Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Nyx
I always kinda knew you’d be the death of me – Artemas
Iwake up to the sound of a pencil scratching on paper and the sunlight shining too brightly on my closed eyelids.
Every single memory from yesterday comes back like a slap in the face, and I shoot upright.
Opposite the bed, Achilles sits on a chair with a notebook, rapidly scribbling.
It's not just any notebook. It's a music manuscript book.
Achilles Duval is wearing nothing but gray boxers, composing music I inspired him to make while I sleep in his bed. What has my life become?
His muscly arm is moving in tandem with his writing, his hair falling over his bowed head, his defined abs shifting to the rhythm of his breathing.
This has to be a dream.
"Good morning, mon trésor," I hear him mumble, too focused on his art to look up.
He grabs something on the floor next to his chair, tossing it at me without a single look. My phone lands next to me on the bed, and I take it with one hand, the other holding the cover to my chest.
"Your boyfriend keeps calling. I silenced it so you could sleep."
"What?" I gasp. "Shit."
My eyes practically pop out of my sockets when I see the six missed calls from Chase. There are texts too, but I don't take the time to read them. Instead, I call him right away.
"I'm busy," he snaps coldly as he picks up. "Make it quick."
I'm already out of bed, looking for my clothes. I can't believe Achilles carried me all the way here after we had sex. It sounds too caring for him.
"I'm so sorry," I croak, my voice still sleepy.
"No, you're not." He snorts.
"I went to a friend's house on campus. You know? Peach? I drank too much and fell asleep here."
"I didn't ask for your excuses, Nyx."
I lick my lips, nodding to myself. "I know. I just want you to know I'm sorry. I'm on my way back."
"Take your time. I'm not waiting."
The disappointment in his voice is harder to take than if he was screaming. "Chase, I'm sorry. I just drank too much."
"Your new rich friends aren't very caring, are they? Letting you drink till you black out."
I take a deep breath. "It's not like that."
"Sure. I'll see you tonight."
"Wait, I… I'm rehearsing tonight."
"Rehearsing?"
"Chase," I say meekly. "I've rehearsed the violin every single Sunday night of my life since I was a little girl. You can't pretend you don't remember that."
"Right. I forgot so many other things are more important to you than supporting me."
I don't understand what's happening. He's not furious when he should be. He's disappointed, but there should be more. He's acting like he doesn't care, but I know that's not true. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"I love you," I lie so easily I scare myself.
All I get in return is a scoff. "But not enough to support me, right?"
"I'll do my best, okay?"
"Whatever. Bye."
I'm about to hang up when his voice rises from my phone again.
"Oh, by the way, Nyxie. I won't be able to cover your dad's payment to Val Brolik this month. I had some unexpected expenses. He'll have to deal with it himself."
There it is. The punishment.
My heart squeezes painfully, fear weighing heavy in my stomach.
"Chase, you know we can't. Please, I'm sorry."
"Sorry, Nyxie. I can't always cover everything."
And he hangs up. I bite my tongue painfully until I taste the copper of blood in my mouth.
Looking up at Achilles, I find him standing by the bed, now dressed in black jeans and a deep purple hoodie with a small white bat on it. His gold necklace with the ‘S’ pendant is always visible.
I get dressed in record time under his intense stare, but he only talks when I'm putting my shoes on.
"I'd like to take you out for dinner tonight."
"No," I say through gritted teeth. "Didn't you hear I'm busy tonight? And you've done enough damage as it is."
"Busy rehearsing, right? You're not going to go to whatever your boyfriend needs support for."
"I'll do whatever the fuck I want."
"You'll rehearse. Because that's the only thing important enough to skip dinner with me."
I bite my tongue again, in desperate need of biting on gum.
"Does your father owe money to Val Brolik?" he asks with curiosity but not an ounce of care.
His casual demeanor is pissing me off today, and I have no patience for secrets. If I did, I'd notice he's not asking who Brolik is.
"Yes."
I push past him, exiting his bedroom and jogging down the stairs. He's right behind me.
"I want us to talk about that. The debt."
"Yeah, you'd love to talk about something that terrifies me, wouldn't you?" I stop by the front door and turn around to face him. "You got what you wanted, Achilles. You're inspired, aren't you? Leave me alone. Leave my relationship alone."
I open the door, but his hand wraps around my wrist, and it slams back shut.
"What are you talking about? Obsession isn’t cured in one night."
"I did what you told me to, and you promised not to tell Chase about any of this. That's it. We're done now."
His laugh is so carefree, I wonder if he truly doesn't understand any of my feelings.
"I won't tell your boyfriend anything, but we're far from done."
"You can't spend your life blackmailing me. This isn't… It's not right."
"Oh no." He pretends to tremble. "And here I was, trying to always do the right thing."
The slap happens before I can control it. My palm hits his cheek with a sound that resembles me signing my death warrant.
