Gifted Connections 1

“He normally doesn’t like preferential treatment,” Remy explained as he allowed Will, Drake, Rose, Noah, Jemmy, then Ella in before him. “If anything, he always encouraged the coaches and teachers to be harder on us.”

I slid in next to Ella. “It doesn’t surprise me,” I murmured. “I vaguely remember what he did to me when I was in the institute.”

Ella chose that moment to tug on my sleeve. “Can I sit with Drake?”

I looked over at Drake and pointed at Ella and then him. He nodded, understanding my unspoken question. He smiled his gentle smile and nodded as he held his arms out to Ella. She was quick to jump up and move to Drake’s lap.

Remy gave me a gentle squeeze around my shoulders. “Jace and Jax used to tell me stories. It sounded like he did cross the line at times, but he had meant well. He can be tough and demanding, but he cares for us. All of us. Honestly, I think he’s softened quite a bit since Jemmy came around, and he’s a total softie around Ella. Time has mellowed him and shown him the error of his ways.”

“When did you move in with him?” I enquired.

A shuttered look came over his eyes, I was treading in uncharted territories. Or at least a territory he didn’t like traveling in. “I was fourteen,” he said quietly, and I knew that was the last question he would answer on that topic.

“Hey, is there room for me?” a familiar voice queried in our direction.

I looked up surprised to see Troy at the end of our row. He looked handsome in a white Knightstown sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a white beanie. I have come to

the realization that I had yet to see him in any color that made him look bad. In white, he looked tanner, and it was October for Pete’s sake!

“Hey!” I smiled. “I thought you weren’t going to be back until Sunday?”

He gave me one of his smooth smiles. “I missed my girl and my little brother’s playing his last game of his high school career. I couldn’t miss it and I needed to get back to you, so I wrapped things up early and came back. Now, scoot down,” he told me, so I was sitting between Remy and him.

I rolled my eyes at him. “You think you are so smooth. I’m sure those lines worked in the past, but I have a great bullshit detector.”

Remy roared with laughter, which I had never seen or heard him do. “She so has your number,” he grinned as he put his arm on the back of my chair, his hand gently threading through my hair.

I didn’t know if he consciously played with my hair, but I realized he did it often. Not that I minded. His big hands contrasted with his gentle, light touches. The pad of his thumb was rough against my smooth skin. It was an erogenous touch for me. The hair on my arms stood on end.

Troy clutched at his heart as he gave me an upset look. “You wound me with your words!”

“You are just as dramatic as Jemmy. I wonder where she got it from,” I said tartly.

Remy chuckled once more and shot Troy a smug look.

Jemmy chose that moment to launch herself across our laps. “Troy!” she exclaimed. “It feels like it’s been forever!”

“It’s been less than two days,” Troy said dryly as he tweaked her nose.

“Forevvvver!” she cried dramatically, throwing an arm over her eyes.

“See what I mean,” I winked at Remy.

He chuckled, and I was struck by how sexy he looked when he laughed. The hard planes of his features looked softer, more approachable.

“You’re in talking time out,” Troy growled playfully. “Don’t talk to me for five minutes.” He held up five fingers, crossed his arms, and stared straight forward.

I deduced that a ‘talking time out’ was his refusal to talk to me for five minutes. Like it was an actual punishment.

“Uh oh,” Jemmy blinked up at me from Troy’s lap. “What did you do?” she asked in mock horror.

“Oh, you know,” I said tongue in cheek, with a smile and a raise of my eyebrows. “I just told him how you both must have attended the same drama clubs because you guys are both so dramatic.”

Jemmy clutched her heart, the same way Troy did, and gasped. “You’re so in talking time out with me too!” She held her thermos up to Troy. “Coffee? It’s my special kind.”

He took a sip of it, raised an eyebrow at her, and then continued to take another sip.

“Too bad the timeout doesn’t work for your mouth too,” I giggled.