Page 94 of Off the Rails

This time it wasn’t a question.

Gritting my teeth, I couldn’t help the way her gentle gaze softened me. I wanted to be angry — and I was. But I also knew that Cyrus was holding some sort of grudge, something that Nash and Blade wouldn’t tell me.

“Just give me a chance, please.” Nash let her fingers graze the skin on my arm, raising goosebumps on my flesh.

My body reacted even when my mind willed it not to. It was obvious that Blade and Nash both knew how to make me weak despite myself.

“You don’t have to forgive me. But let me at least expose my regret.” Nash’s jaw tensed as she looked down at me. Her warm breath made my throat tighten.

Those silver eyes had a way of wearing through me.

“Fine. But be quick.” I nodded behind her, telling her to lead the way.

Nash turned on her heels, the soles of her fullbore boots pushing off the cobblestone as she guided us out of Superhero Central and across the center of Feverpoint.

Staying a few feet behind her, I let Nash guide me back to Jungle Jolt. The faux-foliage seemed to make the wildlife happy, more birds chirping in the canopy than in other parts of the park.

But as we walked, we turned away from the path that would have led us back to the apartment. Instead, Nash turned us down a narrow path to the edge of the park.

The same place she’d taken me when she won Fright Night — her studio.

It looked so different in the daylight, the path no longer a terrifying tangled forest but instead a pleasant nature walk.

But as we reached the steps of her treehouse, I reached out and grabbed Nash’s arm. “You’ll lose a fucking finger if you try to lay one on me.”

A devious smirk took over her face. “As much as I’d love to see you put up a fight, Sweet Lamb, that’s not what this is about.”

Instead, she slipped her hand into mine and intertwined our fingers as she walked up the cascading steps of the treehouse.

I hesitated for a second, letting our hands stretch to the longest length they could.

But when Nash looked at me over her shoulder, I caved to her soft gray eyes and followed her up the steps.

At the top of the steps, rather than kicking the door open like last time, Nash gently turned the knob and opened the door.

“Wow.” I gasped as the studio revealed itself. But I tried to steel my face, not wanting to be impressed by her. Not now.

Bright afternoon light poured into the massive room. On every wall, sketches and paintings hung from long wires. Easels scattered across the space, the buckets of paint I’d seen in the dark on Fright Night were now clear to me. In a variety of colors, I couldn’t imagine Nash being short on supplies.

Nash stepped inside. “Why are you surprised? You’ve already seen it.”

Shaking my head, I let her pull on my arm spur me forward. “Yeah but it was dark and we were… preoccupied.”

My jaw tightened remembering the cast she’d made that night.

What had she done with it?

Walking through the space, I realized that it wasn’t just paintings. Huge metal sculptures loomed over the room.

“You don’t just paint?” I asked as I stretched my neck to see the top of one structure.

“Nope.” Nash laughed, the deep sound sending a jolt of heat to my core. “Not what I want to show you though.”

Walking farther into the studio, Nash pulled open a dangling wall of vines.

She gestured for me to walk in, but I stood firm. “What are we doing here?”

“Come in and find out.” Nash looked down at me, her broad frame imposing as it towered over me just like one of metal sculptures.