Page 33 of When Darkness Calls

Keegan with his thoughtful and sweet insights coupled with his inability to just chill. The guy’s like the living embodiment of impulsive thoughts.

Alex’s goofy ass might have a short fuse over some of the dumbest things, but I’ve never met anyone more fiercely protective and loyal, and so fucking funny without ever meaning to be.

And Nick…well…Dominick is kind of an enigma to be honest. I’m not even sure Cade’s gotten him figured out yet and they’ve been friends for twenty years.

Much like his brother, he can be really laid back and kind of funny, even charming. But sometimes, there are moments where it seems like a switch flips, and instead of the hot flash of anger like Alex, Nick…Nick becomes a void. Cold, ruthless, determined, completely disregarding reason. It’s rare. But those few seconds can send an uneasy chill down your spine.

We’re just a bunch of lucky assholes who don’t ever have to worry about that being directed at us. Nick’s version of protectiveness borders on possessive. If you’re in his circle, he practically claims you, like a little kid finding a toy on a playground.

Then, there’s Grayson. Quiet and unseeming, but so hard to ignore. The little one-liners and quips he throws out. I kind of missed them…like a lot. I don’t know what changed, but God does it feel nice to be back in his orbit.

I’ve always gravitated toward him. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all. But Grayson is just…different.

So yeah, have I missed Grayson? So much more than I would ever admit. A part of me has felt like he blames me for what happened last year. That it was my fault he had to pick me up, my fault he picked that fight, and it was my fault those guys had followed me to the park. Cade was so pissed at him. They fought for days; it was the longest I have ever seen them go without speaking to each other. A solid week. Unheard of for those two. And it felt like I was to blame. I shouldn’t have been irrational to walk at night, especially Halloween for God’s sake. But I did. And it happened.

It’s just so awkward now. Sort of? He’d been avoiding me, wouldn’t look me in the eyes, and pretended like I wasn’t there. And it hurt a little. Yeah, we sometimes argue and call each other names and be smartasses to each other, but that’s just how we are. It’s fun to pick on each other one minute, then the next we’re in a very in-depth discussion about Avatar—James Cameron, not the cartoon. He’s always kind of been my favorite out of Cade’s friends—don’t tell Alex. He would have had the biggest over-sized adult toddler temper tantrum in history if he knew.

Grayson and I have always been able to understand each other so easily. Our mutual love for visual art helped a lot. When I would rant about something cool I had seen about a new framing style, he would chime in on what he knew about it in relation to how it applies to still photos, and so on. Hell, if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have even enrolled in the film program at West View University. Until that point, I had just assumed I would be doing something probably like English related because of the academia and writing side of things. But he helped me and showed me ways to adapt my courses and majors to fit a career I dreamed of having.

The last year of having to tip-toe around him seriously sucked. I’m not sure if his sudden re-emergence will stick, or if he will go back to skirting around me like I’m a ghost. I really hope he doesn’t.

I shuffle out of bed begrudgingly.

It wouldn’t hurt to stay for just a little bit longer, right? My classes were canceled so… I’ll be home all day, and later this evening, Cade is heading out for a dinner thing in Graves Hollow for his company…

The screen on my phone lights up with a text and the large 11:02 that seems to be mocking me.

“Ugh, fine, fine.” I huffed, halfhearted in the movements to remake my bed. It’s messy, but it looks cozy. Exactly how I like it.

I exchange my tank top and dinosaur boxers for the sweatshirt we got at Orientation week and a pair of leggings, then I’m out the door, greeted by the smell of coffee. I skip down the stairs, almost missing the last one. No one saw though so we’re all good.

“I saw that.”

Goddamn it.

Cade’s bored tone rings through the kitchen. There he is again. Sitting at the counter, coffee in one hand, files in the other. Day in and day out. It’s like some kind of performance art show. Like those guys painted gold in city streets that don’t move for like eight hours.

“How do you sit there all day, every day, and not get bored?”

“Different papers, different days. Keeps things interesting. Sometimes I even add creamer to the coffee if I feel frisky.” He winks at me chuckling.

“Uh, huh,” I murmur, grabbing a bowl and Fruity Pebbles. “Hey, Cay. Um, thank you for last night. I really needed that.”

He just mumbles something like whatever, taking a bite of his toast.

“I think we all did, honestly.” I lean on the counter eating my cereal as he looks up at me.

“Yeah, no kidding, but it was all Grays’s idea. I didn’t know that’s what we were doing until he suggested it.” He shrugs.

Grays, huh? Well, shit. Maybe he has figured his shit out.

“Could—Can I ask you a question?” I stare into my cereal bowl, chasing stray pieces with my spoon.

“Duh. What’s up, kiddo?” He sets his papers down and gives me his full attention.

“Are you and Grayson okay now?”

“What do you mean?” His head tilts a little as the corners of his mouth pull down.