21. Zela
Friday Night
Kol didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to lie, but that didn’t stop me from calling a few places to see.
I shouldn’t have even bothered, but of course I had to be sure. I needed to know if I was well and truly stuck here.
“Fuck,” I whine, tossing my phone at the pillow at the head of my bed. I might be upset, but the last thing I need is to have to buy a new phone.
Speaking of new, I side-eye the new pair of headphones that I found on my bed this morning. I’d taken a shower and come out to find them. Of course, there was no note, but I knew who got them.
The more important question, the one I can’t answer, is how the fuck he got in and then out.
Everything was still locked, and as much as it irked me, given the three choices, I’d take Isaac over the other two.
I sit for a few minutes trying to get myself under control again as I stare down at the pages of notes I have scrawled onto every available scrap of paper.
This extra class is coming back to bite me in the ass; my mind is unable to stay quiet long enough for me to absorb a single thing in a house full of predators.
I’ve spent every moment they’re gone down in the gym trying to do something with this nervous, caged energy, but still, it’s not enough.
The fight tomorrow will help, but spending the day with Isaac didn’t help. If anything, it only made everything worse.
He’s an asshole just like his fucking crazy ass brothers, but he’s the nicest. The least crazy, maybe?
No!
Not only is he related to them, but soon he’ll legally be related to me!
For as crazy as they are, they aren’t hard to look at. The thought of them makes my stomach churn, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish it were different. I’ve had the misfortune of seeing the effect I have on them…
I’d much rather be the girl that fucks her stepbrothers than the one who gets fucked over by them.
With a groan of annoyance, I fall back on my bed and cringe when I hear the textbook fall to the floor.
This isn’t working, and they might not be an option I’m willing to explore, but I know who is.
I crawl across the bed, grab my phone, and freeze when the screen lights up with a message.
Let me take you to dinner after you beat Widow's face in tonight?
Reed…
He hasn’t stopped texting me since I accidentally texted him, and honestly, I’m not even mad about it anymore, not that he can know that.
What if she beats my face in?
I can’t help but laugh because I can picture the way he’ll roll his eyes. Reed is my biggest fan, but even more than that, he isn’t a fan of Widow.
Despite the house rule about fighters keeping hidden, she loves to use her ‘fame’ to fuck. She keeps her mask on, so I guess she isn’t really breaking the rules, but Reed doesn’t appreciate her clear advances; he’s told me about it on more than one occasion.
Which is also why, despite him being someone I know would be a fantastic way to get my mind off of them, he isn’t the one I had in mind for a distraction.
Well, that’s a lie. He is, but we can’t always have what we want, and Josh will do just fine.
Besides, with Josh, I’ll actually get some schoolwork done as well. Two birds, one stone, and all that shit.
Free to study?
It takes me a second to actually press send, and I don’t really want to think about why. Josh and I have always been able to study and de-stress; that's all this is.
And fuck knows I need to de-stress; I don’t get to be picky about who.
Meet at the library in an hour?
His answer comes through before I can even click off his chat, and I can’t put my finger on why I’m disappointed by that, but I don’t really want to look at it too hard.
At least he stopped insisting he pick me up and all that other shit.
Only took two years.
With a groan, I push up off the bed to start packing up. I should head out now so I can catch the bus; plus, any time out of the house is appreciated.
My phone vibrates as I pull my sweater on, and I’m tempted to ignore it until I remember I hadn’t heard from Reed yet.
We both know that won’t happen, kid, but if she does, you can sit on mine, and I’ll make it better.
My mouth drops open as the phone slips from my fingers and hits the floor.
What the hell?!
I scramble to grab it off the floor, sure I’ve read it wrong, only to find that magically the screen is still intact and I’d read it right.
The thing about texting is that it’s hard to know the way someone is saying something. Even more so with Reed because he might not like Widow’s inability to take no for an answer, but he really is a terrible flirt.
I convince myself that’s what this is and pocket my phone to deal with him later.
He’s not helping with this whole need to de-stress the way he was supposed to.
Josh is right where he always is in the library when I walk in. His head snaps up, and he finds me across the room, a smile pulling at his lips as he waves me over, as if I might not see him or know he’s at the same table we always sit at.
He’s cute; his smile is crooked, and honestly, it only makes him cuter, and he’s smart. Not to mention a gentleman, I had to all but spell it out the first time we studied, and I tried to get him to fuck me after.
He’s a good guy and, unfortunately, not at all my type.
Reed comes to mind, but I quickly push the thought of him away. He’s literally my only real friend right now, the only person who knows me for real. I can’t possibly chance messing that up.
I already lost Ozy; I’m not sure I could survive losing anyone else.
Ozy…
Shit, maybe I just have a thing for guys I can’t have. That seems to be the common denominator here, especially if you factor in—
“Hey.” Josh pulls me from my thoughts a moment before they get too outlandish, and I smile at him as he stands, pulling me into an awkward hug.
“Hey,” I say with a smile before I drop into the chair across from his, falling into our ‘normal’ routine. No, Josh might not be my type as far as a boyfriend goes, but he’s familiar and nice and a wonderful distraction.
Josh is safe, and as I sit and get more homework done than I have all week at the house, I wonder if maybe “safe” is what I need. Maybe Josh wouldn’t be a terrible idea, and it’s not like I don’t like him.
He just doesn’t give me butterflies the same way Ozy used to, or Reed does, or Isa— No, nope, not going there.
