Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Noah
The rain fades as the night grows old, and I find myself fading by the minute. Pumpkin purrs loudly beside Nyx, who lies on her side behind him, and even then she is a whole cat longer than he is. I smile at them both.
“You look tired.” Xander breaks my thoughts as he tidies up the kitchen with practiced movements. His jet-black hair shines under the kitchen lights, and I wonder if it's as soft as it looks.
Maybe I am a total creep, but I can't help drooling over this hunk of walking charisma. The way he smells of leather and how his deep voice carries an energy that makes my skin prickle with desire. By simply being in his presence, my heart hasn’t stopped pounding all evening.
“I’m okay,” I speak around a yawn that betrays me, and Xander gives me a pointed look. I blush under his intense gaze and fiddle with the hem of my shirt.
“I think I'll head to bed,” I say, standing from my seat, feeling how tight my back has grown from slouching. Xander’s gaze follows me, and something crosses his face that looks strangely like worry, but I brush it off and begin my way to the stairs. “Thank you for dinner. My turn next.”
I can't look over my shoulder as I feel his gaze burning into the back of my head, and instead, I practically run up the stairs and out of view, hiding myself in my room and doing a little happy dance.
Yet my fragile moment of happiness is ruined when my phone lights up from across the room. A phone call. And there is only one person with my number.
Richard.
Creeping over to the nightstand where my phone vibrates with the incoming call, my throat goes bone dry as my ex-boyfriend's name lights up the screen. I haven’t yet told him I'm not coming back, not ever.
Not like all the other times where he kicked me out and then came begging for me to come back.
Promising he would do better, be better.
I swallow the lump of saliva and answer, lifting the phone to my ear.
“Baby? Are you there?” Richard’s voice sends a chill down my spine, and my stomach churns.
“Richard…” I start, but he cuts me off.
“Where are you? It’s been over a day. I’m sorry I got so mad. I just can't help it sometimes. You know me.” His voice is full of pain and desperation. It grates on my nerves compared to the deep rumble of Xander’s voice that I have grown fond of in the short time I’ve been around him.
“I’m not coming back, Richard,” my voice shakes. “We broke up, and I’m sick of it. You don't keep to your promises, and I can't keep putting up with your temper tantrums.”
The line is silent, and I pull my phone away from my ear to check that the call hasn’t been disconnected. Lifting my phone, I come face-to-face with Richard’s screaming voice.
“...dare you! After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? I am the only person who knows what’s good for you. And you’re too blinded by your childish emotions to see that!”
I cringe, my pulse spikes, and every muscle shakes again, just as I did when his fist was inches from my head.
As I open my mouth to respond, the door to my room swings open and Xander strides in.
His chrome eyes almost glow under the orange light of the lamp as he nears me.
His fingers gently wrap around mine and pull my phone from my grasp.
Tapping his finger across the screen, Xander ends the call and then proceeds to block Richard’s number. I can only stand in shock with my mouth wide open.
Placing my phone on the nightstand, Xander turns, his hand squeezes my shoulder, leaving a trail of tingly heat, and then he’s slipping from the room, closing the door shut with a calm click.
I stare at the door, mouth agape and heart thudding in my chest. What the hell just happened? My gaze slowly turns to where my phone sits; the energy surrounding it feels more like a black hole rather than a simple inanimate object.
Xander just hung up and blocked Richard! For me!
My mind races as the adrenaline of my ex-boyfriend's threats slowly fades into the background noise of my mind. How had Xander heard any of that? He was still downstairs when I answered. It makes no sense.
Like a broken record, the pattern of strange anomalies since moving in seems to slip past me as a wave of satisfaction washes through me.
And despite the unusualness of the last 24 hours, I smile to myself.
Once again, this complete stranger, who lives in a possibly haunted house, has shown me more kindness in a single day than anyone has in my entire life.
Sucking in a deep breath, I finally get my heart under control. The strain of the day finally sinks into my skin, and I suddenly feel like I weigh a ton. I wash up quickly and call for Pumpkin, but I'm sure he’s preoccupied with his new girlfriend.
I snicker to myself and climb into bed, smelling the new sheets along with the woodsy scent of the house. My eyelids grow heavier by the second, and I fall into a slumber. Despite my sapped energy, my mind stays alert throughout the night.
