The day is dragging,and no amount of binging my favorite anime is enough to pass the time. I can’t stop thinking about thismorning with Brandon—or rather, the moment I finally realized that I’m in love with Aiden.
The best plan of action moving forward is to act the same. To continue being myself with him, enjoy the time with him as much as I can, and pray that this doesn’t end badly if he ever finds out how I really feel about him.
A sarcastic laugh bubbles out of me, and I catch the end of my cherry Twizzler twist between my teeth.
Easier said than done, Nova. I can’t be around Aiden without acting like a lovesick puppy and giggling at whatever he says, funny or not.
A fist bangs against the front door, each thud harder than the last. I toss the candy onto the sofa’s cushion and creep to the part of the living room window that isn’t covered with duct tape to keep the elements out of the house. Because of the angle, I can’t see who’s at the door. I inch backward and freeze when I catch a flash of brown and blue hair.
I rush to the front door and swing it open. “What are you guys doing here?”
Madison clutches Ryder’s chest. “I love you, too.”
My jaw drops when Ryder cups her cheeks and smashes his lips to hers, kissing her hard before resting his forehead against hers and playing with a lock of her hair.
“This isn’t goodbye, so don’t make it seem like one.” Madison tangles her fingers in Ryder’s dark hair and tugs, earning a groan from him.
I step back and roll my lips together to keep from laughing like an idiot.
I get the impression I’m interrupting them and shouldn’t be here.
“Behave, sis.” Ryder kisses her one more time before jogging down the path toward the street.
Madison turns to me, her cheeks flushed. “Sorry about that.”
“You don’t need to be sorry, but clearly we have a lot to catch up on since we last saw each other.”
She grins. It’s tight but welcome. I wave her inside and shut the door behind her.
I last saw her when we went to the mall to shop for Halloween costumes with Olivia. We ran into Dahlia and Jaxon in the food court, which was a serious plot twist. Especially after learning they were married and clearly in love. Ryder joined last minute, and it makes sense now why he would show up and hang around Madison.
She doesn’t need to explain herself to me. I’m the last person to pass judgment on her.
I’m just happy she’s here so I’m not sitting in the house, alone and in my head.
“Feel like watching a scary movie and chatting?” I grab the remote. “We have so much to catch up on.”
THIRTY-THREE
AIDEN
Male screams echothrough the safe house’s basement, right along with my cackles, creating a cacophony of madness and terror.
“Please,” the rider sobs. “No more!”
Jaxon sucks his teeth and leans back on his heels. He raises the pocketknife in front of him and pops the tip of the blade through an eyeball. It’s disgusting, watching him gouge out the rider’s eye and stab it through the backside with his knife.
I shudder at the wet sound and a tiny pop as the blade pierces the soft organ.
“Feel like talkin’ yet?” Hawk pushes away from the wall he’s been leaning against, blows out a cloud of smoke, and ashes his cigarette.
“Fuck you!” The rider glares at us with one eye and struggles to free himself from the chair we tied him to.
I sigh and suck on my pink-lemonade vape, then exhale the vapor. “Do you think you can die from blood loss after having your eye ripped from your skull?”
“How the fuck am I supposed to know that?” the rider growls.
I scoff. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
