Are they here for me?
To say I wasn’t used to the freeze response would be an understatement. The sudden tension stretched, thick and suffocating, until the violin guy laced his fingers with mine, and I swear, a spark jumped from the tips of our skin. My stare quickly shifted from the distant cops to our entwined hands. I was confused by the turn of events.
Plus… I’d never held a boy’s hand before.
As soon as the warm thought hit me, a clipped tone slicedthrough the air, pointing out, “The fuck, Julius? What the hell are you doing?”
It was only then that I realized the voice belonged to the piano guy, who was now pissed as hell, demanding an answer from Julius. He was glaring right at our entwined hands.
In a silent reassurance, Julius lightly squeezed my fingers before responding in an equally clipped tone, “Exactly what it looks like, Kraven.”
Julius? Kraven?
Even their names struck a chord inside me. I resisted the urge to say them out loud just to feel the way they rolled off my tongue. To see if the names felt as right as they sounded in my mind, as memorable…
The desire was almost unbearable, considering I barely ever spoke at all. It was better that way, safer to keep quiet and just nod or shake my head when I needed to.
The rules were alwaysdon’t be seen, don’t be heard. It made things easier for me when most probably assumed it’d make it more complicated.
I didn’t speak, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have a lot to say. On the contrary, I carried note pads for this exact reason. Sometimes I’d leave them lying around in random places for others to read and possibly relate to them.
In the crack of a whip, Kraven bit, “You can’t?—”
“You don’t tell me,” Julius interrupted, “what I can and can’t do,little brother.”
Something passed between them, something deeper, darker, more binding than blood.
Just as the thought occurred, Julius turned to Kraven. “Give me your hoodie!” he ordered, nodding over to me.
Kraven scoffed in disgust. “Fuck no.”
“Kraven…” Julius warned in an edgy tone. “My jacket won’t keep her warm on my bike.”
With an offended expression, Kraven snapped, “Why is that my problem?”
“Guys!” someone barked from behind us. “Stop flexing yourdicks. We gotta go! I’d give her my sweater, but I don’t have one, so just give her yours!”
Kraven barely contained his anger before ripping off his hoodie and throwing it at us. I instinctively caught it, instantly feeling the warmth of the fabric from his heated rage. It was heavy in my arms, and I tried not to let the sudden assault of his scent affect me more than it already was.
My fingers slightly trembled while I slid it over my head and down my body.
“Text Roland to meet us at the house,” Julius demanded in another hard-edge voice.
“You can’t be serious…” Kraven replied in a shocked tone.
Who’s Roland? Another brother?
“Go, Kraven!” Julius ordered, bringing my attention back to him. “You can’t get in trouble again. Move your ass! Now!”
Once I had Kraven’s hoodie on and could see him, he had his keyboard bag over his shoulder, whipping around and leaving, running toward what I assumed was a back exit.
Time seemed to stall as Julius’s concerned regard suddenly met mine. I wasn’t sure if it was seeing me in his brother’s hoodie that triggered him, or if it was just from the sight of me drenched in blood that obviously upset him.
Briefly, he scanned my body from head to toe. Attacking every last fiber of my being as he landed his gaze back on mine.
It was my turn to reassure him. I unconsciously nodded, letting him know I was okay even though I was far from it. My head started spinning, and I felt a little woozy.
He must have noticed, stating, “You’re not okay.” Then, all in one breath, he coaxed, “I’m going to need you to trust me.”
