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Our descent is quiet again, and we run into two women on the way. Both of them eye Nox appreciatively, and I feel jealousy brewing in the pit of my stomach. He smirks at both of them, making me go fucking crazy. I hate that he looks at other women. I hate that other women look at him. He's fucking mine.
The ferocity of my own mind takes me by surprise, and I keep my lips tightly pressed together as they continue climbing the hill and we keep descending.
Halfway down, my phone starts to ring, and I blanch when I see the caller ID.
"Lover boy?" Nox teases me.
"Shut up." Reluctantly, I answer the call. I have to get it over with sometime. "Hey, Raphael."
"Dove." His dark voice is worried and relieved at the same time. "I'm so glad you're okay. Where have you been? I've been trying to call you all day."
"Sorry, I wasn't checking my phone. Something... happened last night."
"What, Dove? Can you tell me?"
I ponder the question. I could tell him, but I realize I don't want to. My relationship with Sam was too special, too unique to be cheapened into a simple sentence about him. "Maybe some other time."
"When can I see you, Dove?"
"I don't know," I mutter. "I'm... taking some time off."
"Time off from me?" I don't answer. "Dove? Please talk to me. I came by your house last night."
"I know."
"But I –" I stare at my phone that starts crackling with static.
"Connection's really bad here," Nox chimes in innocently, and I roll my eyes, cutting the call and pocketing my phone. He doesn't even try to wipe that self-righteous look off his face as we make our way back to the parking lot. This time, I see him checking out my ass as we walk, but I don't call him out on it. It's sick because I want him to look. I feel like I won over the two girls we ran into on the hike, and victory has never tasted sweeter.
"You're going to have to get a helmet for yourself, too," I tell him back in the parking lot as he straps the thing to my head, just as carefully as always.
"Is that so?" he chuckles darkly. "You planning on becoming a regular plus one on all my trips?"
"No, I..." I blush fiercely. "If you ever drive anyone else, I mean."
"There's no one else, Dove," he says firmly. "There was only ever you."
I swallow thickly at the sound of his words. I wish I was brave enough to tell him he was the only one for me, too. Instead, my lips remain firmly pressed together for our ride home, and I don't say another word until we're back in my house.
Chapter 22
Nox
We return to Dove's apartment. She doesn't ask me if I'm coming in, but when we're finally in her apartment, she turns to face me with her arms crossed.
"You need to find another place to live."
"Why? I can keep an eye on you here. You'll feel safer with a man around."
She laughs at me. "As if, Nox. If anything, I'm more scared having you around."
"Stop lying to yourself," I mutter. "Come on, Dove. You need me."
"I don't fucking need you. I never did."
"Now that's a lie if ever I heard one."
"Whatever," she groans just as her belly rumbles. "Fuck."
"Are you hungry?" I narrow my eyes at her. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Doesn't matter," she shakes her head dismissively. That's when I finally look at her, really look at her. The girl is painfully thin. She looks on the brink of starvation.
"I'm ordering some takeout," I announce. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Nothing."
"So damn stubborn." I place an order on a delivery app while she disappears into the bathroom to take a shower. I want to suggest we do it together, but I have a feeling that won't go down very well, so I keep my mouth shut.
She emerges sometime later, giving me a dirty look, even though I didn't even do anything.
"Mind if I use your shower?"
"If you have to," she grunts. "But after we eat, you're out of here, Nox."
I just smirk at her, heading for the bathroom. The whole room reeks of roses and I groan out loud. That scent of hers is going to drive me fucking crazy. I get into her shower and stand under the hot spray of water. I'm fucking grateful for the fact there's no guy stuff in here, but it seems like I'm gonna smell like a fucking bouquet by the time I wash my hair. Everything's so fucking girly. I need to bring some of my own stuff in here, level it out.
Even though Dove seems to be determined that I won't be staying with her for much longer, there's no fucking way I'm leaving. I know the moment I walk away, that piece of shit Raphael's going to come in guns blazing trying to take my place. And that's just not fucking happening, not on my watch.
