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Nyx.
I have no time to react, because what he does next shocks the tiny bit of life I still have left out of me. Reaching inside for the other door he carefully pulls them together, holding both the handles in his hand and rests his forehead on the seal between them in the same tortured way I found him at his locker the day he punched Luke. It looks like he’s angry at himself, or holding himself back from something. He looks like he’s hurting.
Nyx eventually turns around, but instead of leaving like I expect him to, he slides his muscular back down the doors and sits on my balcony floor like he’s guarding them. I want to climb out of bed and go to him, but instead, I stay put and try to understand why he’s here.
He’s made no attempt to wake me up, and I know he’s not here to hurt me. The way he’s shut me in feels protective.
He protected me from Luke.
Thinking about it, ever since Nyx showed up at Castle Rock High he’s been there when something has gone wrong for me. I wonder now if all that is a coincidence.
Nyx remains on my balcony for some time, arms resting over his knees, and his head hanging between them. I watch his sturdy shoulders rise and fall as he breathes, desperate to know what’s going on inside his head.
Him being here is so confusing, and yet I find it oddly comforting at the same time. I don’t know how long I watch him sitting out there in silence but my eyes feel heavy and I drift off. The sound of rustling leaves disturbs me again and when I open my eyes, Nyx is gone.I bolt out of bed just in time to catch him jogging across the lawn, scaling back over the wall and disappearing back into the night.
Maybe I should be freaked out that the new, mysterious, kick-ass kid from school has been watching me. But, I’m not. What I feel is unfamiliar. It’s warm and exciting, and as I drift back off into a deep, restful sleep, I dream about what might have happened if Nyx hadn’t shut the doors, but let himself in instead?
Moping over Ella like a fuckin' idiot is getting me nowhere. I’ve gone to her house every night since I followed her home that first time, and now it’s become my routine.
She has some crazy power over me, one that keeps drawing me back to her. She’s on my mind every damn second, day and night. And I can’t relax until I know she’s safely asleep, with those fuckin’ balcony doors shut.
It’s ridiculous, especially considering I can’t lock them anyway.
I want to pin her down and ask her why she does it. Why she insists on leaving the damn things open every night?It exposes her to predators—Predators like me—and it bugs the shit out of me.
Ella getting an early night gives me the chance to spend time at the club. Yeah, it means I’ll get bitched around, but I need normality. I drop my homework to Maddy before heading down to the clubhouse. She’s that excited, she practically snatches the shit outta my hands.
Things turned dangerous for Mads when she took her hacking skills away from our rivals, the Bastards, and brought them to us. Now Jessie’s bitch is stuck here on the compound until we figure what to do about the Bastards being after her blood.
“The Great Gatsby. I loved doing this one.” Maddy’s eyes spark with genuine excitement. “I have my old paper somewhere at home. I got an A-plus.”
“Like my lit teacher is gonna believe I could come up with an A-plus essay, keep it real, Mads.” I roll my eyes at her, then look down at the plate of Meatloaf and veg she places in front of me.
“What’s this?” I look up at her.
“Jeeez, Nyx, I know my culinary skills aren’t great but come on. It’s meatloaf.”
Her happy smile turns into a sad one. “Skid gave me Carly’s recipe book.”
“I can see it’s meatloaf, it looks great. But what’s it doing in front of me?” I ask, confused.
“I figured you’d be hungry, so I saved you some. You haven’t stopped to breathe these past few weeks.” She smiles,nudging the plate a little closer and handing me a knife and fork.
“Thanks,” I manage, making sure my voice sounds as grateful as I feel. Tac’s the only person who’s ever really looked out for me and he’s done it in a unique way of his own. This is just Maddy being kind and thoughtful, but it puts ahard ball in the back of my throat which I have to quickly swallow before I grow a fucking pussy of my own.
“You’re welcome.” Maddy smiles again, settling opposite me and putting on her glasses before she starts on my homework.
I finish every scrap on my plate not just because it’s delicious, but because I suddenly realize I’m starving. Thanking her again, I take my plate over to the sink.
“Guess you’ll be heading down the club?” she says, lifting her head out of my textbook.
“Yeah, you need anything?” I offer, because it feels right to.
“No, thanks anyway. If you swing by in the morning. I’ll have all this ready for you.”
“Appreciate that, Mads,” I nod, before walking out to my bike and making the short ride down to the club.
Years ago, our compound used to be some fancy vacation complex. Secluded up in the mountains, it’s perfect for our needs. There are plenty of cabins for the brothers who choose to live here, and a huge clubhouse that’s always got a fully stocked bar. The Dirty Souls open their doors to the people they trust. Prez and his members have connections everywhere. It’s how they run this town, and to do that, we need allies. Crime rates are low, and there’s never much trouble to deal with in Manitou Springs… Not for the Police anyway.
