English department.” She waves her hands around before pinning me with a judgemental look.
“What?” I ask hesitantly.
“English, really?” she asks, looking me up and down.
I might be wearing what I hoped would become my armour when I bought it yesterday, but I swear I might as well be standing here naked with the way she studies me.
“It’s like, the most boring subject there is. Well, maybe aside from—”
“You’re reading the wrong books,” I state confidently.