Page 30 of Nightmare For Hire
“Sure did. It’s a whole story. Maybe you should ask Maddox about it sometime.” Nox leans as forward as his seatbelt allows without choking him. “Look! There’s a bird on top of a mailbox. Silly bird, mailboxes are for mail. But not males. Words are weird.”
My lips twitch. I love the way Nox sees the world so uniquely.
“We don’t really talk about our personal lives.” I tap the steering wheel. I don’t want Maddox prying into my past, so I don’t ask too many questions, even though I want to know more about the orc.
“Oh, Maddox is great. He makes Dani happy, so he’s a good egg in my book.” Nox laughs. “That saying always cracks me up.Cracksme up.” He slaps his knee. “Eggs are delicious, though, so all eggs are good. As long as they aren’t rotten.” He nods and settles back again. “I love this!” He leans his head out the window as much as he can, causing his curls to fly in the wind.
I wish I could watch him enjoy himself, but I’m driving. What do people talk about on dates? Because I’ve never been good at this. I only started trying the whole dating thing about three years ago. I didn’t feel like I was strong enough to attempt to bewith anyone before that. I didn’t and still don’t feel like anyone should have to endure my brand of fucked up, but I hate feeling that way. Dr. Graine tasked me with getting out of my comfort zone and I’ve been trying. But it’s hard. Watching Nox being so at ease gives me hope that maybe one day I can get there. To just be and not wonder if I’m always messing things up.
I suggested the drive because Nox said he loved to try new things; it seemed perfect. Now my brain wants to panic. What if—
“Ack!” He spits and brings his head back into the truck. “I think I swallowed a bug! Do not like. I’ll keep my head inside.” He nods and closes his free hand around the seatbelt. “This is fun, though.” He points out the front window. “Look at that big tree. It’s huge. Not as big as the redwoods, but big.”
“I’ve always wanted to see the California redwoods.”
“They are gorgeous, and if you can’t imagine how big they are, then you can’t imagine how big they are. I love floating around in a forest. It’s so peaceful.”
“A Nightmare likes peaceful?”
“Yeah, sometimes. I mean, my usual is chaos, right? Right. I loveloveme some chaos. But some days I just need peace and quiet. Are humans like that?”
“For sure. Some days,mostdays, I need peace and quiet.”
“Oh.” Nox’s shoulders drop. “Then I’m probably too much for you. I really really reallyreallylike you lots, though.”
After everything Mick put me through, to hear Nox say he likes melotsmakes my heart soar.
I squeeze his hand. “You’re not too much for me. Not even close. You remind me I can enjoy the small things,andthe big things. And I really really reallyreallylike you lots, too.”
“Really?! I’m so happy. You give me sparkles when we kiss.”
“You know some species have fated mates. Maybe—”
“RIGHT!?! I messaged my cousin about fated mates. I wasn’t sure if we had them, but he said perhaps we do. I think I want to believe that.” He nods and squeezes my hand back. Neither of us says maybewe’refated.
Mick saidwewere fated, that merfolk had fated mates, and the second we touched he knew. I hate to say that I felt that spark he talked about, but I stopped feeling it as soon as we started having sex.
When I touch Nox, it’s like I’m being lit up, nothing like I experienced with Mick. Have I told the Nightmare that? No. Because inevitably I’ll fuck this all up, and I want to enjoy what we have for as long as I can. If I have more than one fated mate, I already ruined one relationship, I’ll ruin this one, too.
“Why are you sad?”
I give him a smile. “I’m no—”
Nox huffs and flops back as dramatically as he can. “Don’t lie to me. I hate liars, and I think you’re pretty awesome.”
“Okay,” I whisper and take a deep breath. “Sorry. I was thinking about Mick. He said we were fated. But wouldn’t someone treat their fated better?” My shoulders drop. “I don’t like thinking about him when I’m with you, or ever. But talking about fated mates reminds me—” I cut myself off. I never told Nox that Mick was a merman. Humans don’t have fated mates with other humans, it’s not a human thing.
Nox shrugs. “Merfolk do have fated mates. Well, freshwater merfolk, anyway.”
“You knew?”
“Yeah. He’s not the best at hiding it from someone like me.”
“What was his tell?” Because I didn’t know until he told me, then showed me.
Nox waves a hand to his throat. “There’s a subtle,subtleoutline of his gills at his throat. You have to see it in the rightlight and know what you’re looking for.” His eyes turn black. “But he can’t have you. You’re mine, Cy.Mine.”
I swallow. “I like the idea of being yours.” Maybe I won’t mess this up.
