House of Korba: The Ghost Bird Series: #7 (The Academy) Read Online Free Page B

ready to reveal.
    Nathan didn’t know I was terrified of showers. I swallowed the urge to tell him, feeling awkward and unsure. It was Nathan’s house, after all. He really wanted this new shower. I guessed that Victor didn’t tell him, or didn’t know they were replacing the tub, because I thought he might have mentioned it. He must be keeping his promise to me still to keep it between us for now. I didn’t want the others to try to fix me or worry about me when they did so much for me already. It sounded like Silas had already approved of this shower, or would like it, too. Certainly North did, which was why he was here.
    The longer I didn’t say anything, the more complicated this was getting. Every time I even thought to shower or tried, I panicked, once I even fainted. What would happen when I needed to wash, and all Nathan had was a shower?
    Nathan turned back to me, the same crazy smile still stuck on his face. “But it’ll take time. Knocking everything out was the easy part. The hard part is putting the pieces in. We’re going to be stuck using my dad’s bathroom for a few days at least.”
    We’d been using that one since the toilet broke until they could find the time to fix the bathroom. I worried now they might replace the tub in his dad’s bathroom, too. I could only hope that would stay. I could find reasons to use that one instead of the shower for the most part. Maybe that would work.
    He took my wrist, tugging it up until it was around his neck. My other arm followed, completing the embrace. He wrapped his arms around my body. “What do you say? You want to go with Gabriel and pick out tile colors and new towels?”
    I smothered the lump in my throat. “Today?”
    He laughed again, and dipped his head. He kissed me on the nose. “When you and him have a moment, I guess.” He hugged me close.
    I stared at the wall, at the mess they had made. A new shower. Silas running for homecoming king. Secret Academy meetings.
    Is this what my life would be like from now on?
    ♥♥♥
    N orth returned to help clean up the mess in the bathroom. With the close quarters and two big guys trying to work in there, I was in the way, so they shooed me out.
    I ended up in Nathan’s bedroom for a while. I took the pencils out of my hair and sprawled out on the bed, messing up the maroon blanket I’d put into place that morning.
    The room smelled like Nathan, of cypress and leather. It felt like him. There were little touches of me now mixed in as well. A bookshelf had been added, with the books from my bedroom, plus a few extra ones thanks to Kota. There were hair clips on the nightstand, and on the dresser was a bathroom kit with the few things I’d taken from the house. I left a lot for Marie.
    There wasn’t much, but then there wasn’t much that was mine at the house, either. I also needed to leave some things there, so if I had to return, my father would think I’d been there the whole time, so the stereo, old clothes and other things I didn’t really need had remained just to make it look like I still lived there.
    I sucked in a breath, and held it, for no reason other than it was a moment when nothing was happening. Surreal. I started to doze. I didn’t want to sleep, but just relax and try to figure out what Mr. Hendricks was up to, among other things.
    I’m not sure how much time passed before there was a knock at the door. It felt like only minutes, but the hoarseness in my throat told me it was longer than that. I scrubbed my face with a palm. “Huh?” I called to the person behind the door. I started tugging at the hem of my shorts that had ridden up my thighs.
    The door opened, and Mr. Blackbourne looked in. His gray eyes scanned the room and settled on me.
    My eyes widened and my heart jumped. I scrambled to sit upright. I should have answered the door properly, not called out without even a solid word. I was embarrassed to be so improper. “Mr. Blackbourne,” I said by way of