“Sorry,” I muttered. Face heating, I cleared my throat and turned around to give him privacy to relieve himself. I raised my voiceover the sound of his piss hitting the urinal. “Look, I—just wanted to… I wanted to say…”
He was still urinating.
Gods, why was this so mortifying?
I plowed on, “I’m sorry about the other night. You got me out of there after I was poisoned, and I honestly don’t know what might’ve happened if you hadn’t been there.” I cringed, thinking of Monty. “I owe you one.”
I snuck a peak over my shoulder to check if he was finished.
He zipped his trousers. “Arden Farrow in my debt?” He hummed in amusement.
I turned to face him fully, eyes narrowed. “Don’t expect any big favors.”
He shrugged. “You didn’t spike the wine at a party full of unsuspecting undergrads, nor did you lure a human girl into a dark room with a mind to cause her harm. You don’t need to apologize for anything.”
I nodded, averting my gaze to the dirty bathroom tiles. “Well… I am sorry for what I implied about you considering Devereaux’s offer. I know you wouldn’t betray me like that.”
And there it was. A declaration that, against my better judgment, I trusted him. I dared to lift my eyes to his and found him studying my face intently, his expression inscrutable.
“I see,” he murmured.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek before I remembered it was still sore from Evren’s assault. “At this point, you’re the only person I can trust. Besides Gwen,” I admitted, releasing a heavy sigh.
Abruptly, his expression shifted, and he approached me so quickly that my first instinct was to back away. “When were you going to tell me what happened this morning?” he demanded.
My stomach lurched. “What? How did you know?—?”
“For one thing, your face is bruised.” He tapped his jaw to indicate where my skin was blemished. “For another, nothing goes on in this place without me knowing it.”
I clenched my teeth defensively. “I was going to tell you. It only just happened this morning! I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Worry me?” he repeated in an incredulous tone. “I think it’s a little late for that. Every second that you remain at Ouverham is another fucking day Devereaux might decide you’re not worth the trouble. And by that, I mean?—”
“I know what you meant!” I interjected irritably. “He might have me killed. Thank you, but I am fully fucking aware of my mortal peril.” After all, Casimir hadn’t been in that classroom when Devereaux had tortured a poor butterfly to death.
When I crossed my arms and refused to meet his gaze, he added, in a gentler tone, “I would understand if you wanted to reconsider, you know.”
“Reconsider? Reconsider what exactly?”
He made a face as though the answer was obvious. “You wouldn’t be breaking your bargain with me by going away for a few weeks. After all, you did promise not to interfere...” He sighed in exasperation when I was slow to grasp his meaning. “I’m giving you an out, Farrow.”
Oh.Oh.
“No thanks,” I replied coolly.
“Sinclair was right. You are stubborn,” he muttered.
That was enough to set my temper boiling once again. “You know what I would find helpful?” I spoke through clenched teeth. “If everyone stopped treating me like a fragile,stupid little girl.”
He blinked, briefly surprised at my venom.
And then?—
“Is that really what you want, Farrow?”
“Yes,” I ground out.
I moved toward the door, but Casimir was too quick; he reached it first, blocking my exit. My nostrils flared in anger, even as heat crept up my neck at his sudden proximity. Was he seriously not going to let me leave before he had the final word? I glared up at him, bracing myself for a fight.