I'm the only one who gasps, shocked by my own behavior. I'm not a violent girl, not under these conditions. I have been. I grew up in a place where you can't let people see you weak, and sometimes that results in petty fights, but not with someone who truly scares me.
Unlike me, he doesn't react. His cheek pinkens, but his head didn't even move. All that seems to be different is his smirk. It's more devilish than usual. Like all he was waiting for was a reason to unleash on me.
"Nyx." Something rumbles deep in his chest when he says my name. It's terrifying.
One step forward from him and my heart pounds as I take one back, plastering myself against the door.
"You do know there's one thing you forgot to mention yesterday when you admitted your fears while you were desperate for my cock." He lets go of my wrist, bringing his hand to my throat instead.
The effect it has on me is more confusing than it's ever been. There's the fear, and the trauma, but it mixes with a tightness in my lower stomach that makes me press my thighs together. What the hell has he done to me?
Tilting his head to the side, he observes my every reaction before adding, "Me."
His hand tightens around my throat, his lips skimming my forehead.
"Because out of all those people you're terrified of, believe me, none of them are as dangerous as I am. If you don't believe me, I invite you to test that theory. It'd be my pleasure to show you."
He kisses my temple, my cheekbone. "I could get rid of your father's debts with less cash than I use in a week, but no one can buy me out of your life. And Chase might be strong and violent, but he can't get away with murder like I can."
I'm forced to go on my toes when he pulls me up and bows his head to be face to face with me.
"And whoever it is that broke into your house wearing a mask, blindfolded you, and tried to choke you—"
He tears a whimper out of me when he mentions that. That's the conclusion he came to from my admissions yesterday. He’s so close to what really happened, and the mention of it threatens to send me spiraling.
"You know I could find them, right? I can do anything, mon trésor. Ask me, and it's done. Be mine, and you'll get the world in return. I'll save you from anything and anyone. But remember one thing. No one, and I mean no one, can save you from me."
"Achilles, let her go."
He takes a deep breath, rolling his eyes as he straightens again, and lets me go. My breaths come in pants, and I cough, massaging the skin he was touching a second ago. I'm fire and ice, heavy and electrified like the air before a storm, and I can't put thoughts together.
I watch him take a step back, plastering a smile on his face as he turns around. Behind him, Wren Hunter is watching his friend with narrowed eyes and furrowed eyebrows.
"You're spoiling my fun, Wren."
"What I'm doing is saving your life because Peach is about to come downstairs and would've ripped your head off if she found you like this."
"Ripped his head off for what?" Peach's voice rings out as she comes down the stairs.
Great. All we're missing now is Chase for this situation to really be my version of Hell.
Ignoring her, Achilles stays focused on his friend. "I don't tell you how to handle your girlfriend, do I?" he asks seriously. "Then don't tell me how to handle mine."
There's a long pause during which the three of us look at each other in utter confusion while Achilles smiles like an idiot, not seeing the issue with what he just said.
"You're his girlfriend now?" Peach asks, shock keeping her eyebrows raised to her hairline.
I hesitate, looking at all of them one by one before my gaze lands on Achilles. "No?"
Why did I just ask a question?
"Your girlfriend," Peach says mockingly, "doesn't seem to know she's your girlfriend, babe."
Achilles taps my shoulder gently, then points at both of his friends. "Tell them you're my girlfriend."
My wide eyes bounce between all of them again, and I'm not even sure I know how to talk anymore. Has he gone completely insane? Is this part of his blackmail? I don't know how to act. The truth, or what he wants to hear?
"But I'm not," I squeak, wondering if my heart is going to explode. Is he going to make me pay for this?
"She has a boyfriend," Peach insists.
"Yeah, me." The silent duh is obvious from Achilles's tone as he wraps an arm around my shoulders.
"Achilles, you've lost the fucking plot," his fiery friend snaps before taking my hand. "Leave her alone. She's so much better than you and has a real fucking boyfriend somewhere."
He releases me to put a hand on his mouth, feigning shock as he shakes his head. "Have you been cheating on me?" he asks.
"You're actually delusional," I tell him in my most serious voice. "Get some help."
"Here's how I play the boyfriend game, Nyxie.
" I can tell from his voice that he loves using that nickname just to make fun of Chase.
"Whoever makes you orgasm the most wins, and I'm winning by far.
" He turns to Peach. "Very far. So far, the other guy is an ex, ex, ex…
" he pauses for effect, then insists, "ex-boyfriend by now. "
I can feel my face turning so red I could cook an egg on it.
"You're a fucking asshole," I seethe before opening the door and striding out.
"You're a dick," I hear Peach tell him.
"And Nyx is my girlfriend," Achilles replies calmly.
Wren says something, but I don't hear the rest of their conversation, already by my car. This is the kind of situation that got me in trouble with Chase. This delusion he's living in is only digging me a deeper hole. And I'm worried I'm never going to get out of it.