The Things You See In Me

Chapter 4

"You won't get in trouble for dragging me away, will you?" Liam really is only asking because he doesn't want her to get in trouble in general, let alone for him.

"I dragged you away, huh? Well, I can always take you back. I forgot how much of a straight-laced nerd you are when it comes to rule following." Bodhi says as she throws a small taunting smirk over her shoulder.

Liam scoffs and throws a sarcastic smirk back at her. "I think you're thinking of yourself, dolly."

Bodhi shuffles faster just a little; just to hide her heated cheeks.

She'd forgotten about that silly nickname. Her mother used to say she looked like a pretty little dolly when she was a baby and Liam used to tease the heck out of her for it.

Well, until he didn't, and then, suddenly, he'd started using it just as endearingly as her mother once had. The last time he called her that was over five years ago now, the day her mother died.

Oblivious, Liam sighs and says, "I just don't want you getting in trouble for me. You seem to have gotten yourself as far up the ladder as Xaden." He's grinning when she pauses in the hallway and turns to him with a small awkward smile.

Bodhi narrows her eyes a little as she asks, "How do you know he didn't just bring me up with him?"

It's what others think...

OK, it's what all the stupid girls who are jealous of her being so close to Xaden think. Which: gross. But whatever, she is technically the only girl he's sociable to, let alone nice to. Kind of. He has his moments.

But this is Liam. And Liam isn't like other people. And he never has been.

Which is why he easily melts Bodhi's defences when his grin brightens his eyes and he tells her, "Nah. If anything, I bet you were the first to step foot on that ladder. Xaden just intimidates his way through life, which, yeah, works for him, because it kind of has to. But you?"

Bodhi's heart flutters at the proud look he gives her.

"You never want to be the reason people are unhappy. You never complain about anything, even when you most definitely have every right to. And you're just...kind of the best." Liam ends with a small smile and shrugs off his words before he ends up getting too deep in the middle of the fricking hallway of all places—and on his very first day seeing her again after so fucking long, of all times.

Bodhi silently clears her throat. "I am, aren't I?" She grins when he rolls his eyes, that cute small smile still tugging at his lips.

"The shadowed one has began calling out the sections." Cuir informs her, "I am currently presenting myself along with Sgaeyl and the others."

"OK, thanks. I'll tell Liam in a moment." Bodhi tells her before motioning for Liam to follow her down to the end of the hallway.

She pauses outside one door, points a thumb to it and tells him, "This one's Xaden's. That one's mine." She points to the door opposite. "Imogen and I are the only girls on this wing. Hers is that one and Garrick's is that one." She points to the door next to hers, then, the one beside Xaden's. Then, she points to the door to the left of Xaden's and says, "That one will be yours when you finish your first year. He's been saving it for you. They don't like it, but Xaden managed to keep most of us living together."

Liam nods, then, follows her through the next set of hallways.

She brings them outside, across the stone patio and through small tunnel that leads out into the tiny courtyard in front of the first year dorms, which she tells him as she gives him the quick tour along the way.

Liam barely takes it all in, barely takes his eyes off of her as she falls into step beside him and they finally come to a stop outside a door in which she tells him is his room inside.

"So," Bodhi says, pulling the key out of her pants pocket and handing it over to him. "Would you like to know what section you're in?" She smiles sheepishly and adds, "Sorry. I probably should have just let you hang back."

"No." He says it so quick and fierce that Bodhi's heart stutters. He clears his throat, smiles softly and says, "No, I... I'm glad. I've missed you and it's...really good to see you."

Fuck. There. He finally said it.

Bodhi bites the tip of her tongue to keep the crazy notion of biting her lip and fluttering her eyelashes and asking him just how good really good actually means from tumbling out of her mouth.

Cuir chuckles. "Do it. I'm not too sure he would mind."

Bodhi shushes her dragon before actually replying with, "I missed you, too."

Lame.

"Yes."

Ugh.

"Yeah?" Liam is practically beaming with that knowledge. Like it's some big secret he could never figure out. Really?

Huh, not that lame then.

"Yes, it was."

Bodhi shuts her bothersome dragon out of her mind before she can bring forth words from Bodhi's mouth that she can't ever take back and simultaneously embarrass the fuck out of herself with the man of her damned dreams.

"Yeah." Bodhi's face hurts a little from smiling like such a dope.

Gods—forget her dragon rinsing her, this really is so very painful.

Yet, when she looks back at Liam, he seems oblivious. The beaming smile catching even more dimples and jumpstarting her heart in the process.

She clears her throat again, gently takes the key from his hand and begins to unlock his door. Turning her back to him just to give her a few moments to breathe right again. She opens the door and stands to the side to let him in.

Liam just arches a brow and says, "Ladies first."

Bodhi rolls her eyes, but has to fight back another blush. "I'm showing you into your room. It's my duty. Get your ass in there."

Liam's brow arches higher, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Yes, Officer!" He chirps, saluting her with two fingers before marching straight in.

Bodhi shakes her head, smile lingering as she follows him in. "So, I already know which section all the new cadets have been assigned to."

Something Xaden doesn't even know, which she's pretty proud of herself for knowing. Everyone trusts her and she's made it so to know the ins and outs of things that Xaden doesn't bother to tell her unless her thinks she needs to know.

