Fighting Fate (Granton University #1)(39)

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Next time, just tell him to stop.” Releasing Einstein’s tormentor, Paige pushed him back and stepped toward the tree, opening her arms as if prompting a kitten to jump down to her.

“Okay, everybody clear out,” Logan called, deciding to clean up while she was preoccupied. “Now! Get going.”

He waved his arms wide, corralling the spectators away from Paige. Surprisingly enough, they followed his orders, slowly shuffling toward the entrance of the building. One person was even nice enough to pause and help the sore-thumbed bully up from the ground.

Inside of a minute, the only people left around the tree were him, Paige, and her two friends.

“Holy guacamole, Paige.” Bailey gaped at her. “Where’d you learn a move like that?”

Paige shrugged, her attention still up the tree. “My brother taught it to me when I was little. Okay,” she called softly. “They’re all gone. You can come down now.”

“You’re sure?” a timid voice asked.

“I’m sure. All the mobsters have fled.”

“It’s mob,” the voice muttered.

When Paige only chuckled, the dark mass in the tree deftly leaped down, landing on the grass with ease. A young boy straightened and hurried from the shadows and straight into Paige’s arms. He buried his face in her shoulder as she hugged him close, and Logan shook his head, certain he was seeing things.

What was a kid doing on campus?

“I can’t believe she’s so nice to that freak,” Bailey hissed beside him. “Look at him. He’s gawking down her cleavage while she’s trying to pamper him like some kind of concerned mama bear.”

“Did they get you anywhere tonight?” Paige asked, pulling back just enough to look him over.

The boy shook his head, long dark bangs flopping into his eyes. “No.” After giving his sullen answer, he scooted back to her for another hug.

Paige lifted her face to her friends while she wrapped one arm around the boy’s shoulder and turned him toward the dorm building. “I’m going to take Einstein up to his room. I’ll see you guys later, okay?” Her gaze touched briefly on Logan. “Thanks again for the ride.”

Einstein yanked to an abrupt halt, looking up at Logan with sudden suspicion glittering in his eyes. “Who’s he?” he demanded, then he turned to Paige and looked her up and down. “Where were you?”

“We went to a Halloween party,” she said, tearing the bunny ears off her head as if she suddenly decided they must look lame. “I would’ve invited you, but you weren’t by the door when we left.”

As they started toward the entrance of Grammar Hall, Bailey groaned. “She would have invited him too.” After rolling her eyes, she gave a dreaded shiver. “Paige pampers the creepy little weirdo like he’s actually normal.”

“She does,” Tess agreed sadly, tipping her head to watch them leave. “I tried to be nice to him once. Told him I liked his shirt. He said it wasn’t for sale and was too small to fit me anyway.” She harrumphed. “The jerk.”

“You mean, he’s a student here?” Logan asked. “But he looks like he’s ten years old.”

“Looks ten. Acts eight.” Bailey sighed. “He’s sixteen and some boy genius or something like that, except the kid’s cracked if you asked me. He spies on everyone from under the front stairs, and if you try to talk nicely to him, he always ends up insulting your intelligence. Paige is the only person who can get him to behave slightly normal.”

“Who else here thinks he’s exactly like Plato off Rebel Without a Cause?” Tess asked, raising her own hand.

“Off what?” Bailey arched her strange look.

“Rebel Without a Cause. You know, that old classic movie with James Dean.”

“Yeah. Who here has actually seen Rebel Without a Cause?”

This time, no one put a hand in the air.

“Well, the day we find him on the top of a roof, waving a gun at everyone, don’t you come running to me and say I told you so, because…because I told you so.”

After sharing a look with Logan, Bailey cracked off a laugh. “Oh my God, you are so drunk you said that all wrong.”

Tess frowned. “I did?”

Looping her arm around Tess’s shoulder, Bailey chuckled again. “Yeah, you did. Come on, lush. Let’s get you inside.” Gesturing at Logan, she said, “Thanks for the ride, Dave, or Logan, or whoever you are.”

He watched them head in and then glanced around the now-deserted yard. He definitely couldn’t claim it had been a boring evening. Looking up at Grammar Hall, he wondered which room Paige was in now. He pictured her tucking the strange kid college student into his crib and telling him some kind of bedtime story.

This nurturing side of her was a new development. The lady certainly came in many layers, and he’d seen his fair share of them tonight alone. Jokester, warrior, temptress, nurturer.

What was worse, all of them intrigued him.

As he returned to the DD-mobile, he shook his head, his mind wandering back to that costume she’d worn.

Reggie Oates had to be the biggest idiot on earth. He’d had the most gorgeous girl in all Granton by his side tonight and he’d blown it. Logan knew he should feel bad that her date had bombed, but he just couldn’t summon the oomph. Whistling quietly to himself, he climbed into the car.