Ariz looked up at him, amused, then smiled. "Go ahead and order something," he said. Darren ended up choosing exactly what Ariz had ordered.
When the food arrived, they ate while chatting, and little by little, Darren's stiffness seemed to ease. At one point, Ariz mentioned sincerely, "If you and Kayden ever get stuck or confused while studying for the exams, I'd be happy to help both of you."
Darren didn't respond to that, he simply said they should get going so Ariz could drop him off at home. And just like that, they left the restaurants.
Kayden arrived at Thaddeus' office. When he stepped inside, Thaddeus was deep in discussion with Luke and Elisa, papers spread across the desk and a laptop open. They seemed completely absorbed in something important, so Kayden quietly closed the door behind him and went to sit on the couch, careful not to make a sound. Thaddeus had warned him before not to interrupt him during work, and he intended to keep that promise.