Liam nods as she tells him, "You're Second Squad, Tail Section, Fourth Wing."

"Tail Section?" He grins wide immediately, having listened to her every word as she gave him a quick tour of the grounds. "That's your section, right?"

"Right." Bodhi chuckles lightly, nods. "Xaden's the Wingleader, because of course he is." She rolls her eyes as Liam chuckles this time. She hides a smile at the pretty sound that still makes her feel giddy. She turns her back on him to do so, motioning around his room as she speaks. "Pretty standard. Everyone's room is the same layout, but obviously, the rooms get bigger as you graduate from year-to-year. And if you..."

Bodhi sucks in a sharp breath when she suddenly feels him standing right behind her, his fingertips brushing softly along the skin where her neck meets her spine. For the initial moment, she freezes completely.

A moment later, she's relaxing, exhaling slowly and trying not to lean into his touch. She doesn't know what is happening right now, but she's definitely—

"It's beautiful." He whispers in awe.

Bodhi's eyes snap back open, rapidly blinking as she processes his words.

It's, not: you're.

The mark of her signet. The dragon tattoo looking mark of magic from her dragon that empowers her with her signet.

"I... Thanks." Bodhi feels so fucking stupid when her bottom lip begins to wobble slightly. She gently shrugs his hand from her shoulder and lets out a shaky little sigh as she tries to pull herself together.

She walks those few steps over to the window and when she turns to face him, Liam is frowning softly. "Was I...not meant to touch it?"

He's never heard of such a rule, but he asks anyway.

Because he can't bare to think of the rule not existing if it means that someone else has had their hands on it already; on her. Someone else with a matching one of their own. Someone who has already proved themselves worthy of a dragon. Someone who isn't him.

"What?" Bodhi asks, looking slightly distracted. "No." She shakes her head. Frowns, rethinks and says, "I mean, yes, it's OK to for other people to touch it. That's not a thing between riders, don't worry." She assures him with a small nod and awkward little smile.

For the first time ever, her smile doesn't make him smile. Instead, Liam is just wondering who the fuck these other people are that have been touching her mark, or touching her in general.

He gulps, nods, instead, says, "Then...sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." He frowns when she chuckles, confused.

Bodhi shakes her head as she looks at him with a smile that really does make him want to smile this time...before turning into a big pile of mush.

"It's fine. You didn't."

He isn't so sure.

Well, for a moment, it seemed like she might have enjoyed him touching her. Until he opened his stupid mouth and ruined it.

But how? He has no clue.

But he'll figure it out. He's determined.

For now, Liam nods, though, he shoots her a look to let her know he doesn't quite believe her.

He walks over to his bed then, opening the rucksack he'd hauled across the Parapet that's now sat on top of his new mattress for the next few years. Filled only with essentials.

But one thing he simply could not forget...

Bodhi tilts her head in curiosity when he turns and walks over to her with a small wooden box in his hand. He stops in front of her, holding his palm flat and she takes her first look at the intricate carvings all along the sides. Tiny vines of mistletoe wrapped around the entire thing and on the lid are her initials—B.M.M.—are etched in his perfect script handwriting.

"You made this for me? It must have taken ages." Bodhi says, a little breathless.

He's always been carving one little gift or another for her. But she's seen him finish a carving of a warrior riding a chariot with two horses attached in less than a day.

Liam also finds himself a little breathless when she looks up at him from under her eyelashes all bashful and adorable like she does now. He puffs out his weak chuckle and nods. "Well, yeah, but this isn't the actual—"

"How adorable and hurtful at the same time. That you wouldn't want to see me first." Xaden's voice cuts in. He's stood in the doorway, arms crossed and brow arched at the scene before him.

Bodhi glares when he smirks at her. He's determined to ruin her life since she started at Basgiath. It fucking sucks. He fucking sucks.

Xaden clears his throat like he can hear her thoughts. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd somehow found a way. Magic or not. The asshole always needs to know everything.

Liam is also glaring at Xaden, though, not with quite as much bitterness as his cousin, more like a mother scolds her child.

Xaden holds up his hands and says, "Sorry, I'll come back."

Bodhi doesn't miss the way his beady little eyes flit between her and Liam. "Don't bother. I have still have work to do." She mutters before forcing a bright grin at Liam and telling him, "I'll catch up with you in the morning. Make sure you get good rest."

Xaden holds back a laugh when she awkwardly pats Liam on the shoulder before turning away.

Liam shakes his head and glares murderously, silently daring the older boy to say something else to her. "Wait!" He rushes forward, ignoring the answering smirk and gently grasping her wrist.

Xaden tilts his head as he watches.

"The actual gift is inside." Liam finally tells her. He lifts her wrist up, slides his hand under the back of hers and places the box onto her open palm.

Bodhi nods stiffly, but forces herself to ignore the burning gaze of her idiot cousin—who will no doubt add this moment to his ammo of taunting her pathetic ass. She actually manages a real smile, no matter how small before making her quiet exit.

Xaden smiles pleasantly and moves out of her way into the room when she pauses and glares at him to do so. He takes a deep breath, glances over at Liam, who is staring after her with a dopey-ass smile.

Xaden rolls his eyes, shakes his head and says, "Still so painful to watch."