I’m okay. I just want to see you.
I’m putting on my coat and boots when I get another text, this time from North.
North
She hates me.
The message makes me smile. I’m ecstatic about how invested he is in this.
Torturing my brother is a favorite pastime.
Why? What did you do
I did everything. She wants you.
It shouldn’t make me as happy as it does that she’s waiting for me before jumping in with my brother. And yet, I could dance.
I’m going over there soon.
Fix it.
I’m dying.
I laugh and shove my phone into my pocket before heading out of the front door.
By the time I reach Juniper’s home, both of them have texted me again. Juniper, to ask me if I want to order something to eat when I get there, and North to, once again, tell me how much he’s apparently losing his mind.
So dramatic.
The moment I turn onto her street, I can smell the frigid air, and the sight of the icicles dripping like daggers from the tree limbs above makes me smirk.
He is in astate.
Something about that makes me walk a little taller, has my shoulders pushing back and my chin holding high. North never gets anxious about anything. The fact that he’s foaming at the mouth for her almost makes me want to keep him in suspense. I’m tempted to shut off my phone so that if he wants an update, he has to come watch me fuck her through the windows first.
Juniper is pacing on her screened-in porch when I reach her home. Though, her pacing isn’t the only thing I notice. North’s mark glows blue beneath the remnants of my faulty attempt at keeping her safe last night. The sight has jealousy swimming through my gut—not over her, but over the fact that I wasn’t enough.
“Hey, angel,” I say when she doesn’t look up.
Juniper’s head jerks my way, and when she sees me, her shoulders relax.
“Nick,” she breathes.
I ascend the steps as she quickly opens the door, and when I’m standing in the threshold, my body seems to unclench at the look of longing in her eyes.
She presses her hands to my cheeks and kisses me as the door closes. It’s a warm surprise, one that I wasn’t sure I’d get after her afternoon with North. Still, I can feel her holding back as she threads her fingers through my hair, and when we part, I watch her throat move up and down.
Pack whines from the other side of the door.
I brace my hand against her face and tilt her head back by her chin, brows narrowing when she continues to look elsewhere.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing, I…” She backs out of my embrace and glances toward the street, hand on her hip. “I guess I’m just still processing. I met your brother today,” she finally answers.
“Oh. Yeah, he texted. I’m sorry, I should have told you he was coming to the bar. Today got away from me.”
Her face stiffens, eyes narrowing as if that was the wrong answer.
