Chapter 18 #2
The moonlight reflected off a shiny white walking boot, finally giving Ni away.
Apparently, he had upgraded from the red cast. He stood under the hulking shadow of a tree.
It almost encompassed him like a squid squirting its ink to wrap its tentacles around unsuspecting prey.
My imagination was running wild. A single crutch glinted, lying on the ground.
And he was alone. The path was empty of wingmen and possible dates.
The music softly thundered through the back wall of the gym—the bass thumping throughout my body—giving the illusion that safety was nearby.
If this were a game, I’d say it was a trap.
Some trick of the boss to distract me from my quest.
“Can you help me? I, uh, well...” He gestured to the crutch lying out of reach. Apparently, he was down to just one crutch with the boot.
He looked pathetic, like an adorable puppy that was trapped outside and just needed someone to open the door to let him in.
Handsome at his worst, this pup was stunning in a black suit, white shirt buttoned all the way up to a sharp black bow tie.
His hair was slicked back like a runway model—minus the boot.
I bit my lip. As much as I wanted to find IK, I couldn’t leave Ni helpless and by himself like this.
Not wanting to bend over in my dress, I squatted to collect the crutch.
“Thanks. Sorry, I don’t have a grape soda to pay you back.”
I looked up. Bad idea. He towered over me, his gaze locking on mine, and my skin prickled. I practically launched myself upward, crutch in hand. He reached, teetered, and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me uncomfortably close and leaning on me. I stumbled forward. The music changed.
“Sorry. Just give me a moment. You look gorgeous, by the way.”
My heart pounded in my ears to the beat. In all the time I’d known him, we’d never touched. Not beyond an awkward brush of fingers or hands. This was solid. Body against body. I could feel the heat from him. Leaking from him and into me as if my blood sword was stealing his life.
“This may not be the best place. But I’ve been trying to ask you for a while. The timing never seems right. Will you dance with me?”
Something solid blocked my throat. I was supposed to be meeting IK.
I had chosen IK. But there was something about this moment.
Ni’s distinct scent of cedar swirled around me.
Part of his alluring siren song. I’d regret it if I left right now.
It was just one dance. He was alone and hurt.
What danger could he pose to me? A single dance alone in the moonlight...
He pulled back slightly, and his eyes bored into mine. I couldn’t deny those gray eyes anything. I nodded, and the crutch slipped from my fingers, thumping to the ground. My breathing grew faster.
He shuffled the few inches forward to take me all the way into his embrace. I linked my hands behind his head.
The soft strains of the music within the building filtered out into the night as if on cue, changing to something slower. Though we danced awkwardly, I barely noticed. It was more of a rocking back and forth, since the boot on his leg left him unbalanced. But I felt more alive than I ever had.
His fingers burned through the cloth, heating my skin all the way through to my stomach. My chest grew tight.
He sighed and pulled me closer. Our bodies pressed together almost indecently.
Wherever I touched him was on fire. My body shook, overwhelmed by the thoughts and feelings running through me.
But I held on, and so did he. The music ended too soon—and way too late.
I swallowed thickly. Why did I feel like I had cheated on IK? It was just a dance.
IK—I needed to get inside the dance.
But Ni hadn’t let go; he was still holding me.
What should I do? His crutch was back on the ground.
If I could just find it. I could give it to him, and we could pretend this had never happened.
How would I face him in class? I swallowed the thought.
I looked over my shoulder, trying to spot the crutch—my escape route.
My cheek brushed his boutonniere, a faint rose threading through the cedar.
He whispered into my hair. The warmth of his breath lit up the nerves along the whole of my earlobe. Goosebumps broke out all along my neck and arms. Who knew my ears could be sensitive? “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time, Scarlett.”
I froze, my toe stretched out, feeling for the crutch.
It was surely just a coincidence. After all, I had red hair...
But why the nickname? I squirmed slightly.
“I need to get inside—” I needed to escape from him and the hold he had on me.
I needed to go find IK. An owl hooted. A breeze blew through the branches, creating a cascade of rustling leaves.
Laughter came from the other side of the building.
He didn’t relax his hold. Instead, he kept talking softly, directly into my ear. “I’m IvoryKnight.”
THE WORDS DIDN’T COMPUTE at first. Ni was a football player. A popular, handsome guy well-known throughout both high school and college. IvoryKnight was my gaming buddy, my confidant, and maybe something more. I loved him.
“Look up. Do you see the tree? It’s a willow.”
I looked up, and instead of tentacles, strands of leaves shifted in the moonlight. How could he know? The boutonniere. A red rose. I gazed into his sparkling, puppy-dog eyes and smacked him as hard as I could on the arm. “You jerk! You lied to me!”
I’d spent over a year trying to avoid him. Was this some sort of prank? Did he know IK? Were they roommates?
“What? I didn’t. Everything I said was true.”
“You didn’t tell me who you were, and you’ve known since... that day with RogueStriker at DragonByte!”
“Actually, I’ve known since the day I almost hit you.”
My mind whirred back to that rainy day...the tournament I lost to IvoryKnight...and Ni—my Parking Lot Angel—sitting across the room, nodding at me after I got second place. Argh. I wanted to kill him.