Just as Xander advertised, the house is filled with questionable noises. From taps at the window above my bed that sound just like someone's nails racking across the glass to heavy footsteps sprinting up and down the hallway that shake the ground.
It's an ambiance that I'm sure I will get used to, but my heart still jolts with every new knock and tap. But it’s when the handle of my bedroom door begins to turn, the bolts squeaking, that I tense and watch from my curled-up position.
With bated breath, the iron handle spins and rattles, and my throat grows dry. Yet before I can hide under my blankets, an ungodly yowl explodes from the hallway, and the door handle snaps shut.
“Nyx!” Xander’s voice echoes through the house, and my eyes snap to the wall beside my bed. He’s only a few feet from where I lie, and I relax into that thought. Until the logical side of my brain speaks up and I become painfully aware that he wasn’t the one at my door.
For the rest of the night, I stay curled up on my side with my eyes glued to the door. I can always nap tomorrow…
Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. With the pale light of morning finally filling the black sky, the sounds of the house ebb and fade.
Birds tweet beyond the window, and the air cools.
Pumpkin scratches at the door, but I haven't moved an inch, my joints creaking and cracking as I finally manage to be brave enough to stretch.
Xander’s voice carries through the door as he moves through the house. Clearly, he’s accustomed to the paranormal activity in his house as he murmurs lovingly to the cats, completely unbothered by the thunder of sprinting footsteps from another room.
The front door closes, and I shiver. Of course, Xander is an early bird. I'm sure he’s off to the gym or wherever bodybuilders go to get swole. Maybe he’s going for a run?
My imagination wanders to the thought of Xander running. His thick thighs taking the brunt of each step, and his muscly pecs jiggling as his biceps bulge beneath another mouthwateringly hot, skin-tight shirt.
My body grows heated, and my dick notices as I bite my lower lip. Yup, I'm delusional. One night of interrupted sleep and constant stress has made me horny with my imagination of my new roommate running.
I groan and wipe the dried sleep from my eyes, finally managing a proper stretch as the orange glow of sunrise beams through the window.
“Might as well get up since sleep is overrated in this house,” I mumble to myself and slip out of bed before making my way to my closed door.
Sucking in a breath, I bounce on the spot as if I'm a fighter gearing up for battle. “Three, two, one.”
I swing the door open with a yelp, only to come face to face with Nyx, who sits with a flicking tail and her bright red eyes.
She lazily blinks up at me before sauntering away and perching herself precariously atop the windowsill of the hallway's broad windows. The hallway is empty, not a single ghost in sight, and I can’t decide whether or not I prefer that.
Pumpkin comes meowing up the stairs and tries to jump the distance but only gets a few inches off the floor before pointedly looking up at me. I roll my eyes, scooping him up and depositing him next to Nyx, who gives him a lick.
I smile at them and make my way downstairs towards the kitchen with the unbearable desire for my morning coffee.
I’m about to fill the kettle when I see the silver shine of a brand new, glistening coffee machine. Even a box of pods sits beside it, and I nearly scream with joy. Of course, Xander has a fully stocked box of coffee pods with six different choices.
I choose the latte pod and pop it into the machine, find a mug, and watch the broth fill with a gurgle.
Taking a sip, I can hear the cats meowing to one another while my gaze scans the rest of the house. Despite the ruckus from last night, nothing seems to be out of place, and all is quiet. As I wander through the kitchen, I find a small Post-it note and a key on the bench with cursive writing.
Gone to work. Help yourself to anything you want. - X
I smile at the note, specifically at the X. I know it’s his name, but I simply imagine it to be a kiss. Instead of tossing the note, I fold it neatly and slide it into my pocket.
Sunshine filters through the house as I slowly make my way down the hallway and towards the back door, where it shines the warmest. Unlocking it and stepping onto the back patio, I’m surrounded by the fresh fall air.
Dew coats the grass beyond the wooden floorboards, and pockets of colorful flowers sprout up from the earth.
Only a few I can name, like Dragonsnaps, Lavender, and Babybells, but there are so many more that I’ve never seen before.
But what captures my gaze isn't the rainbow of flowers but the huge blossoming cherry tree that overlooks a dark pond. The tiny pink flowers cover it from trunk to tip, and small petals fall in the breeze like drifting snow.