Taking a sip of my drink, I head over to my closet to grab something to wear, when a thought strikes me. “Did the mayor say anything about the investigation into the ooze while you were there?”
Clayton groans. “Can’t we just celebrate my victory? You act like it’s so hard for you to be happy for me.”
I massage my temple momentarily, looking for patience. Am I really being that much of a bitch? God, I probably am. The main emotion I’m working with at the moment is that I was about to get monster dicked down a minute ago, and that I don’t actually get to know what that’s like.
“Right . . . right. I’m sorry. I am happy for you.”
He takes a sip from his drink and clinks his glass gently against mine.
“It’s important to me that there’s nothing that will stop me from being able to protect you,” he murmurs, his tone terribly heartfelt.
I hate that my first thought is about how suffocating that sounds.
I know he means it from a good place, even though I’ve told him we’re not together anymore. But the longer I think about it, the less easy it sits with me. Why does he have to be so concerned about ‘protecting me’? Why does it mean he can bulldoze through any distance I try to put between us?
Not to mention, it’s inaccurate. I’ve experienced an exponential uptick in being kidnapped and other dangers since having met him.
“You should focus your efforts on what’s causing the ooze,” I mutter. It’s like talking to a brick wall. He can’t be convinced ofsomething he doesn’t want to be, only distracted by something else he already likes. I’m tired of trying to spin important things into the shiny distractions he likes.
“The ooze isn’t going anywhere. I’m more focused with these super powered mutants that keep popping up and terrorizing the city,” he scoffs. “I’m going to keep you safe.”
“By just beating people up? I mean, I’m not saying a support group for mutants would fix things but maybe all that technology and robotics could find a way to de-escalate things.”
“Lacey,” Clayton warns, his grip tightening on his champagne flute, a delicate sound of the glass cracking under tension.
I can’t help that I sound angry. I am, a little bit.
When is he going to take this seriously? It’s like he doesn’t understand the importance of having as much power as he does.
“No, you listen,” I start to say, when a hint of movement on the balcony catches my attention. What’s worse, I notice a couple clawed hands holding onto the edge of the balcony under the sleek safety railing. I nearly gasp when one of the hands lets go, worried he slipped.
Clayton catches my eye again, looking concerned. “What is it?”
A second later I see Ellis pull himself up just enough to peek over the edge. He gives me the most shit-eating grin, running his free hand through his hair to shake the snowflakes out of it.
What the fuck.
Is he just, what, hanging off the side of my balcony, waiting for my ex to leave? I can’t believe it.
“I—nothing,” I stammer, as his eyes narrow at me. “Probably just a bird.”
By the time Clayton turns to look out the window, Ellis has disappeared out of view again, only his knuckles curled around the metal bar hinting that he’s still there. I just hope it’s dark enough that Clayton won’t notice one detail out of place.
Ellis has wings, he can fly if his grip fails,I try to remind myself. I’m not going to tie myself in knots worrying about whatever terrible decisions he’s making at the moment.
“It’s nothing, Clayton, come on, let’s just go to dinner,” I plead. I don’t care that it’s terribly suspicious to have a sudden about-face in attitude.
Of course, Clayton doesn’t listen to me. He brushes past me and throws open the sliding glass door. He steps outside into the dark.
I catch sight of a pair of large bat wings, silhouetted against the lights of buildings and traffic, veering around a corner, and breathe a sigh of relief.
But Clayton’s eyes are on the thin layer of undisturbed snow creeping up to my door. He flicks on the balcony light, a pair of clawed footprints from where Ellis landed before remain, plain to see.
9
Ellis
It’s been a couple of days since that night at Lacey’s apartment. I’ve been doing a better job of keeping my distance this time.
