I crossed through my office before switching out my mask for the Watcher. By the time I went down the stairs, I’d already figured out the perfect way to say hello to Ember tonight. The main floor surrounded me as people brushed past without a second glance, exactly as intended. I moved through them like part of the background, heading straight for Taya.
The music dulled the second I pushed into the small room. A few more steps, and I was directly beside her desk. She’d been in the middle of flirting with a new member—a girl who looked like she didn’t know whether to be impressed or nervous.
I stepped closer, stopping their conversation. “Taya.”
She turned her head slightly, eyes landing on my mask.
“Boss,” she said, smooth as ever. The girl glanced between us, clearly trying to figure out where she stood now.
“I’ll be in and out for a little bit,” I told her, offering nothing more besides that information.
Her expression barely shifted, but I still caught it—the understanding. She straightened just a fraction and gave mea small nod.
“I’ll call if anything happens.”
“Good.”
I held her gaze for a second longer, making sure she was confident in me leaving. Then I turned and headed straight for the door. The outside air hit different, cutting through everything I’d just walked out of. Even the music faded into a distant pulse behind me.
I walked to my car, my mind quieter than it should’ve been. My hand rested on the door for a moment before I got in and started the engine.
Just a few days, that's it.
It felt necessary.
Itwasnecessary, especially if it meant I came back with her.
16
Ember
Pushing up off the wall, I convinced myself I needed to get ready for work. To my surprise, my body actually listened. Sorting through my clothes, I tried to find something that covered the permanent marker that refused to come off.
The next time I saw him, I was going to junk punch him.
Besides pants, the only option I had was a dress that barely covered his stupid handwriting. Opting to be cooler in this weather, I chose to deal with the length and hoped I didn’t expose it. After applying some foundation and throwing my hair up, I made my way into the kitchen to grab something to eat.
Kinsley was the first one to see me, standing in front of the stove and dancing around like she was 100% sober.How she was capable of that? I had no idea.Bodhi stood next to her, holding out a spatula for her like a microphone.
Kolby sat at the table with Bodhi’s teammates and was the first to see me come in the room.
“Hey,” he said sharply, his tone laced with anger as he stood and moved toward me. “You can’t just leave Kinsley for some random dude, Em. We had no idea where you were.”
I nodded, wishing he’d turn down his volume. With my head pounding, I squinted toward him. “I didn’t leave with anyone. I came home.”
Kolby seemed to relax slightly. “You were here the whole time?”
I nodded again, bringing my finger up to my mouth to quiet him as I sat at the table. I had just grabbed a cup and poured some orange juice when Kinsley let out one of her signature squeals, and my headache instantly worsened. Looking over at her, I realized she’d taken the spatula from Bodhi and was now pointing it toward my leg.
“You dirty, filthy liar!” She ran across the kitchen to me and started shaking my shoulders, making my head want to physically explode. “Silas?! Is that who you were with last night?”
Oh, shit.
Pulling the fabric over my leg to conceal his name, I ignored Kinsley as she danced around me. That was easy to ignore. What was harder to dismiss were the looks I received from the boys. Kolby’s face twisted into one of contempt, which mirrored the same one as Bodhi’s.They must think I lied to them.
I couldn’t do anything about the situation,or their feelings,so I decided to leave for work early. Standing, I moved straight toward the door and away from this conversation. Bodhi tried to stop me, but I just didn’t have the energy to explain anything to them. Making sure not to look back, I waved goodbye and slipped out the front door.
The walk to the bookstore was quiet for once as I tried toprocess through my own thoughts. In one area of my life, I was hiding things that I just couldn’t explain to my roommates. In another, I was not only provoking a stalker but plotting his murder. As much as I liked having my plate full, I was now teetering on dropping the whole thing and creating a big mess.
