Page 32 of The Addict

That was an understatement. I could practically feel the bags growing underneath my eyes and that guest bed was looking more and more inviting each moment.

“Yes, actually, I am.” I turned to see Noah stride back into the room. He seemed almost as tired as me. I watched in admiration as he placed a light kiss on his mother’s forehead, and for a moment pondered the thought of how soft they’d feel on my forehead.

Or my mouth.

I also couldn’t help but notice how incredibly handsome he looked when he ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m going to bed too, mom,” he said.

Mrs. Hansen rubbed my arm lightly, her pitiful smile lingering even as she hugged Noah and left the room.

Noah stayed there, his sight wandering back over to me. “Goodnight Delane,” he whispered. His eyes were more distant than they had been in the hours before.

“Well, I guess it’s not a good night, but a good morning,” I replied, nearly gagging myself from my own cringy response.

Noah shook his head, chuckling awkwardly. “My room is down the hall. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

A loud cluck of a laugh from the hallway caused Noah to bristle. Damian.

I nodded, climbing into the bed and wishing I could cover myself from humiliation. “Thank you.”

I could already feel my body slipping into the darkness before he turned out the light. It was almost impossible to imagine how quickly I transitioned from the actual world to the dream world. I was bruised and swollen, weak and battered, but I was safe.

I had a protector.

Chapter nine

Force of Habit

NOAH

Idowned the first glass of hard liquor faster than I should have, choking before it went down properly. Unsatisfied with the burn that coursed down my throat, I sifted through the lower cabinets of my miniature bar where I kept the good stuff.

I had a hankering for the strong shit that made your head swim.

What the fuck was this girl doing to me?

It was bad enough that she was so damn beautiful. I would somehow become captivated by those emerald eyes that I knew nothing about, but wanted to know everything about. Part of me wanted to dive in and drown. I wondered what I would discover. I knew the feeling would be lovely; to get lost in her. I wanted to know what made her tick, and what made her laugh.

Her smile was heaven.

I didn’t even want to think about how her smile was like the sun. It was all the light I could ever need and more, and oddly, it felt right to be around her. Her aura was inviting and pure. I fucking loved it.

“Stop drinking that shit,” came a voice I knew too well. The most annoying of all, especially tonight.

I turned, the glass not quite reaching my lips, to see Damian leaning against the door frame of my room. He had some nerve.

I narrowed my eyes and gulped the shot down without a single care. “You’re not my father,” I warned through the burn.

“Yeah, you’re fucking lucky I’m not your father.” Damian released the venom calmly, nodding as he entered my space, uninvited.

“Heh. And why is that?” Setting the glass on the counter, I took a long drink from one of my wine bottles, ignoring the escalating temperature in the room. All those urges from the alley were circling back, and I finally found the outlet.

Damian crossed the floor with lightning speed and ripped the wine out of my hands. He threw it to the ground, and the expensive bottle exploded on contact with the floor. My eyes shot open as I watched the thick, red liquid stain the carpet beneath the two of us.

Damian grabbed my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. There was fire behind his stare. “Because if I was your father…” he squeezed tightly, and I tried desperately to pull his death grip away, hands clawing at his wrists. “...you wouldn’t get away with half the shit you do now.”

“Do you think I fucking care what you say about what I do?” I screamed. “I don’t give a shit! I’ll do what I want!”