22. Discoveries to be Made

Discoveries to be Made

A s Derek and I make our way to the cafeteria, I can't shake the feeling that I'm about to be summoned to the principal's office for the Great Kyla Punch of the century. Not that I regret it, mind you, but the threat of suspension—or worse, expulsion—looms over me like a rain cloud that just won't quit.

"You look like you're about to meet the executioner," Derek says, smirking as he nudges me. Always so reassuring.

"Gee, thanks," I mutter. "I'd rather not get expelled before graduation, you know? It's not on my bucket list."

He chuckles as we sit down. "Relax, Z. What you did was tame compared to half the stuff that goes down here. They've let way worse slip through the cracks. Trust me."

I stab a fry with my fork, half convinced and half... well, terrified. "Sure, Derek. Let's just hope Kyla doesn't turn into some sob story and suddenly become the victim of my 'unprovoked aggression.'"

Derek laughs, shaking his head. "You punched her. You didn't start a war."

I'm about to reply when I see Sam heading towards us, and her face? Oh boy, it's set to full fury mode . Here we go.

"What the hell, Zaria?" she snaps, arms crossed like she's about to launch into a full-blown lecture. "I asked you not to talk to Derek, and here you are, having lunch with him?"

Oh, fantastic. Petty drama, table for one. I groan internally. "Honestly, Sam, that request was… childish," I mutter, barely keeping my sarcasm at bay. "I've known Derek longer than you, and it's not like you own him."

Her jaw drops. "I'm supposed to be your best friend!" she shrieks, like I just broke some sacred girl-code.

I lean back, giving her a pointed look. "Yeah, best friends don't lie to each other or go running to the school's resident evil queen to spill their best friend's crush. You remember that part of the code, Sam?"

For a moment, she looks like a deer caught in headlights, but then she quickly schools her expression, playing innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about," she says, voice dripping with fake sincerity.

I raise an eyebrow. "Sure you don't."

Sam flips her hair dramatically—again with the shampoo-commercial routine—and straightens her posture. "Well, since you're so eager to betray me, I'm not partnering with you for the final project. Good luck finding someone else, because Derek's your only option, and let's be real—he's useless."

Derek grunts beside me but doesn't say anything, while I fire back without missing a beat, "Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you."

Sam glares, flustered and grumbling something unintelligible under her breath as she storms off. Good riddance.

Derek, still unfazed, turns to me, his curiosity piqued. "Why were you even friends with her to begin with?"

I sigh, rubbing my temples like I'm trying to massage the headache that is Sam away. "It's complicated. She asked for help once, and I couldn't say no. Then, I don't know, after a while, you start to think you're friends, and… I guess I just misinterpreted things."

I reach into my skirt pocket, pulling out the duplicate phone—Kyla's hot pink monstrosity—and power it on. As the screen lights up, my stomach twists. I scroll through the latest messages, and there it is.

"Look at this," I say, handing the phone to Derek. He leans in, reading over the message that just turned my stomach upside down.

Watch out for Zaria. She's got a crush on Sebastian.

Derek's brow furrows as he reads. "Wait... Sam and Kyla are friends? Since when?"

"I have no idea," I whisper, feeling the sting of betrayal. "But I'm going to find out."

Because if Sam's been feeding Kyla info, this just got a whole lot messier.

I make my way to the café, weaving through the late lunch crowd as my mind whirls with everything I've learned in the past half hour. Sam and Kyla… friends? Ick.

When I spot Hank already seated, slouched in his usual hoodie with his fingers flying over his phone like he's coding the fate of the universe, I almost feel bad dragging him into this. Almost.

I drop into the chair across from him. He doesn't even look up, just keeps typing away. "So, what's up?" His voice is nonchalant, like he's talking about the weather.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet," I say, leaning in. "I need a favor."

He finally pauses, glances up from his screen with a raised eyebrow. "I figured as much. What's the damage this time, Z?"

I take a deep breath. "I need to know when an initial first message was sent between two people. You don't have to know all the details, just… when Sam and Kyla started talking to each other. Digitally."

