Chapter Six
Elodie
My life settles into a routine so naturally that I almost forget it hasn’t always existed. Every morning, Raiden walks me to school. Every afternoon, he’s waiting across the street when the final bell rings.
At first, I protested. The walk home takes less than five minutes. His presence wasn’t necessary.
Raiden simply looked at me with that steady, unreadable expression and growled, “Humor me.”
Somehow, I always do. I told myself it would be temporary. That once everything with Drake settles down, life would return to normal. But Drake disappeared. No more notes delivered through Teddy. No more flowers. No more lingering outside the school gates.
The silence should reassure me. Instead, it makes me uneasy. People like Drake don’t simply give up. They wait.
It’s a Wednesday afternoon, three days after the incident. By three o’clock, the students have all left, leaving the hallways strangely quiet. Luckily, I have an hour to myself before the staff has to be in the conference room.
I spend it the way I spend most afternoons.
Sorting the reading bins back into levels.
Laying out tomorrow’s counting stations, twenty-two little trays of buttons and beads.
Scraping a dried glue stick off a chair leg with my thumbnail.
It’s mindless work, and I love it. It’s the only hour of the day that belongs entirely to me.
My phone vibrates as I label the last tray. I look at the screen, and a smile spreads across my face.
Raiden.
His message explains that his last tattoo appointment is taking longer than expected. He wouldn’t be waiting outside the school as usual, but he wants me to call when the meeting ends, and he’ll come across the street to walk me home.
I can’t help but smile. He has become so protective over the past few days that sometimes I catch him scanning every parking lot before we cross it. It’s a little overprotective but sweet. Still, a tiny knot of guilt settles in my stomach.
He has already rearranged his schedule because of me. He lets me stay at his apartment after the break-in. He walks me to work every day. I know he doesn’t care about all of this. In fact, I think he enjoys being around me all the time.
Yet, I can’t keep expecting him to drop everything whenever I need something. The tattoo shop is directly across the street. I’ll be fine on my own today. I slip my phone into my purse and head into the meeting.
At four, we file into the conference room.
Once the budget discussions and curriculum changes are done, the district sends someone in to walk us through a training module on behavior documentation.
By the time we’re released, my head is stuffed full of new forms I’ll never remember how to fill out. Everyone looks equally exhausted.
Mrs. Langley yawns and stretches as we walk out into the hallway. “I swear those meetings get longer every year.”
“They do,” I agree.
Sarah appears beside me, dramatically fanning herself with a folder. “I almost volunteered to organize the supply closet just so I could escape.”
I laugh. “I don’t think anyone would’ve believed you.”
“Probably not.”
We walk out of the building together. The evening air is warm, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass from the nearby football field.
Sarah glances toward the tattoo shop. “Your bodyguard isn’t waiting today?”
Heat creeps into my cheeks. “He’s working late.”
“Oh?”
“He sent a message already. He wanted me to call when I was done so he could walk me home,” I explain, feeling giddy deep down at how much our connection has evolved.
Sarah stops walking long enough to stare at me. “Elodie? That’s ridiculously adorable.”
“It is not.”
“It absolutely is.”
I roll my eyes even though I can’t stop smiling. “But I don’t want to interrupt his work.”
“So, you’re not calling him?”
“Not tonight,” I reply with a shrug.
Sarah studies me for a second before shaking her head. “You know, I’ve never seen you this happy.”
The words catch me off guard. I know it’s true. Aside from the looming threat of Drake, life with Raiden has been both magnetic and magnificent. The days are filled with tenderness and the nights with screams of pleasure.
Every day, I find another layer of him I absolutely adore and a new side of me that I didn’t think I possessed. I love knowing that I’m the only one privy to all the different sides of him. With that thought, I smile softly.
“I like him,” I say. It’s well beyond like, but I’m not even sure of the extent of my feelings enough to tell Sarah.
“I figured,” Sarah responds, bumping my shoulder. “He looks at you like you’re the only person on the planet.”
My cheeks warm all over again.
“Alright. I should go,” she says and unlocks her car. “And for the record, if he gives you a hard time for walking home alone—”
“I’ll tell him it was my decision.”
“Good luck with that.”
I laugh. “Drive safely.”
I stand on the sidewalk until she pulls out of the parking lot, lifting a hand in farewell before disappearing around the corner. The street suddenly feels much quieter. The tattoo shop is still open, warm lights glowing through the front windows.
I can almost picture Raiden inside, focused on a client. The thought makes me smile. I can imagine his dark expression at my walking home alone.
Home.
I gasp softly in panic as the realization settles. That Raiden has become home to me. I tighten my grip on my purse as I examine what it means. Suddenly, a dark SUV rolls smoothly to the curb. At first, I barely notice it.
People stop all the time to pick someone up after meetings. I take another step. Then, the rear passenger door flies open. Before my brain can make sense of what’s happening, two men burst out. One grabs my arm. The other clamps a hand over my mouth.
Fear explodes through my body. And the image of Raiden’s murderous expression crosses my mind. I try to scream, but the sound dies against his palm.
“No!” The word comes out muffled.
I kick wildly, my heel connecting with someone’s shin. A loud curse. For one hopeful second, I think I’ve broken free. Instead, powerful arms lift me completely off the ground. I claw at the man’s wrist, desperate for air.
The second man shoves me into the backseat, and the door slams shut. The locks click, and the SUV lurches forward so violently I’m thrown against the seat. My heart hammers so hard it hurts. The windows are darkly tinted, so I can’t see anything as the driver accelerates into traffic.
Every instinct screams one name.
Raiden.
He is waiting for my call. And I haven’t made it. I was so stupid to think he spent too much time worrying about me.
My heart clenches hard as I wonder if I will ever see him again.