Flint casually leans a massive shoulder against the stone wall, crossing his arms and ankles as though he hasn’t a care in the world. Jaxon’s gaze stays steady on me.
“That’s awesome. Less of that makeup work you were worried about, right?” Jaxon asks with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Then again, I’m probably being paranoid.
“Exactly. I just hope all the teachers are as cool as Mr. Damasen.”
“Damasen?” Jaxon repeats with a startled bark of laughter. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone refer to him as cool.”
“Right?” Flint interjects. “I told her the same thing. The man’s a monster.”
Jaxon doesn’t answer him. In fact, he doesn’t even look at him. Which isn’t awkward at all.
“Well, I liked him. I mean, sure, he talks really loudly, but I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“He’s a giant.”
“I know, right?” My eyes widen as I picture the architecture teacher. “I think he’s the largest person I’ve ever seen.”
“Because he’s a giant,” Jaxon reiterates, and this time it’s impossible to miss the emphasis he puts on the last word.
“Wait a minute.” I can feel my mind stretching in an effort to internalize what he’s saying. “When you say ‘giant’…you don’t mean ‘big human.’ You mean…”
“Giant.” The remaining coldness melts from his eyes and is replaced by an amused warmth that finally has the tension leaking from my shoulders.
“Like the whole ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman’ thing… That kind of giant?”
“More like the I-eat-babies kind of giant, but yeah. I guess the Jack and the Beanstalk reference works.”
“Really?” I shake my head as I try to wrap my mind around this new revelation.
“Seriously, Grace,” Flint reiterates. “Damasen’s a giant. Has a whole stack of bones from problem students in his apartment to prove it.”
My head whips around to Flint. “What?”
“But don’t worry,” he continues. “Foster doesn’t let him eat any of the good students, so you should be fine.”
Flint puts a valiant effort into keeping a straight face as I stare at him in horror, but in the end, he can’t do it. He starts to grin, but the moment I narrow my eyes at him, the grin turns into a full-blown belly laugh.
“Oh my God. You should have seen your face.” He glances at Jaxon like he wants to share the joke, but Jaxon still won’t even look at him. What seems like sadness creeps into Flint’s gaze, but he hides it with a big, goofy grin so quickly that I can’t help wondering if I saw it at all.
“You’re so mean!” I tell Flint and elbow him in the side. “How could you do that to me?” I turn to Jaxon. “Is Damasen even really a giant?”
“Yes, he’s a giant. But no, he doesn’t eat people.” He pauses, then finally glances at Flint. “Anymore.”
“Anymore?” I recoil in horror, at least until I see a tiny gleam in the corner of Jaxon’s eye. “Oh my God! That was totally uncool. Why are you two messing with me like that?”
“I thought that was my job as your boyfriend,” Jaxon tells me, but he’s smiling when he says it.
“To freak me out?”
“To tease you.” He reaches up, wraps one of my curls around his finger.
“Pretty sure he’s just looking to make a point, Grace.” Flint drapes a nonchalant arm around my shoulders and gives Jaxon a look that even I know is provoking as hell. “He wasn’t happy to find out you might let me take you for a ride.”
“Flint!” My mouth drops open for the second time in as many minutes. “Why would you say it like that?” I whirl to Jaxon. “He means dragon. I might ride his dragon!”
Flint waggles his brows. “Exactly.”
I’m so embarrassed by my unintentional double entendre that I’m sure my face is beet red. “Flint! Stop!”
I don’t have a chance to get him to clarify, though, because quick as a lightning strike, Jaxon lashes out…and punches Flint right in the mouth.
13
Sucker Punch Me
One More Time
For several long seconds, the whole world seems to go in slow motion.
Flint’s head slams back on his neck, so hard that he stumbles away several steps.
In the meantime, Jaxon lowers his arm and tilts his head just a little, eyes narrowed on Flint while he waits to see what his former best friend decides to do.