I clear my throat again. “I agree, Ocean, but?—”
“No buts,” she interjects, raising her eyebrows as her gaze flicks between the two of us again. “We don't need to get wasted and let our guards down, but we're constantly surrounded by doom. It's about time we had a break and shook it up,” she states, and I can't argue with her observation.
The desire to see a light in the darkness is real in every circumstance, but I feel like we're on the edge of complete fuckery, which makes a move like this completely idiotic.
Rion clears his throat from behind us. “Not to interrupt,” he starts, waiting until we both turn to look at him before he continues. “But you're insane if you think this is a good idea.”
Ocean chuckles. “We're not insane. We're actually psychotic,” she corrects, and I find it impossible to hide the smile curling the corner of my mouth.
“Yeah, I can’t argue with that at all,” Rion grumbles back, scrubbing the back of his neck as he rolls his eyes.
His free hand finds my waist, drawing me in close again, and I feel a level of calm I didn't know I had as Ocean pouts, tapping her chin as she assesses Rion, not me.
“But you wouldn't stop her?” Ocean asks Rion, and my brows gather in confusion.
“From what?” Rion clarifies, and she shrugs again.
“From going.”
The scoff that parts Rion's lips sends a ripple down my spine. “My Petal can make her own decisions,” he states matter-of-factly, and Ocean giddily claps her hands.
“So we're going?” she confirms, her eyes finally finding me again, hope blossoming like I'm not recovering from the disaster that's just unraveled. “Two psychos on the loose,” she sings when I don't find the words to immediately decline, earning another scoff from Rion behind me as his lips brush against my ear.
“I said she could make her own decisions. I didn't say you'd be going alone.”
Arriving at The Hut,I continue to question whether this was a good idea or not, but it seems I'm too soft on my friend to say no. There is no cute outfit tonight, no skin on display, no desire to go wild and take shots. I did at least change out of my sweatpants and hoodie, but only into a pair of combat pants, boots, and a simple t-shirt tucked in.
I'm definitely out of place tonight, my outfit a beacon in the crowd, but that's not why everybody's looking at me. I can see it in their eyes, and I’m instantly reminded of the shrill sound of Jude crying out my name earlier today.
If people didn't know me before, whispers among the sea of students means they do now.
That doesn't seem to stop Ocean from acting like a maniac at my side, beaming with excitement as she links her arm through mine.
Rion takes the lead, guiding us through the crowd, but he's not alone. His insistence on joining us was matched with the same level of determination from Thorne and Kael, who trail behind watching every corner.
Something was said about there being power in numbers and not leaving Kael alone. It makes sense, sure, but I'm still struggling to be around him with the new revelations floating around. I haven’t had time to truly allow myself to acknowledge my feelings and emotions, or how they’ve changed. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually, but I do know that I don’t hate him. Not when I can see the truth in his eyes and the pain in his frame.
The impending danger is no different with him, though, which is another reason for me to remain on guard and to avoid letting my hair down completely.
Shaking my head, I try to pull myself from my thoughts and remain present in the room, but my steps falter when we make it halfway across the dance floor and a figure separates us from Rion.
Tension quickly floods my body as I feel the closer presence of two men behind me, but my instant flash of panic fades away when I watch Ocean grin at Nathaniel. He wraps her in his arms, unfazed by our presence, and her arm slips from mine as he lifts her off her feet for a second, pressing a kiss to her cheek before slowly lowering her back to the floor.
“What the fuck, man?” Rion grunts instantly, seeming to recognize the interloper, but I quickly wave him off.
If Nathaniel notices the tension, he doesn’t acknowledge it as he turns to me with a smile. “Elodie, nice to see you again,” he says, smiling politely as he talks loud enough to be heard over the music, and I offer a half wave in response.
Thorne plants a hand on my shoulder, leaning closer. “How about we have a conversation away from the middle of the crowd?” he grunts, and I roll my eyes.
Everyone seems to agree as we move off to the side, to the same platformed area that I’ve bee-lined to every time I've been here.
Rion stakes out the table first, and the rest of us complete the circle. Kael joins us last, rocking back on his heels for a moment as his lips purse. He taps his finger on the wood before he speaks, his gaze going from me to the others. “Water?” he offers, and I nod, as do Thorne and Rion, but Nathaniel scoffs.
“Please, water at The Hub? Let me get us a round of shots,” he insists, and Kael shakes his head.
“That won't be necessary,” I blurt as quickly as I can before one of the guys says something out of irritation. But Nathaniel parts his lips, ready to protest again, when Ocean places her hand on his arm.
“We're good, honestly. We're here for the atmosphere and the vibes,” she says, and he softens, smiling at her.
