An irritating buzzing sound intruded. A moan followed, deep and snarling, before the bed shifted and shook. I let myself drift, falling back toward the blissful darkness until Nick mumbled. “Yeah?”
I fell…
Plunging back into a dream, one where I was sucked into a void I couldn’t get out of, no matter how hard I fought—until a name snapped me back.
“Elle…she called you?”
I jerked my eyes open, forcing myself back into my body. The bed shifted again, and this time Tobias muttered. “What is it?”
Our room came into focus, sharpening at the edges, drawing me away from sleep. I rolled, then pushed myself upwards, and found Nick sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Of course she wants protection. It’s not like she’s ever fucking shown she cares about Ryth.”
I flinched at the words. My pulse raced, tearing me further and further away from sleep.
“We want to talk to her.” Nick pushed up from the bed.
Caleb rolled over, shoved upwards, and slipped out the other side as Tobias followed Nick, leaving me all alone with the sheets sliding from my body.
“What is it?” Tobias growled, his voice husky.
“Where? The Pier. How long until they get there?”
The Pier? Why was mom going there?
“You want us to head there?” Nick turned away, shielding his face from me, not that I could see anything in the dark. Still, it hurt, the tiny pang of rejection raw and real.
I knew it was because of Mom, and fought the need to touch my cheek.
“Okay, well, we’ll just wait for them. You’ll call the moment you hear…yeah…yeah, she’s okay. I get it. Sure.”
He lowered his hand and I was riveted by the movement. No one spoke…not for ages, until Tobias broke the tension. “What is it?”
Nick turned, his focus aimed at me. “Ryth’s mom reached out to Ben, apparently she’s in fear for her life and needs protection.”
“Of course she did,” T snarled.
I swallowed hard, hating how I was caught on every word. “Did she…did she ask to see me?”
Silence.
Silence that spoke louder than words ever could.
I turned away.
“Princess.” Nick started.
“It’s okay.” I pushed the sheets away. “I don’t know why I expected anything different.”
“Maybe she’s just scared right now,” Caleb offered. “Once she’s safe, she might want to reach out.”
The memory of her palm burned on my cheek. I knew the truth. “I don’t think so.”
“Even if she doesn’t want to see us, we sure as hell want to see her,” Tobias snapped. “And I don’t give a fuck if she doesn’t. We want answers.” He was riled, pacing the floor at the foot of the bed. “We want to know what the fuck she’s hiding and why she’d send her own daughter to that fucking place and leave her there…but mostly…we want an explanation of what’s in that goddamn diary.”
“Diary?” I whispered, looking from Tobias to Nick as he flinched.
“T,” Nick snarled softly. “You fucking idiot.”
“What diary?” I asked again.
“Shit.” Tobias turned away.
But I was already striding toward them, naked and growing cold. “What fucking diary, Tobias?”
“Princess.” Caleb reached out for me.
But I stepped out of his reach as Nick flicked the bedroom light on and turned to me. All I saw was guilt.
“What she writes doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” he started. “There’s some things in there that are pretty fucked up…things I don’t think you should read.”
I didn’t care what he thought. I needed to know. “Do you have the diary?”
“Little mouse,” T protested.
I snapped my glare his way. “You fucking lied to me. At best, you hid the truth. You were the one demanding honesty, and now I find out you’ve read…this diary. So, I’m going to ask you again, and so help me God, if you tell me a goddamn lie, I’ll kick you right in the balls.”
He didn’t flinch at the threat.
But his stare grew darker. “I don’t want—”
“I don’t give a fuck, T. Answer the question. Do…you…have…the…diary?”
But it was Nick who answered, Nick whose shoulders sagged as he nodded. “Yes.”
“I want to read it.”
I waited for him to fight me. He didn’t. Instead, he reached down, grasped his boxers, and tugged them on. “Then you’re going to want to get dressed,” he muttered. “Because I guarantee, once you start there’ll be no more sleep.”
A tremble raced through me as he reached for his jeans.
Then I followed.
