The door opens, and Nova appears in the doorway. “What are you guys doing here?”
Madison ignores her friend, her focus locked on me. I expect her to pull away, but she surprises me.
“I love you, too,” Madison says without a hint of shame.
I kiss her hard. It’s quick, but it’s filled with desperation, love, devotion, and a promise to always keep her safe.
I rest my forehead against hers and play with a lock of her hair at the back of her head.
Madison tangles her fingers in my hair, earning a groan from me. “This isn’t goodbye, so don’t make it seem like one.”
“Behave, sis.” I flash her a smile and kiss her one more time before I pull away and jog back to my house.
I ride like a bat out of hell, with my cellphone perched in its holder on my bike’s tank in front of me. I glance every few seconds at the screen, hoping to see a message from my friends in the group chat after I sent them a text asking if they’ve seen Jaxon. Every time I check, I’m let down when I find no new messages.
The storm clouds gather in the sky. With every passing minute, they block out more of the setting sun, bathing the evening in darkness.
The GPS on my phone directs me out of town and onto the highway. I zip past cars that are going the speed limit, earning honks from a few of them. Some try to chase after me in a fit of road rage but can’t keep up with me. I continue weaving throughthe traffic with little care for my safety. Not when my best friend’s life is on the line.
The more distance I put between me and the town, the more the sinking feeling in my gut deepens into an ache that’s getting harder to ignore.
Something about this doesn’t feel right. I just can’t put my finger on it.
Time blurs, and by the time I take my exit, I’m surrounded by trees in the middle of nowhere. I follow the directions to the location and slow my bike, stopping outside the abandoned house from the image. Boards are nailed over the windows, and rot eats away at the old wooden structure. All but one step has fallen away from the stairs, and the last soldier clings to thoughts and prayers to hold its place.
I switch off my bike’s engine, grab my phone, and storm toward the house. Adrenaline pumps in my veins, right along with simmering rage. I slip my hand into my pocket and finger my switchblade.
My notifications chime, one after the other. I shove my tinted visor up and read the new messages in the group chat.
Aiden
Sorry for the late response. We’ve been busy fucking up a rider we snatched the other night. Would have told you about it, but we wanted to give you some time to rest up.
Hawk
How you feeling, bro?
Jaxon
You good?
My eyes widen, and my heart lurches to my throat.
“Fuck.” I sprint to my bike. “It was a fucking trap!”
“LABOUR” PARIS PALOMA
Nova and I camp out on the sectional couch with a classic horror movie as background noise. We haven’t been paying much attention to it, as we’ve been chatting and talking about everything under the sun. None of which is about what she saw outside before Ryder dropped me off here.
“I can’t wait for the party.” Nova twirls her cherry-flavored Twizzlers between her fingers. “I’m curious who all will be there.”
I sip the red wine she found stashed in a cabinet. “I’m not sure. I honestly didn’t think they’d do something like that since the guys always kept to themselves.”
“Aiden has made a lot of friends since graduation. Maybe they’ll be there.” She shrugs, then scrunches her nose at whatever popped into her head.
“Oh god,” I say with a groan. “Don’t tell me he’ll invite all his ex-flings to the party.”
Aiden is a player. Nova told Olivia and me all about how he keeps a girl around for a short time before a new one takes her place. I don’t want to think about what it’ll be like, having a bunch of women he slept with, all in one space.
