Page 22 of A Touch Of Death

Once we’re all settled and the movie plays, Zayn passes on the message to Spence and Ezra, keeping me in the loop while he does. Spencer agrees to let her stay, surprisingly quickly given the way he doesn’t take to anyone other than me, Zayn, and Ezra. I won’t question it, though. He’s team Keeping Novia, and that’s all that matters.

It’s a different story with Ezra. Although he doesn’t outright say no, I can feel his reluctance from where I’m sitting. I can see it in his clenched fists and the way his eyes keep seeking out Novia, but then they snap away, and a frown forms on his face. He’s fighting it, and fighting hard.

Eventually, Zayn wears him down. He fights dirty, bringing up everything we know about Novia, how she’s the last of her kind and doesn’t have anyone else. He takes Ezra on one hell of a guilt trip without the seatbelts strapped on, and it’s enough for the incubus to hesitantly agree to have Novia live with us.

“Fuck yes!” I whisper under my breath.

I mustn’t have whispered quietly enough because Novia turns to look as me with question marks in her eyes. I mutter an apology without an explanation for my outburst and spend the rest of the movie beaming like an idiot.

When the movie ends, Novia asks if we can watch another. She looks genuinely happy, the happiest since we’d found her, so I do what anyone would do in my position. I badger Spencer to put another movie on. He relents easily enough, filling our bowls back up with popcorn.

Two movies, warmed spaghetti and meatballs, and a truckload of popcorn later, and my eyelids are drooping, and the sun has been replaced with the moon. One look at the others tells me they’re just as ready to pass out as I am. In fact, Spencer’s head is already lolling on his shoulders, jerking upright when he falls asleep for a brief moment. His head drops from his fist and he blinks several times before changing his position.

Novia, however, looks like she’s ready to stay up watching movies until she can’t keep her eyes open. She’s smiling bright and still chewing on her popcorn, and she looks completely stunning while she does it. Her face is bare, her pale skin lit up by the colours of the TV, and she’s wearing clothes several sizes too big for her small frame, but she’s the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.

And she’s staying with us.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

“Well, I’m going to go crash. I’m already falling asleep, and if I stay here much longer, I’ll be passing out until morning.” Spence leans forward and stretches his back before standing.

Ezra nods and lifts himself from his seat, cracking his neck when he moves his head side to side. “I’m turning in, too. See you all in the morning.”

The two walk towards the hall that leads to our rooms until they’re out of sight. Zayn is next to leave, offering Novia a good night and sweet dreams with a shy grin before he’s gone. I feel Novia shuffling next to me, so I turn in my seat to face her.

“Are you too tired to watch another movie?” Yes. Good lord, I am way too tired to be watching any more movies for the night.

“No, I can watch one more if you want to stay up.” I’m a goddamned sucker already. Talk about whipped, and she’s not even mine. Yet. Mineyet.

She gives me a grin that makes it completely worth it. She lifts from the couch to retrieve the remote and hands them over. “You can pick the movie this time. Choose your favourite. And we’ll watch that. I’ll go get us drinks and something else to snack on other than popcorn. Pretty sure I have a piece stuck in my teeth.”

Novia pulls a funny face and does something weird with her tongue, likely trying to remove that very piece of popcorn. I laugh and accept the remote while Novia moves towards the kitchen. I find my favourite movie –The Longest Yard –because that shit can’t be beat and pause it before it has a chance to play. I get up and head toward the kitchen, helping track down snacks.

I smother a yawn in my arm as I pour M&Ms in a bowl along with Reese’s peanut butter cups in another. I’m pretty sure Novia catches it but doesn’t mention anything, going about her task of pouring chilled glasses of Dr Pepper.

We carry our things to the living room and settle back into our seats, a little more comfortably with the throw over or laps. I press play on the movie, and throughout the first half, my thoughts are stuck on how I’m going to tell Novia that she can stay with us. Should I ask and risk her actually saying no? Should I just take that option away? That’s a little forward, and probably a little creepy, but I quickly come to realise that I’d rather simply tell her she’s staying and deal with the fallout afterwards. That seems to appease both the man and animals in me. It’s working in my favour that she seems distracted enough not to remember that we had something to discuss too, giving me the chance to think about how we’re going to suggest she stay with us.

So, with a rough plan set in my mind, I recline further back into the couch and watch my favourite movie with the girl I intend on keeping. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s mine.

The movie goes on, and once again, I can feel my eyelids slowly closing with exhaustion. A loud yawn wakes me up, and I twist my head on the back of the couch. My sleep-filled eyes meet bright green and blue eyes. Novia’s mouth is turned up in a small smile, and the light from the TV behind her makes her pale blonde hair stand out more.

“I knew you were exhausted. You should go to bed,” she tells me, humour lacing her words. “I won’t be able to carry you if you pass out, so your safest bet is to carry yourself there and crash.”

“Probably a good idea,” I tell her, but I don’t move.

“You’re falling asleep again.” She jabs me in the ribs, and it’s enough to wake me up enough to move to my room. I sluggishly climb off the couch, leaning back slightly to remove the kink in my spine.

I turn to Novia, not really sure what I’m going to say, but I see her settle into the couch again, pulling the throw over her entire body. It’s then I see the tired look in her eyes. Is she going to sleep on the couch when I have a perfectly usable bed available? Not on my watch.

Without warning, I bend over and pluck her straight from the couch, throw over and all. I’m lucky she’s placed the snacks on the coffee table because she flails for a moment before her arms wrap around my neck tightly while I carry her bridal style.

“Nix? What are you doing?” she asks, her voice unsure and confused.

I carry her to my room without answering. I catch Spencer standing in his doorway, leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed and a small grin on his face. He shakes his head and disappears into his room, closing his door with a soft click.

As soon as I’m inside my room, I move to the bed and place Novia down carefully.

“Nix?” she whispers, moving around until she’s sitting up on the bed and watching me.

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