Page 7 of Ravage
Kellan laughs and shakes his head at me. “Well, aren’t you being mysterious tonight? Aiden’s been the same way. You guys sneak off together to do something we should know about?” He waggles his eyebrows.
Dane scoffs and folds his arms. “Of course not.”
Rather than getting involved in that conversation and the possibility of me giving away that something had happened between Aiden and I, just not tonight, I ignore them to seek out Aiden in the room.
He’s sitting on his bed, one leg bent and his arm dangling over it. He’s facing us, but it’s almost as if he’s looking through us. Like he’s so lost in thought that none of us are in the room with him. Or he isn’t in the room with us.
“Hey.” His head jerks up as I approach his bed. “Are you okay?”
He gives me a look that I’ve never seen before. Icy tendrils curl around my heart and squeeze. “Yeah,” he mutters, then turns his head so he’s staring at the side wall.
Um, okay then.
I try to remind myself that we’d been fine in class earlier today. That this has nothing to do with what happened between us last night. Something else must have happened tonight.
Even as I repeat that reminder in my head, it doesn’t stop the heart-shredding fear and pain from this blatant rejection.
I touch my lips the barest amount as I remember his blistering kiss and how he’d left me breathless. My heart pounds at the memory and then crushes when he doesn’t so much as look my way again.
Is he regretting it? Or did I mess it up somehow?
Fingers entwine with mine and close in a gentle squeeze. Dane’s giving me the same look as when I first arrived. “Are you?” he echoes my own question back at me.
I force a smile on my lips. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Vera better talk to Dane soon. Really freaking soon, because I can’t keep this secret about his sister when I have such a bad feeling about it. We’ve all been there for each other for years growing up in this place. We were taken from our families at a young age to keep us safe and train us to use our gifts. But we still missed our families and had times where we tried to escape and get home together. It’s always been us against them.
And now one of us is with them.
And it feels like I’m with them the longer I know about it and Dane doesn’t.
I pull my hand gently from his and make my way over to the last one of our group. The one who’s usually quiet and keeps to himself, but watches everything all the same. The one who won’t question or push me on anything.
Jackson has both knees up with his arms and chin leaning against them. His sky-blue eyes follow my every movement across the room until I stop next to his bed. He pulls the sheets back and holds them open for me in invitation.
He knew exactly what I was coming over for. I smile at him and climb in on the side against the wall. He has a thing about always sleeping on the outside of the bed, which is fine by me.
Dane and Kellan murmur quietly to each other, but thankfully they don’t press me on anything else. For tonight at least. Tonight, I want to curl up with one of them—Jackson in particular—and relax enough to sleep.
The lights flick off, and I curl on my side, facing the wall. Jack’s breath is warm on the back of my neck, but he’s careful to still give me space. I share their beds for comfort, but there’s no spooning or funny business.
His fingertips graze across the fabric of my pajamas. Up and down. Down and up. Long, soothing circles I can still feel even as sleep takes me under.
The last thing I remember is his voice in my ear. “I’m here,” he whispers. “Whatever you need, little one. I’m here.”
Chapter three
Raegan
There isn’t anywhere for me to go tonight. I left the last city and my temporary living arrangement behind. I need to find a place to stay at least until tomorrow and then figure out my next move from there.
All I know is that I can’t stay here. Not if Jackson and the others are here.
My chest aches as Jack flashes in my mind again and how much he’s grown from the sixteen-year-old I once knew. I’m worried about the darkness in his expression, but the smile he gave me, the genuine curve of his lips that pokes a dimple in his cheek, was everything like I remembered it.
I wish I could catch up with him and them like old times, but it’s a foolish dream.
I destroyed the bonds we shared. I don’t deserve to get to know who they are now. It would be best to keep my distance from them. But being so close and yet so far from them is a torture all on its own.
