22. Mallory
MALLORY
Ispent entirely too long getting ready for a boy who was technically coming over to talk about cellular respiration.
Which felt ridiculous.
And also very real.
I cleaned my room. Twice. Yet it still didn’t look right.
I rearranged my desk. Moved my succulent three inches to the left.
Fluffed pillows that didn’t need fluffing, punching them into submission until they looked casually perfect.
Lit a vanilla candle and then immediately blew it out because it felt too much like a date, which this clearly wasn’t.
I changed outfits three times before settling on jean shorts and an oversized off-the-shoulder sweater in deep gray.
I needed to feel good to get through this night.
My hair was an entire matter in itself, and since I didn’t have the time to properly deal with it, I pulled it up and secured it out of the way.
Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, I gave myself a much-needed motivational talk.
You’re fine.
Totally fine.
He’s just your lab partner.
Who I’d made out with in a cellar and might have the world’s worst crush on. Whose tongue I still remembered the taste of. Whose hands I still felt running up my legs. Whose—
Stop.
I shook my head, flinging those thoughts from my mind. This was a study session, not a make-out session.
Grabbing a notebook and my laptop, I dropped them onto the bed and stuffed his hoodie that I may or may not have been sleeping in into my closet.
I had only one thing left to do. Not wanting to disappoint Paisley again, I slipped downstairs while my mom was absorbed in work, moving quietly into the kitchen to snag a small bottle of liquor from the cabinet.
I tucked it into my sweater and headed back upstairs before she could notice.
I doubted Maddox would willingly open up about what happened to Kaylor, knowing how he felt about her. If I needed liquid encouragement to pry it out of him, to loosen the walls he kept so carefully constructed…
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
My head whirled to the window at a car door shutting outside, making my heart leap straight into my throat, pulse spiking so fast I felt dizzy.
Holy. Shit. He’s here.
Scrambling out of my room, I rushed downstairs to the door before he could ring the bell. Mom knew my lab partner was coming over to work on this project. I failed to tell her my lab partner was a boy. Either way, I didn’t want her grilling him before he set foot in the house.
I swung the door open as he stepped onto the porch.
His dark hair was damp, messily shaken by the wind.
He must have showered after practice. A clean white tee stretched across his chest and shoulders, the fabric thin enough that I saw the definition of muscle beneath and the dark outline of his tattoos.
Gray sweatpants hung low on his hips in a way that should honestly be illegal, the drawstring loose and tempting.
“Hey,” he greeted, those light-green eyes dragging over me once in a slow sweep from my bare shoulder down to my feet and back up before settling on my face with a stomach-flipping intensity.
I grinned, unable to help myself. “Hey,” I managed, praying my voice didn’t squeak or crack and betray how affected I was by his mere presence.
His hand came to rest on the door frame, leaning in closer to me. “You gonna invite me in, Hales, or just stare at me?”
My eyes narrowed slightly. “Who said I was staring?”
“Ogling then?”
“You wish, Corvo. And yes, please come in before the neighbors see you on my porch and call the cops.” I opened the door wider, stepping to the side and waiting for him to saunter in.
His lips twitched. “That’s a valid concern.” I caught a whiff of his soap as he walked past me, stepping into the small foyer.
Edible was the only word that came to mind.
Before my mom could poke her head out of her office, I led him upstairs, his presence making me hyperaware of my own body, of the distance between us, and of how easily he could close it if he wanted to. I prayed I wouldn’t trip over my feet and fall flat on my face.
We slipped into my room, and I shut the door behind me, trying not to freak out over being alone with Maddox, especially in a space with a freaking bed.
It nearly felt too intimate watching him move through my bedroom, gaze roaming over my stuff and taking it all in, the soft sage-green walls, the flowing white sheer curtains with little rose details, and the fairy lights draped along the ceiling edges.
He went to the large window overlooking the woods beyond, the curtains fluttering faintly in the breeze from the half-open pane. His lips turned down as he peered through the glass, and I wondered what the hell he was thinking.
I cleared my throat, drawing his attention away from the window. “Now who’s staring?”
He traced a finger along the book spines crammed into the shelf nestled in the corner. “It’s…cute.”
“Cute?” I echoed, pushing off the door and crossing my arms. “That’s your expert analysis?”
His mouth curved slightly. “Didn’t picture you as the fairy-light type.”