Hank's fingers hover over his phone for a second before he leans back in his chair. "You know, the last thing I need is a bunch of pissed-off witches throwing hexes my way for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

"True," I say, trying not to sound too desperate. "But it's better to not piss off three witches, right?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. "I swear, you always find a way to make things sound like a life-or-death situation." He taps a few more times on his screen. "Alright, fine. I'll see what I can do. But you owe me, and don't think I'll let you forget it."

"You've got a deal," I say, grateful that at least someone in my world still believes in loyalty. "Seriously, I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah," he mutters, already engrossed in whatever he's doing on his phone again. "I'll text you the date when I figure it out. But Z, be careful with this. The deeper you dig, the messier it's gonna get."

"Story of my life," I say with a half-smile as I stand up to leave. "Thanks again, Hank."

I head out of the café, the weight of everything settling heavier on my shoulders. As if Kyla wasn't bad enough on her own—now I have to figure out what part Sam played in all of this. And I don't even have time to think it through properly because Herbology & Potion Ingredients with Professor Thorne is up next. Great. Nothing like dissecting toxic plants to really lighten the mood.

I unlock the door to my dorm, ready to flop onto my bed and decompress after what feels like the longest day in history. But as I push the door open, I immediately notice something off—the lock is already turned. I freeze for a moment, bracing myself for who-knows-what before stepping cautiously inside.

To my surprise, instead of the disaster I half-expected, I find Sebastian casually lounging on my bed, looking like he's been waiting for me this whole time.

"Sebastian?" I blink, momentarily thrown off. "What are you doing here?"

He smirks, the usual cocky glint in his eyes. "Kyla was unbearable today, and I took the first opportunity to get away from her. Needed somewhere to hide. Figured your bed was as good a spot as any."

I chuckle despite myself. "Great. My room is a vampire safe house now."

Before I can even drop my bag, the door swings open behind me, and I narrowly avoid getting smacked by it. Derek walks in like he owns the place, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" I say, half-laughing, half-exasperated. "Is my room becoming some kind of stop zone for the both of you now?"

They exchange a glance before Derek grins, closing the door behind him. "Being away from you for too long is bad for our health," he teases.

Sebastian, ever the charmer, adds with a sly grin, "He's right. We're in withdrawal."

I can't tell if they're joking or if it's a mate-bond thing, but either way, my head feels like it's swimming in confusion. With a sigh, I toss my bag down and flop onto the bed next to Sebastian.

"Today was mentally exhausting," I groan, my brain still spinning from everything—Kyla, Sam, the potions class, and now these two.

Sebastian leans over, his tone dipping suggestively. "Well, you know… we could always make you feel better."

His implication is clear, and I blush at the thought, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. This whole situation is still so new and confusing, and as much as I want to dive into things, I have a million questions. I glance between them, trying to gather my thoughts before speaking.

"I actually… have some questions," I admit, my voice a bit hesitant. "About the double-mate thing. This is really new territory for me, and I'm still figuring out what I can and can't do around you both."

Derek pulls the desk chair closer, sitting directly across from me while Sebastian shifts on the bed beside me, both of them clearly intrigued. "Ask away," Derek says with a small smile, leaning forward slightly.

I take a deep breath. "Like this morning… Sebastian kissed me goodbye in front of you, Derek, and then you kissed me goodbye too. I just… I don't know how it's supposed to work with you both. What's okay? What isn't?"

Sebastian chuckles softly. "You're worried about kissing us in front of each other? Zaria, we're not idiots. We know things happen behind closed doors."

My face flushes red again as I realize how ridiculous I sound, but I try to explain. "It's not just that… I'm not used to kissing guys in general. Let alone figuring out how it works with two boyfriends."

At that, Derek and Sebastian exchange a wicked glance, and my stomach flips in anticipation. Derek slides onto the bed beside me, close enough that I can feel the heat from his body, while Sebastian stays on my other side, their energy buzzing around me.

Derek smirks. "It works like this."

Before I can even process what's happening, Derek tilts my chin up and presses his lips against mine, his kiss deep and intense. A small, surprised whimper escapes me, but before I can catch my breath, I feel Sebastian's lips brushing against the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

I'm trapped between them, utterly overwhelmed in the best possible way. Derek's hands move down to rub my thighs as Sebastian tugs gently on my hair, turning my head so his lips can replace Derek's. The transition is seamless, and Sebastian's kiss is just as hungry, just as demanding.

