Chapter 0220

Dad stares at me and then up at Jackson again. “What?” he asks. “I was just being polite

((

“Jacks is…not great with polite,” I say, pressing myself warmly to his side. “Actually, I think he’d probably rather fight you than do the small talk thing.”

Jackson scowls, already coming back to himself a little. “Ari, I don’t want to fight him –”

“I know,” I say, nodding and smiling up into his face. “Just can we all maybe take a bit of space? Try this again over midwinter, maybe over dinner?”

“Or an activity,” Rafe suggests, knowing that even a dinner might be a bit much for Jacks. ” Or a great, great deal of whiskey – barrels of it.”

“Enough,” dad snaps good–heartedly at Rafe, waving a dismissive hand at all of us as he turns away. “Fine, fine! We’ll do it all later! I need much more information anyway.”

after him as he walks to the bed with mom at his side, and then

Jacks,” I whisper,

didn’t…say anything,” he murmurs, glancing after my parents. “Besides, like,

well,” Rafe says with humorous condescension, patting him on his shoulder with a

to ask a question, but the door opens again – suddenly, I long for a lock on it – and a professor I

in his hand. “I’m looking for Cadets Sinclair, McClintock, and Clark?”

intervening moment Jackson hands me his cap, which was apparently tucked into his back pocket. Hastily, I loop my hair

glances back at me and then nods to him, letting him

looking anxiously over

the bed, perhaps wondering what the hell is going on. But he doesn’t say anything about that, instead clearing his throat

three of you have been

throwing myself into Jackon’s arms. He laughs with me, turning me in a circle, giving me a big hug. When we go all the

interrupting as the professor starts speaking again. “It’s not an issue that Cadet…Clark…” here she glances at me, and inwardly I cringe at how obvious she’s being, “was carried wounded over the

professor says, giving her a deferential bow. “The rules are to cross the finish line, full stop. I think,” he glances at my dad here, “they were written that way with this express situation

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