Heat crept up my neck, spreading across my cheeks. “They’re practical. Soft light is better for studying than overhead.”
He smirked. “Whatever you say, Hales.”
“Should we get started?” I asked quickly, walking to the bed where I’d set everything up, desperate to move past this moment of vulnerability. I sat first, crossing my legs and arranging my notebook in my lap, trying not to look like I was waiting for him to join me.
He didn’t hesitate.
Kicking off his white sneakers, he dropped onto the bed beside me, legs dangling off the side.
The mattress dipped under his weight, tilting me slightly toward him, gravity working against my attempts at maintaining distance.
Or maybe it was working for me? I didn’t know what I wanted, but my heart misfired, skipping a beat before racing to catch up.
“So,” I said, opening my notebook. “We need to design an experiment.”
He leaned back against my headboard, one arm stretching out along the pillows, his body sprawling with that casual confidence guys seemed to have in any space they occupied. “You’re the brain. I’m just here for the extra credit.”
Was I the extra credit?
Or was I reading too much into that statement?
“Flattering,” I muttered, trying not to focus on the way his arm rested inches from mine. Why did he look so good against my pillows? Why did it feel right having him in my bed?
“We could do something with plant growth,” he offered, his tone suggesting he didn’t care one way or another. “Different light exposures and track them over three weeks.”
“Predictable,” I teased, glancing at him sideways.
“Low risk.” He shrugged, the movement making his shirt ride up slightly, exposing a sliver of tanned skin above his waistband.
“Afraid of a challenge, Corvo?”
His eyes flicked to mine, a slow heat settling there that had nothing to do with biology homework. “Not even a little.”
The air shifted, thickening with unspoken tension.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to look back at my notes, pen moving across paper just to keep my hands busy. “Okay. What about stress responses? Environmental factors affecting growth or behavior. Something beyond basic photosynthesis.”
“Stress, huh?” he murmured, his lips twitching at the corners. “I’m a fucking expert on that subject.” A shadow lurked beneath Maddox’s casual facade.
“Because of your dad or because of your crew?” I inquired. Neither of which he talked much about.
His jaw ticked, and I knew I hit a nerve.
It was an opening I’d been waiting for, but it didn’t stop the guilt from intentionally bringing up what clearly weren’t pleasant thoughts.
I promised Paisley I would try. She wasn’t the only one concerned about the possibility of someone kidnapping girls again, but we had different reasons for being worried.
“They’re the same, Hales,” he replied.
“In that case…” Hesitating, I reached behind me, finding the bottle I’d stashed under my pillow and pulling it out slowly. “For scientific inspiration?”
His eyes dropped to the bottle before tracking back to my face. “You always keep liquor in your bedroom?”
“Only for really stressful assignments.” I twisted the cap off, breaking the seal. We weren’t big drinkers in this house. It muddled the mind, and Mom was keen on keeping hers sharp. It’s a miracle I found any at all.
A faint chuckle escaped him. “You’re trouble.”
“Among other things,” I said, echoing his words from Raven Night back at him deliberately. I took a small sip directly from the bottle and winced before offering it to him.
He took it, fingers brushing mine in the exchange, and drank without hesitation. He stared at the bottle a moment, brows creasing across his forehead.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he shrugged. “I guess I’m just having a weird moment of déjà vu.”
“How so?”
He ran the pad of his thumb over the bottle’s rim. “The last girl I drank a bottle of gin in bed with while studying ended up falling in love with my brother.”
“Lucky for you, there’s no chance of that happening here.” I grabbed the liquor and took another pull. “I’m assuming she’s the girl you have feelings for, Kaylor?”
He flinched at her name. “In truth, I have no idea how I feel about her. She’s like family to my brothers and me. I care about her.”
“Is it true she was taken?”
His eyes flashed to me, darkening. “How do you—?” He paused before cursing under his breath. “Paisley.”
“I only ask because I saw on the news the other night a girl from Public is missing. And I—”
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Paisley. Stay out of it,” he warned, cutting me off. “This isn’t something you want to be involved with. These people are dangerous.”
“I’m not a stranger to danger,” I found myself admitting and couldn’t believe the words left my mouth. I had to be careful. I’d never let anyone in before, and yet, Maddox made me believe I could trust him. But I wasn’t willing to risk it. Not yet.