“Are you okay, Zel?” Josh asks, pulling me from my spiral and making me realize I’d just been caught staring.
“Oh yeah, um,” I clear my throat but feel my cheeks heat even as I turn my attention back to the book in front of me. “Fine. Just spaced out for a second. Sorry.”
He’s quiet for a moment, which isn’t at all like him, and when I look up, I find him looking at me with what I can only describe as a shit-eating grin. I’ve never seen him like this—sure, confident, even.
It’s a good look.
“Hmm,” he says, but his face tells me he isn’t buying it. “My ass is going numb in this hard-ass chair. What do you say we go back to my place? It’s much more comfortable.”
I feel my brows shoot up at his very obvious hint, but I can’t say I mind. If anything, I’m here for it.
“I do love to be comfortable,” I tell him, rolling my eyes at myself because this feels silly, but also so good. This is the most fun and carefree I’ve been in…
Fuck, I don’t even know how long it’s been.
We pack up our stuff and head out of the library, and when he laces his fingers with mine, I don’t stop him as I have in the past. No, this time it feels different. I swear I almost feel the start of a crush, and I’m all too excited to go back to his place and let him fuck me.
Yet another perk to Josh is that he has his own apartment and car because he has a good part-time job at his dad's shop, which he’s had since we were in high school. I don’t remember what they do, despite knowing he’s told me a few times now.
I should probably start listening a little better, especially if I want to give him a chance.
Do I really want to?
I don’t have a chance to really think it through before the choice is taken from me.
We walk out into the cool, crisp early-fall air, and I stop short, pulling Josh to a stop with me.
“Zela?” I hear the confusion in that single word, but I don’t really know what to say.
Thankfully, I don’t have to, though. Josh is smart enough to figure it out, following my line of sight to where Jace sits on top of the hood of Josh’s car, his back mostly to us but not so much that I can’t see that he’s currently cleaning out beneath his nails with a very sharp knife.
Fuck.
I know what this is even before he says a damn word, and I feel my blood begin to boil.
“Zela, is that…” he trails off, but the slight shake to his voice lets me know he knows exactly who that is.
Jace takes that moment to turn around; his eyes start at my feet and move up me like a physical caress before they flick to Josh for a moment, and his face twists up in disgust.
Jace isn’t huge exactly, but he has a damn big presence, and with the glare he’s currently got directed at Josh, well, I can’t imagine Josh is still happy he came out with me.
Letting his hand drop, I move to stand between them, with Josh at my back.
“Do you know him?” Josh asks, and I know Jace hears because his lips twitch up in a fucked-up little smirk.
“Does she know me? Of course she does.” Jace hops down off the hood of the car and starts toward us, and I wish I were anywhere but here. “Isn’t that right, sis?”
I groan as I hear Josh suck in a breath, and again, I don’t blame him for his reaction. After seeing what the guys are capable of, I wouldn’t be so quick to want to be around them either. Hell, the whole point of being here and with him was to get away from them.
That doesn't seem like an option, though.
“Just go home, Josh. Thanks for studying with me.” I try to keep my annoyance from my tone, but I’m not sure I manage.
I am annoyed. Jace just had to show up now. I don’t think that’s a coincidence, and I don’t enjoy being babysat or cockblocked.
Josh hesitates for a moment before he moves around me, giving us a wide berth to go to his car without so much as looking back.
It’s the smart choice, but also a coward's choice.
Yeah, Josh and I never would have worked, but I do wish I could have at least gotten laid first.
“Let’s go, sis.” Jace slings his arm over my shoulder and directs me toward his motorcycle.
I’ve never been on a bike before, and I’d be lying if I said the idea of it doesn’t scare the shit out of me, especially with Jace driving. But I refuse to give him any kind of leverage to use against me.
“Put this on.” He shoves a helmet into my hands, and I want to refuse just because I can, but honestly, I want the damn helmet. I pull it on and try to figure out the strap, but I can’t get it on.
With a chuckle, he bats my hand away and handles it in two seconds, shaking his head at me like I’m a silly child.
Asshole.
He swings his leg over the bike and folds out a tiny metal peg that he pats.
“Put one foot here and swing your other leg over and plant that fine little ass right here for me.” He smacks the back of the bike that I guess could be considered a seat before he turns back around and grabs the handlebars.
With a deep breath, I steel myself and do exactly as he said and do a mental whoop of excitement when I get it on the first try.
My excitement is cut short when he reaches back, running a hand down my leg as he looks back at me over his shoulder.
“Hang on.” He wiggles his brows at me before he turns back around and starts the bike.
It’s loud, and even though I really, really don’t fucking want to, I lean into his back and wrap my arms around his waist, feeling the rumble of his laughter.
I swear I hear him say something about getting used to this as he peels out of the parking lot at speeds that are no doubt illegal.
With the first turn, I’m almost positive I’m going to throw up, but by the third, I’ve managed to peel my eyes open, and despite his speed, I don’t hate this.
If I weren’t relying on a psycho to keep us from being smeared on the pavement, I might actually enjoy this; it’s oddly freeing.
“See, it’s not so bad, babe,” Jace shouts over the rumble of the bike at a red light, and I don’t even bother correcting him.
“So long as we stay alive, it’s alright,” I shout back, unsure if he’ll even be able to hear me with the helmet.
He smiles, and fuck, if it isn’t blinding.
These guys shouldn’t be allowed to look this good. It’s a fucking trap, and as much as I hate to admit it, it’s a damn good one.