Fractured (Josie) novel Chapter 23

Chapter 0023 

Chapter 0023 

We sit at Dot’s table for dinner. Damien Joins Sunny and another group at the next table. Sunny elves me a small wave, which I return. I choose a carbonara–type dish with garlic bread and chocolate cake for dessert. Dot is unusually quiet, she avoids eye contact with me and I start to feel worried. Had I made that much of a fool of myself in the assembly that she doesn’t want to be seen with me anymore? 

“Dot, is everything okay?” I ask nervously. 

“Yes,” she answers a little too quickly. 

“I’m sorry if 1…” I begin but she holds up her hand, stopping me. Then she taps her ear and glances around the room. I frown at her and she repeats the motion. 

says 

“It’s fine Josie, if anyone deserves the last piece of chocolate cake today, it’s you. You are forgiven,” she cheerfully. Huh? I look at my cake in confusion and then back to her. She rolls her eyes in exasperation and pulls out her phone. Seconds later my phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to read the notification. 

‘Don’t talk here, everyone is listening and someone is reporting back to Deacon. I’m the one that should be apologising. Can we talk later? Have Theo bring you to my room,‘ the message from Dot reads. 

“I 

I have a session with Professor June after dinner, but I could come after that?‘ I respond. 

‘See you then‘ she quickly replies. I show the messages to Theo and Luke and they nod. 

Our table is mostly quiet for the rest of dinner, everyone now aware that we are being listened to. I look over to the unbonded table and notice Mason is still missing, that table is getting less crowded with every meal. First Theo left it, then Mason and Luke, followed by the three that were suspended this morning. My eyes scan across the remaining unbonded. I wonder if any of them will be sitting at our table by this time tomorrow. My eyes stop on a copper–haired man, he’s the only one who’s not staring at me. The guy next to him nudges him to get his attention and then nods in my direction. The copper–haired man’s icy blue eyes meet mine before smiles shyly, his cheeks instantly flushing red. Then he quickly returns lus focus to the last scraps of his food. 

“That’s Axel,” Theo leans in close to me and whispers. 

I notice Luke take out his pocket notebook and scribble something, closing it before I get a chance to see what he wrote. “You can see it when I’m done,” he laughs, obviously catching me trying to take a peek. 

“Fine,” I huff in fake annoyance. 

“We should get going,” Theo says, getting the attention of the rest of his team. We give them a moment to say goodbye to their bonds and then we leave the hall, ready to heet Professor June after a thankfully uneventful dinner. 

To my surprise, June is an older lady who looks like she should have been enjoying her retirement for years. already. 

“Josie, it’s wonderful to finally meet you,” She greets me with a warm smile. 

“Thank you, it’s nice to meet you too, and thank you for agreeing to work with me out of the normal schedule. I desperately need to gain some control,” I laugh nervously.