“Fucking.” Nova squeezes my hand, a blush crawling up her neck.
“That too.” I frown, realizing I was about to say that I didn’t want Ryder to know that she and I are in a relationship. The lines are blurred in my mind. I no longer see any of this as fake or a deal. It’s given me a taste of what it’s like to call her mine.
But that’s not how Nova sees it.
“What about Jaxon?” she says.
I raise an eyebrow. “What about him?”
She tugs her hand out of mine and fidgets with the hem of her shirt over her lap. “He saw me leave the safe house the other day. I think he was out there for a while and heard us.” Her blush reddens. “Well, he heardyou.”
I sigh and relax into the headboard. “If he heard, he’s not bringing it up.” I shrug. “I’m not worried about Jaxon knowing.”
Nova eyes me, likely expecting me to go into detail about why I’m not concerned. It’s Jaxon’s business, and I’m not about to put it on blast, even to my sister.
“Is it because he’s married to Dahlia?”
I blink and straighten. “How do you know about their marriage?”
She smirks. “I saw them at the mall the other day.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I cover my chest above my heart, pretending that she’s wounded me. “I’m hurt. We talk about everything, and now you’re keeping secrets from me? I really am chopped liver to you.”
Nova laughs and slaps my shoulder. “You’re not chopped liver to me. You mean way too much for me to cast aside.”
I grin and cup her cheeks while leaning into her. “You promise?”
Her eyes fall to my lips, and she nods. “I promise.”
My heart swells until I can barely breathe through the overwhelming adoration I have for her. How she’s looking at me is almost enough to get the hit I need. But I know how I am. I need more.
Inching closer until our lips brush, I murmur, “Do you need something, pretty girl?”
She raises her gaze to my eyes and lets out a shaky breath. “Are you going to be busy today?”
I freeze for a few seconds, then my shoulders slump with a heavy sigh. “Yeah. I need to go to the safe house and figure out what the hell is going on and who these people are. I’m sorry that I’m not around as much.”
“It’s not your fault.”
I run a hand through my hair. I know it’s not my fault, but I can’t stop the guilt tightening my chest because all I want to do is be home with her. There’s also the guilt of my friends getting hurt the other night, then not being home with Nova during the storm. So much is piling up that I can feel myself spiraling.
Nova’s arms wrap around my neck and pull me out of my spiraling thoughts. She leans into the hug, tightening it until all I can focus on is her and how good she feels. “It’s okay, pretty boy. We’ll take this one step at a time together. Just like what we’ve always done.”
“Yeah.” My arms circle her waist, and I bury my face in the crook of her neck. “I just want to know who the fuck is coming after my friends.”
“There has to be something.”
I breathe in her sweet and fruity scent that never fails to center me.
Nova’s right. There has to be something and I’m just overlooking it. Because these people can’t just be strangers who have it out for us. This screams personal. Declan hasn’t updatedus on who kidnapped and tortured him. He only said they were wearing masks and kept asking about my friends and me.
Something’s got to give, and I feel like it’ll happen soon. All I hope is that it doesn’t end in my friends’ blood.
THIRTY-FIVE
NOVA
PRESENT DAY - HALLOWEEN PARTY
