Page 99 of (Mostly) Human Resources

Finally, after tossing and turning, showering for thethirdtime since leaving the woods, she couldn’t fight it anymore: she needed to see Nic. She sent him a message and he replied straight away with his address.

He only lived a short drive from Alexys, and when she pulled into the driveway, she wasn’t surprised to find that his house was beautiful, and so classically South Carolina. She wouldn’t have been surprised if it had featured on the cover of some architectural magazine. White pillars on an open porch, plenty of windows, and a beautifully maintained front garden.

Alexys began to doubt herself as she walked the cobbled path up to the front door, but the image of Nic dying in her arms was still too fresh, she needed to see him. Alexys took a deep breath, mustered all of her remaining courage, and knocked.

Nic answered immediately, anticipating her.

“Alexys,” he said, bleary-eyed, and her breath caught. “Come in, please.” He wore plaid pajama pants and a faded tee, a startlingcontrast to his usually professional attire. His curls stuck up at odd angles, but his face was flushed, full of color—of life.

He stepped back from the door frame and nodded his head toward the entryway behind him. Her eyes bounced around his face, and she felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. She hadn’t rehearsed any kind of explanation or excuse for being at his house, and her text had been vague.

Nic frowned and asked, “Is everything alright?”

Alexys became distinctly aware of her too-large sweatpants and faded t-shirt. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to smile reassuringly.

“Everything’s fine. I just … Nat’s on her evaluation trip, and the medics said we shouldn’t be alone.”

“Yes, well, I’ve got the kettle on.” He shut the door behind her, and she followed him to the back of the house.

The kitchen was spacious. Dark cabinets with chrome finishings and pristine white counter tops. The appliances all looked brand new, shining silver in the warm yellow light of the fixtures above. She thought it was all strangely clean compared to the absolute disaster that was his office. A bar stretched across from the stove with four barstools sat behind it, one of which Nic told her to sit on while he pulled the kettle from the stove and poured the tea.

“Chamomile,” he said as he passed her a steaming mug. “It’ll helps with sleep.”

“I’ve tried it before, doesn’t work for me.” Alexys took a tentative sip all the same and hummed at the warm, earthy flavor. “Thank you.”

Nic smiled at her over the top of his mug. “With how much caffeine you drink, I’m not surprised. It’s tea, not a miracle drug.”

She rolled her eyes, but the ease with which they’d slipped into their usual banter made her chest tighten with sudden warmth. “I don’t seeyousleeping, so it must not be that amazing.” He arched a brow at her, a smile teasing at the corner of his lips. “Okay, so maybethat’s my fault.” Alexys took another sip of her tea. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“No,” Nic assured her. “Sleep is virtually impossible after everything we’ve been through, and we’re technically still meant to be observing our concussions for another”—he glanced at the watch on his wrist—“hour or two.”

She nodded. “I should’ve just texted you sooner.”

He set one hand on the counter and began a rhythmic tap of his long fingers. “You could have.”

Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.

While absolutely not staring at his tapping fingers and considering how elegant they looked, Alexys realized the mug he was holding had the Entity logo painted on the side. She glanced down at her hands and found an identical one.

“Did you steal these from the breakroom?”

Nic’s expression barely shifted—the perfect mask of innocence if you didn’t know the clues to look for. The little tick of the corner of his mouth that hid a smile, the spark of mischief in his eyes.

“I’ll have to replace these, you know,” she pretended to scold him. “You thief.”

“I doubt anyone’s noticed they’re missing.”

He was right, of course. No one cared about mugs in the breakroom, and they had an abundance of them in HR storage.

Alexys smiled. “You know, my dad stole a few, too,” she said in a soft voice, mostly to herself. “I loved them as a kid, made me feel like a grownup.”

“Oh!” The excitement in Nic’s voice drew her eyes to his, and Alexys was surprised to find them fixed on her. He jumped to his feet and held his hand out to her. “I have something to show you.”

Alexys took his hand and let him guide her to the living room. His palm was warm, and she enjoyed the growing familiarity of having his hand pressed against hers. It wasn’t necessary given how easy it was to navigate through the house, but she refused to let go.

There was a fireplace on the far wall, complimented by beautiful built-in bookcases. In the center of the room was a large, L-shaped sofa, thoughtfully decorated with cushions and a few woven blankets. She hadn’t pegged him for a throw pillow kind of guy, but she had to admit his place was very stylish.

“That’s the biggest couch I’ve ever seen. The pillows and blankets are a nice touch. Enough here to build an entire fort.” Alexys laughed.