Mate Massacres

Chapter 22

Pip woke with a smile. Despite the slight headache and the tight chest and sore throat, he was in an excellent mood and had slept very well.

Pip curled under his warm duvet and scrolled through the conversation he had with Francis last night. "Krey thinks I'm cute," Pip whispered, grinning wide. Francis had also told Krey that Pip thought he was handsome. How much of their conversation did Krey see?

He held his phone to his chest until his alarm went off. Another Monday morning had come too soon.

Pip was in such a good mood that not even his aunt or uncle could trample on his high spirits.

"You're always rushing around recently. What's wrong with you?" Pip's uncle moaned as Pip hurried around the table to reach the toast.

He had spent too long thinking about Krey and his muscular arms, and now he was running a little late.

As Pip reached for the toast, his aunt grabbed the plate. "No, Pip, only people who know how to set a bloody alarm can have breakfast. Go, or you'll be late."

"I did set my alarm, I just-"

"Pippor Monty. Are you answering back to me?"

Everyone stared at him, even his cousins.

"Sorry," Pip whispered.

"Honestly, Pip, you don't have to live here, you know. Your room could be my studio. But no, we let you live here because you are family, so act like a member of this family, okay?"

Pip nodded and reversed through the kitchen door. He left the house without looking back.

The cold air was like walking into a freezer. Pip zipped his coat up and pulled his hat over his ears. He gripped the bag straps over his shoulders and hurried down the street. The sky looked a little yellow, and Pip wondered if snow would fall this winter.

He hoped so. The woods looked magical with a layer of snow brightening the bare branches and muddy trails.

Pip smiled softly to himself. He longed to look into Krey's deep brown eyes. There was something about the way he stared that made Pip shiver, in a good way. He thought about Krey's big frame, his black hair, and his lips that sometimes twitched at the corners when he was amused.

The sight of college wasn't a sight of dread. Pip was in the mood for learning, and he had done his homework and lots of studying over the weekend, a shift at the cafe, and retrieved a hot guys number.

Pip didn't want to think about the wolf, or the very large dog, or whatever animal chased away Mark and his idiot friends.

At lunchtime, Pip was lost in a book until his phone buzzed. His heart skipped a beat. Pip hoped it was Francis or Krey, but the message was from his aunt telling him to do his own laundry from now on.

Pip sighed and told himself to stop being so eager. He couldn't help himself. Nobody had ever paid him so much attention apart from his parents, but they had been gone for long enough for Pip to forget what it felt like to be properly loved.

By the time Pip finished college, the sun had set, and the clouds had cleared. Stars sparkled all around the sky and the moon, split entirely in half, glowed brighter than it had in a while. Pip would have stared at it if he wasn't so cold on the steps, and so eager to get to the library.

Pip wanted to text Krey and ask if he would come to the library. Pip was anxious about messaging him and decided to leave his phone alone, for now.

He slipped on ice on his way down the street. The lights from the library emerged in the distance. Pip rubbed his hands together and sniffed back the cold. The worst part of winter was the ice; Pip was clumsy on dry ground.