her up like this for too long,” Agent Sanders warned. “We either book her for good – or you drop the charges and make a deal with her. If we book her, I don’t think she’ll survive more than a month inside. She’s made too many enemies clawing her way into your circle.”
Nick’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, but in his mind it was Beatrice’s neck he was strangling. If only Beatrice would confess. If only he could finally uncover the goddamn person behind his attack, maybe – maybe the nightmares would go away and he could start living his life like he should. Maybe he could even fix things with Karla---
Nick’s skin crawled, unwanted images suddenly entering his mind. And God, the pain, the fucking pain in his ass---
Karla.
He needed Karla to make him feel he wasn’t weak---
“Nick.” Nothing in Jason’s voice revealed his disquiet as he sought to draw his brother out of his hidden fears.
“Yeah?”
It took a while for Nick to answer, and his voice was a bit hoarse. But Jason pretended not to notice any of these, knowing instinctively Nick needed him to keep things normal. Keeping his gaze ahead as the gates automatically opened and Nick drove past the property’s ten-foot walls, Jason asked, “Where are you heading after?” The three-story mansion Jason shared with their mother was visible soon after, lights glittering brightly behind its curtain-covered bay windows. “Clubbing or fucking?”
Nick made an effort to concentrate on his brother’s question. “I---” He stopped, realizing that neither held appeal. For so long, he had never dared spend a night alone. He either took a woman to bed or wasted the hours clubbing with his friends.
But he hadn’t done that in over a week. In fact, he hadn’t even considered doing so ever since---
Nick said slowly, “I’ll just probably head home.” But he was already taking out his phone, knowing that there was a new number saved in it he hadn’t yet used.
Jason stilled, noticing the odd tone in his brother’s voice. “You okay, brother?” He watched Nick nod even as an absent-minded smile tugged at his brother’s lips as he glanced down at his phone.
Jason took a shot in the dark. “Are you by any chance asking that girl out again? The one you weren’t able to bed?”
Nick’s fingers froze mid-type.
Jason grinned. “No fucking way, man – you’re taking her out again? Even if---”
“Don’t.” Nick’s tone was serious. “Don’t say anything offensive.”
Jason raised a brow. “That affected, eh?”
Nick didn’t answer, but what Jason saw was more than enough. Whoever this girl was – if she kept making his brother smile like this, then she had Jason’s support.
****
Saturday night and she had nothing to do.
Why did she feel so frustrated when it never used to bother her before? Lilac threw herself on the bed with a disgruntled sigh. Combing her still-wet hair with her fingers, she reached for her iPhone just as it vibrated in her hand.
Almost dropping it in surprise, Lilac checked the screen and this time she did drop her phone, her silly heart galloping before she could even hold the reins on it.
Nick: Want to play CS again tonight?
Lilac shot up in her bed, overthrowing the covers as she gripped her phone tightly. Lilac caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror at the corner of her room. She looked like she was channeling Tina Turner on a bad hair day. Not good.
Lilac’s gaze fell back to her phone, feeling torn in two directions. It was ironic, really, considering how this – this stupid inexplicable friendship – was going nowhere. Nick would never like someone like her while Lilac had always had a crush on him.
Worse, he still hadn’t completely gotten over his ex.
And the worst of it all was that she and Nick shared one painful similarity. They were messed up just by virtue of being Susan Petersen’s patients – and she couldn’t see how two messed-up individuals like them
Nick’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, but in his mind it was Beatrice’s neck he was strangling. If only Beatrice would confess. If only he could finally uncover the goddamn person behind his attack, maybe – maybe the nightmares would go away and he could start living his life like he should. Maybe he could even fix things with Karla---
Nick’s skin crawled, unwanted images suddenly entering his mind. And God, the pain, the fucking pain in his ass---
Karla.
He needed Karla to make him feel he wasn’t weak---
“Nick.” Nothing in Jason’s voice revealed his disquiet as he sought to draw his brother out of his hidden fears.
“Yeah?”
It took a while for Nick to answer, and his voice was a bit hoarse. But Jason pretended not to notice any of these, knowing instinctively Nick needed him to keep things normal. Keeping his gaze ahead as the gates automatically opened and Nick drove past the property’s ten-foot walls, Jason asked, “Where are you heading after?” The three-story mansion Jason shared with their mother was visible soon after, lights glittering brightly behind its curtain-covered bay windows. “Clubbing or fucking?”
Nick made an effort to concentrate on his brother’s question. “I---” He stopped, realizing that neither held appeal. For so long, he had never dared spend a night alone. He either took a woman to bed or wasted the hours clubbing with his friends.
But he hadn’t done that in over a week. In fact, he hadn’t even considered doing so ever since---
Nick said slowly, “I’ll just probably head home.” But he was already taking out his phone, knowing that there was a new number saved in it he hadn’t yet used.
Jason stilled, noticing the odd tone in his brother’s voice. “You okay, brother?” He watched Nick nod even as an absent-minded smile tugged at his brother’s lips as he glanced down at his phone.
Jason took a shot in the dark. “Are you by any chance asking that girl out again? The one you weren’t able to bed?”
Nick’s fingers froze mid-type.
Jason grinned. “No fucking way, man – you’re taking her out again? Even if---”
“Don’t.” Nick’s tone was serious. “Don’t say anything offensive.”
Jason raised a brow. “That affected, eh?”
Nick didn’t answer, but what Jason saw was more than enough. Whoever this girl was – if she kept making his brother smile like this, then she had Jason’s support.
****
Saturday night and she had nothing to do.
Why did she feel so frustrated when it never used to bother her before? Lilac threw herself on the bed with a disgruntled sigh. Combing her still-wet hair with her fingers, she reached for her iPhone just as it vibrated in her hand.
Almost dropping it in surprise, Lilac checked the screen and this time she did drop her phone, her silly heart galloping before she could even hold the reins on it.
Nick: Want to play CS again tonight?
Lilac shot up in her bed, overthrowing the covers as she gripped her phone tightly. Lilac caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror at the corner of her room. She looked like she was channeling Tina Turner on a bad hair day. Not good.
Lilac’s gaze fell back to her phone, feeling torn in two directions. It was ironic, really, considering how this – this stupid inexplicable friendship – was going nowhere. Nick would never like someone like her while Lilac had always had a crush on him.
Worse, he still hadn’t completely gotten over his ex.
And the worst of it all was that she and Nick shared one painful similarity. They were messed up just by virtue of being Susan Petersen’s patients – and she couldn’t see how two messed-up individuals like them
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