OCTAVIA
Ascream rips from my throat, the remnant of a nightmare that clings to me as I struggle against the hold someone has on me.
“You’re safe, V. You’re safe.”
East’s voice soothes me a little. My heart hammers against my ribs, even as his grip loosens a bit, helping me to relax some more. I open my eyes and squint against the brightness. The sun is just starting to rise, and the light is filtering in through the windows.
For one moment, I feel a little peace before icy dread runs down my spine as broken memories of last night hit me. The fractured flashes make my stomach churn. “I’m going to be sick.”
I scramble off of the couch to the downstairs bathroom, just managing to get my head over the bowl before the feeble contents of my stomach show themselves. My head pounds as memories of Raleigh continue to assault me, the images making the room spin. The back of my neck heats, so I look at the doorway, seeing Maverick standing there, watching me. I groan before my stomach churns again. He moves quickly, pulling back my hair and rubbing my back until the somersaults my insides are doing calm for a moment.
I lean my head on my forearm, trying to remember exactly what happened. How far Raleigh went. How the fuck I got back here, and why the hell East and Maverick are here.
My head pounds like my heart is in my fucking skull. I close my eyes, wishing the room wasn’t so goddamn bright. The feel of a cold washcloth on the back of my neck makes me jump, but I groan in appreciation as the water trickles down my spine.
I should not be taking comfort in anything Maverick Riley does or says, but the world is spinning backward, my stomach is a rollercoaster, and I don’t have the strength to tell him to get the fuck away from me. He waits with me until the puking and the dry heaving stops.
I take a few deep breaths, hoping that they’ll help my stomach to stop flipping. When I’m fairly confident I have a handle on my upchuck reflex, I stand up and brush my teeth, ignoring the fact that Maverick is still in here with me. I’m still not entirely sure why he’s here at all.
Once my mouth doesn’t taste like a trash can, I splash cold water on my face to try and clear some of the cobwebs from my mind. I try not to panic about the black holes in my memory from last night; what I do remember is enough to make me not sleep for a week.
Last time something like this happened… well, I got justice. Kind of.
This time… this time I’m not really sure what happened. I know I’m going to have to ask them, even though I wish I didn’t have to. I don’t want to feel like I owe them anything. They’ve been such assholes to me the last few months, the last thing I want is to be indebted to them.
I glance at Maverick in the mirror. He’s standing with his arms folded across his chest, watching me as he leans against the doorframe. His gaze is like a red-hot laser on my skin—it’s so intense—his broody look as menacing as ever.
So much for the softer side of him I thought I might see.
“Are you done?” he asks, the softness of his voice a complete contrast to his demeanor.
I turn to face him and scrub a hand down my face, exhaustion sweeping through me despite the fact I just woke up. “I’m done. You can leave now.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He pushes off the frame with his shoulders and opens it, ushering me out of the bathroom.
He stays on my tail as I head back toward the living room; where I find East still on the couch and Lincoln sitting in the arm chair, watching me as I come to a halt in the archway. Mav stops at my side and leans against the wall.
The sound of sizzling and a shout of “Fuck!”—which sounds very much like Finley—comes from the kitchen, drawing my attention. “You’re all here?”
“Where else would we be?” Lincoln snaps, and I wrap my arms around myself.
Mav straightens up and moves closer to me. “Don’t be an ass, Linc.”
“Who’s being an ass?” Finley asks as he appears in the doorway from the kitchen, a plate in each hand.
“You have to ask?” East sighs and stands, moving toward Finley. “I’ll get the other plates.”
Finley glares at Lincoln while I shift from foot to foot, wondering what fucking twilight zone I stepped into when I woke up this morning.
“What the hell is going on?” I don’t ask anyone in particular, but Finley looks over at me before putting the two plates he’s holding on the table in the far corner of the room. Lincoln rolls his eyes before standing and moving to the table. Mav follows suit, leaving me standing alone as Finley approaches me.
“Come and eat, you probably need something to line your stomach.”
I twist my lips, stepping back as he reaches out to touch me. I don’t want to be touched right now. What I really want is a shower and more sleep. “I’m not hungry.”
“I’m sure you’re not, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat.”
I let out a sigh and run a hand through my hair. “Why are you here, Finley?”