It's a whirlwind of sensation—two pairs of lips, two sets of hands, and my head spinning as my body reacts in ways I didn't know it could. By the time they pull away, I'm left breathless, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to regain some semblance of composure.

Both boys pull back just enough to give me space, grinning like they know exactly what they've done. I'm still reeling from the whirlwind of kisses and hands that were all over me just a moment ago. Trying to regain my composure, I clear my throat and muster my best flustered, sarcastic insult, "You two… are absolute idiots, you know that?"

Derek grins, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he leans back slightly. "Yeah, but we're your idiots."

Sebastian chuckles from the other side, his arm still casually draped behind me. "And you wouldn't have it any other way, Z."

I shoot them both a glare, but it lacks any real venom. They're not wrong, which is the most annoying part. Somehow, in the span of a weekend, I've gone from wondering if I'd ever date anyone to being caught between two guys who are now casually sharing me like it's the most natural thing in the world. And to make it worse, they're getting along. Too well.

"Could you at least pretend to not like each other so much?" I mutter, trying to cool the heat still lingering in my face. "It's creeping me out."

Derek just smirks, nudging me playfully. "You love it."

I roll my eyes, but before I can come up with a comeback, the thing I've been avoiding starts to gnaw at me. My questions. My… concerns.

"So, uh…" I start, not even sure how to phrase what I'm thinking. "I get that you're both… aware of what happens behind closed doors. But, uh… there's something I should probably mention."

Sebastian raises an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. "What's on your mind?"

I can feel my cheeks heating up again, and I look down at my hands, twisting them nervously. "Well… I'm not exactly… experienced with all of this. I mean… intimacy. It's kind of an awkward conversation to have, but…"

Both of them lean forward, clearly sensing my discomfort, and I can tell they're trying to understand what I'm saying. But how do I even begin to explain this? My brain feels like it's short-circuiting. I don't know how to say it without sounding completely ridiculous.

Then, to my absolute horror, Derek—of course it's Derek—grins and says, "Wait… you don't know which one of us you want to have sex with first because you're a virgin?"

My eyes widen in shock, and I'm pretty sure my soul just left my body for a solid three seconds. I can't even bring myself to respond, so I just… nod.

And then, instead of the two of them freaking out or making it worse, they do something that somehow makes it even more bewildering: they start having a casual, almost businesslike conversation about it. As if I'm not sitting right between them.

Derek tilts his head, thinking. "Well, I mean… I've had a bit more experience, so I could make sure she's comfortable."

Sebastian looks contemplative, nodding slowly. "True, but I'm also… you know, a virgin. So maybe it'd be better if we're on the same level for her first time."

I'm staring at them, my mouth slightly open, as they continue to calmly debate this.

"Yeah, but I know how to take it slow," Derek argues, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I think I'd be better at easing her into it."

Sebastian shrugs. "That's fair. But I think it'd be a bit more special if it's with someone going through the same thing, right?"

I can't believe what I'm hearing. These two are discussing, with straight faces, who should get to be my first, like it's a class project they're trying to divide up evenly. My brain can't keep up with this absurdity.

"Okay, okay, stop!" I finally say, throwing my hands up in the air, utterly overwhelmed. "I'm not even sure I'm ready for any of this yet! I just wanted to have the conversation, not… whatever this is."

The boys stop their discussion and look at me, their expressions softening. Derek reaches over and squeezes my hand. "Z, we're not rushing you into anything. You can take as long as you need."

Sebastian nods in agreement. "He's right. We both want you, but this isn't something you need to rush into. We'll wait until you're ready. No pressure."

I feel a wave of relief wash over me, though I'm still flustered beyond belief. It's… comforting, knowing that despite all their teasing and banter, they really do care about how I'm feeling.

I let out a deep breath, relaxing slightly between them. "Thanks… I just… I needed to get that off my chest."

Derek grins, the tension breaking as he nudges me again. "Hey, no worries. We've got all the time in the world."

Sebastian leans in, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "And when you're ready… you'll know exactly what you want."

I can't help but roll my eyes again, but there's a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "You two are insufferable, you know that?"

Derek chuckles. "Yeah, but you wouldn't have us any other way."