Page 61 of Lady of Darkness
I climb into the Escalade behind Alaric, who winces every time he moves. He won’t admit it, but I know the blast hurt him. I’m sure he’ll be back and blue all over tomorrow. I take the seat next to him, gently pulling him close so that his head is on my chest. Closing my eyes, I wrap my arms around him.
None of us talk the entire way back to Blackwell.
* * *
The car dropsus all off at Theo’s house. I suppose it makes sense, since all of our stuff is there. I don’t have the energy to argue. The exhaustion set in on the way home, and my whole body aches from being tense. Once I’m upstairs, I immediately shower. I want all traces of Acadia gone from my body. I carefully wash my face while trying to avoid the gash on my forehead. Once I’m done, I slip into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The weather has cooled significantly, so I also pull on some thick socks. Though it does feel funny to be wearing them in July.
July 15th.
I check my phone, ensuring the date is right.
This was the day I was supposed to move into the apartment with Gemma.
Has it really been almost six weeks since I arrived here? It feels like it’s been longer, but it also feels like yesterday in the weirdest way. I brush my damp hair back and then I go downstairs in search of food. When I get down there, I don’t expect the sight before me.
Alaric is sitting on one of the stools, icing his swollen eye. Gideon is next to him, flicking his knife open and closed. Sterling and Theo are… cooking.
They’ve all showered and changed, too. Even Theo. He must’ve showered in another room. They’re all donning casual pants and t-shirts. Theo is stirring something on the stove, and Sterling is mixing a salad on the island. They all look sonormal.My throat constricts as I watch them all from my spot in the doorway. Sterling moves around Theo effortlessly, like he’s aware of his every move. Gideon pats Alaric’s shoulder softly, and Alaric gives him a grimace. Theo glances up and asks Gideon to grab the salt, but Sterling already has it in his hand and passes it to Theo.
It’s like watching an orchestrated dance. Like watching groups of atoms shift around each other as though they all belong to one single soul.
They’re allsoclose. I knew that–I’d seen it before. But this… the way they could just… exist in each other’s presence without speaking, without saying anything… it illustrates how close they really are.
I clear my throat and walk into the kitchen fully.
“That smells delicious.” I head over to where Theo is stirring.
“Don’t get your hopes up. I can’t really cook, but I wanted to try.”
Glancing into the pot, I smirk. “Is that… soup?” I ask hopefully.
He nods. I smile as his brows knit together in concern. I realize then that he’s probably never had to cook for himself before.
“Chicken soup. Gideon helped me. There’s bread, and salad…” he trails off, looking down at me. “What?”
I laugh at his confused expression. “Nothing. It looks great.” As I sit down next to Gideon, I reach out for his knife. “What’s the deal with this?” I ask, running my finger along the smooth steel. The feeling gives me goosebumps.
“It’s the beginning and the end,” Gideon murmurs, staring longingly down at the hunk of metal.
My lips twitch. I look at Alaric, and he’s leaning against the counter, eyes closed.
“You know, I had nicknames for you all the first time I saw you,” I tell them. I don’t know why I want to tell them, but I do. They all just seem so… drained from today. Maybe they could use a laugh. Their shields are down. It’s like seeing the person behind your favorite Disney character. Vulnerable. Tired. Exposed to the elements. I realize with a start that they’re probably like this a lot more than they’re like the murdering, villainous monsters they portray themselves as.
“Alaric is Billionaire Daddy,” I start, and his eyes quirk open as he frowns.
“Very funny,” he mutters.
I place a hand over Gideon’s knife. “Your nickname is Trouble,” I tell him.
He cocks his head. “So apt of you.”
I snap my gaze to Sterling. “Yours is Mr. Grumpy.”
The other guys laugh, even Alaric. Sterling just scowls at me from over the salad bowl as he finishes up.
I look at Theo last. He’s leaning against the counter, watching me with faint amusement. “Yours is Murder Puppy.”
His smile is lopsided as he shrugs. “You might be onto something.”
