Tatum's Tears | On Hold

Chapter 6 - ❝Heart-stopping Smiles.❞

DEDICATED TO thelowkeyloki :) THANKS FOR BEING AN AWESOME READER.

~

Chapter 6 - ❝Heart-stopping Smiles.❞

The next week flew by without much interaction between Tatum and Angier, despite them having quite a number of classes in common throughout the week. Their last proper conversation—well, even that couldn't be classified as a conversation—was on that first day after Francesca Blythe's arrival, when Tatum had mind-linked Angier during one of their afternoon classes.

'I assume you'll be taking your Mate out, this evening?'

There was silence for a little while, and Tatum was unsure if it was because he hadn't heard her because he was busy with something else, or if it was because he was wondering what to say.

Then, just as Tatum was about to go back to listening to her lecture, there was a short reply.

'Yeah . . .' Tatum could feel it was hesitant on his part, 'I think I might.'

'Cool. You have some cash with you for a cab, just in case?'

'Yeah.'

'Alright, then..'

Tatum cut off the Telelink after that, satisfied that she'd done her part as her friend. She'd given him an out from hanging out with her every day like he was so adamant he would, and even gone as far as making sure he had money.

Damn, she was a good friend.

Stopping herself from smiling stupidly at that thought, Tatum went back to her lecture.

She was never gonna admit that her heart was breaking in half.

She was a good friend, and she was gonna maintain it at that.

~ * ~

The next Monday at lunch, Ezra entered the lunch hall with a newcomer. Tatum wouldn't have noticed it, were it not for the fact that Seneca and Micajah—who'd arrived on time like Tatum had, had pointed it out. Tatum watched with unconcealed amusement as he talked animatedly with Paige Summers, a thirteen-year-old kid so brilliant that she was already in College. Paige had been found as a kid in the Pack's boundary, and Alpha Karas had taken her in as a member, and even paid for her education personally.

Not that they had to pay much, 'cause the kid had so many scholarships that all they had to make sure of, was she had money to eat and dress. Although, Tatum worried for the kid's well being at times, because they still hadn't found much information about who her parents were, or why they'd abandoned her that day.

Ezra seemed to be very engaged in whatever he was saying, and Paige, as usual, was aloof and acting as if she didn't give two craps about whatever the guy was going on about. After a pat to Paige's head, Ezra split ways with her and walked over to the table, where they'd already bought his lunch for him.

Yeah, he wasn't so averse to the cafeteria these days.

Once he settled in and tucked into his food, the three of them stared at him until he realized it and looked up. "What?"

"You're friends with a kid." Micajah observed, amusement threatening to tilt his lips up in a smile—which he was controlling as much as he could.

"Yeah," Ezra grinned, a wide toothy one, "She's just so pissed off at the world all the time. It's fun to make her want to smile. She fights it so hard."