Bound by Blood; Chosen by Fate

Chapter Thirty- Three

*🧣*

The next day was painfully uncomfortable. Silence was awkward, tense between the two of us as we sat in class. I snuck glances over at him every few moments, nibbling on my lower lip. He ignored me, gaze determined on the front board, where the teacher was busy attempting to implant knowledge into our minds.

I rested my chin on folded hands and peered at Caesar, lips pressing thin. Silence, though I knew he felt my probing gaze.

He stood halfway through the class, and I jumped a little bit. But he only made his way to the back of the classroom, plugging in his phone before returning to his seat.

Resolutely ignoring me.

Which really made me begin to think I'd done something wrong. Was the conversation with Suzie too much? Had I been too nosy about his past?

But then, he knew all about mine. It was only fair that I knew about his, wasn't it? Besides, what could possibly be worse than mine?

A sigh escaped me, and I toed the tile beneath my desk with a sour expression. Electricity sparked, and I jumped a little.

Frowned before peering down to realize that there was an electrical outlet there, set into the tiles of the floor.

Odd. I could've sworn I hadn't seen it there before.

A light tapping from the front of the room, and I realized I'd spent enough time not paying attention to the teacher that she'd caught onto me.

A sigh as I tuned out her lecture, letting my gaze wander to the blond Italian sitting next to me. A frown sat on his mouth, lips pinched together in displeasure, brow scrunched in what I recognized as confusion.

Tracking his gaze, I found an odd sight awaiting me. He was holding his hand over the desk, pen seeming to stick to the underside of his palm. I blinked, frowning.

"Caesar," I hissed gently. His lips thinned, and he risked a glance at me from below blond eyelashes. Emerald flashed in the bright light as he met my gaze.

'Stand', he mouthed with a grimace. He shook his hand lightly, though the pen only turned, and stayed resolutely pinned to his palm. He grit his teeth. "I can take care of it," he hissed. "I don't need you messing it up."

I hid the hurt behind a grin as I stood, dropping him a wink. My stomach clenched at his words, and I realized that I was woefully in deep with this man. Panic flashed across his face as I opened my mouth.

"Excuse me, ma'am? Caesar isn't feeling so well. Can I walk him to the office?"

She blinked, eyed the two of us. Caesar cast me a murderous glare, though feigned a cough surprisingly well. My grin brightened.

She let out a breath, rolled her eyes.

"Come straight back," she ordered me. I grinned. Caesar stood, ducked out of the room.

As soon as the door closed, he ducked his head to examine the pen on his palm. A handful of paper clips and a few staples were stuck to his forearm.

"Does it hurt?" I asked suddenly.

"No," he answered with a frown, too distracted with the current situation to be mad at me. He tried to pull it off with his other hand, though when he made to pull it, it stuck.

"Merda," he swore softly. I held out my hand in a universal sign for 'let me'. He eyed me with trepidation. I returned his gaze with my signature irritating grin.

He held out his hands, glancing away with a stubborn set of his jaw. I let the grin fade beneath a mix of concentration and hurt.

"Yeah, that's stuck all right," I drawled, pulling my hands away.