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SAGE
My stomach rumbled loud enough for me to hear it, and I groaned as I rolled onto my side. I told Alex I had a headache and went to the bedroom to go to sleep hours ago. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I really should have eaten dinner first. I’d been stuck with Alex all weekend because he decided he was working too much and wanted to spend time with me.
I’d gone through two bottles of wine in the last two days, and it still wasn’t enough to keep my skin from crawling every time he got too close. He was trying to make things normal. He took me out to dinner and then to the movies. The conversation was stagnant.
What were we supposed to talk about? The time I stabbed him? Or about watching my sister die? Maybe we could talk about how I was tethered to him for the rest of my life unless I somehow found out enough about the society. Or I could bring up the thought that’s been consuming my mind the most.
That I’d rather spend all day fighting with Niko than pretend for one more second that I was enjoying Alex’s company.
Shaking my head, I rolled onto my stomach and buried my face in the pillow. How could I detest Alex with my whole heart but not feel the same about Niko? They both shared the same secret. Both part of the same fucked-up society. They were family. Brothers. I mean, I didn’t particularly like Niko. He made my blood boil every time we were in the same room.
Speaking of the asshole. My eyes went to my closed door when I heard voices in the living room. Niko had made himself scarce the entire weekend. We’d barely talked since that whole conversation a few days ago. I brought my hand to my chest and felt for the key I had stashed in my sports bra. Keeping it on me at all times was the best way to hide it. I had no intention of taking my clothes off in front of anybody who lived in this house.
Cupboards slammed in the kitchen, and I wondered where Niko had been. He’d left early this morning and was gone all day. Footsteps clamored down the hall, making me tense. I blew out a long breath when the bathroom door shut. Every time someone came down the hall, I was worried it was Alex coming to talk to me. My stomach growled again, and I downed my water bottle, hoping it would satisfy me.
“Yeah, I’m going to bed,” Alex said as the bathroom door opened. “See you tomorrow.”
“Night, man,” Niko called out from somewhere else in the house.
The other bedroom door closed, and a calm washed over me, knowing I was free from him for the rest of the night. Flicking on the TV, I watched a few episodes of an old sitcom with the volume muted, ignoring my hunger pangs.
“Shit,” I muttered as a new pain shot through my lower stomach. Cramps. I cursed under my breath as I got off the bed. I’d completely forgotten that I still needed tampons. After what happened with Niko, it had totally slipped my mind. Quietly cracking my door, I slipped through and went straight into the bathroom. Hopefully, there was something I could use until I was able to go to the store. Niko was going to be pissed when I woke him up. But I wasn’t going to ask Alex, and if I did start my period, I couldn’t wait until morning to get what I needed.
Crouching down, I pulled open the cabinet doors under the sink, and my jaw dropped. It was packed full. Tampons, pads, panty liners. It was everything I needed and then some. There were about five different brands of tampons and all different sizes of pads. Rifling through them, I pulled out the ones I usually used.
Was this Alex or Niko? In the past, I would have guessed Alex. This was something he would have done before everything happened. Well, maybe not to this extent. But he would have bought me what I needed. Seeing as I didn’t tell him I needed tampons, I had a feeling Niko did it. After our last conversation, I was shocked he’d do something nice for me.
After going to the bathroom and washing my hands, I peeked down the hall, not hearing a sound. I didn’t have any medicine to help with the cramps. But wine could dull that. And the thoughts swirling in my head right now. Plus, I was still starving. With one last glance at Alex’s closed door, I tiptoed to the kitchen. The couch was empty, which meant Niko wasn’t here. My heart thumped erratically as I glanced out the front window. I couldn’t see my car in the pitch black, but I knew it was parked there. With the key I had shoved down my bra, I could walk out the front door and disappear.
But I didn’t have a plan. I could go back to Chicago with Kiara. And live in fear that they’d find me again. A glow from the kitchen counter interrupted my thoughts, and I moved closer to see that it was a phone. An unlocked phone. Spinning in a circle, I scanned the house again, making sure I was alone.
It had to be Niko’s. Alex’s was smaller than this one was. Reaching out my hand, I pressed Notes. Everybody had important stuff stored in their notes. I skimmed over the titles until one caught my eye. My hand trembled as I hit the folder titled Addresses. There were four. And two were in the UP of Michigan. Were these where the society’s other houses were located? I wished I had a damn pen and paper. I was horrible at remembering numbers.
The screen door creaked, and I nearly leaped out of my skin. Swiping up, I cleared out the notes and made sure the phone was back on the home screen. I backed up and took two steps to the side before reaching for the cabinet that had my wine. Pretending I didn’t hear the door, I moved to grab the bottle until I realized my wine cabinet had new additions too.
There were all sorts of chocolates. From Twix to the expensive kind. Next to the candy were two different kinds of over-the-counter pain medication. I ran my fingers over a blue cloth, and I narrowed my eyes. Was that a heating pad? Seeing the cord connected to it, I realized it was. There was no way he had bought this all for me.
Someone cleared their throat, and I whirled my head away from the cabinet, locking gazes with a very pissed-off Niko. His eyes swam in fury as they drifted to the phone. I opened my mouth but snapped it closed when the door behind him opened again. My blood ran cold as Geo walked in.
I studied them both, making sure it really was Niko who’d walked in first. They were both wearing jackets, making it impossible to see the birthmark. But my first thought was right. I was getting better at telling them apart by just looking at their faces.
“What are you doing up?” Niko asked, not hiding his irritation. “Alex told me you had a headache.”
“I did,” I muttered, glancing back at the chocolate. “I was hungry.”
“Hey, Sage,” Geo greeted me as if we were the best of friends.
Grabbing the bag of Twix, I strode out of the kitchen with absolutely no intention of talking to him. He was Alex’s brother, and I needed to prove I could get over what happened to Lacey. My plan was to act like he didn’t exist. He had other ideas as he jumped in front of me, cutting off my exit route. I ground my teeth as anger and fear intertwined, making my heart race.
He leaned against the side of the fridge and grinned when I met his gaze. “Let’s chat for a minute.”
