Chapter Six

 

After the screaming subsided and the noises stopped, I took a deep breath and pounded on the door again—mentally preparing myself for another bout of waiting. It wasn’t like I had anywhere to go. Gabby was still occupying the room downstairs. I had all the time in the world.

Not that he’d ever answer the freakin’ door.

I was about to retreat to my spot on the sofa, when the door jerked open with a barely-perceptible whoosh of air. My hair fanned at the abrupt vacuum, and I swallowed, feeling everything I’d planned to say disappear with a single glance. “Wallace…”

It looked like he’d just escaped a brutal assault, leaving half of his face swollen, red, and glistening with sweat—his left eyelid lowered at half-mast. “What?” he snapped, swiping the back of his wrist under his nose.

“I…I…” My voice jumped an octave. “Are you okay?”

His narrowed, unfocused gaze met mine. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t look fine. He looked dead.

“I just thought I heard something and wanted to check on you.” My adrenaline fed off of his fearsome exterior, burning my legs with the desire to run. It was like meeting the manifestation of our fears for the first time. He seemed so different from last night. “I-Is there someone with you?”

His austere features darkened, and he shifted from one side to the other. “Sure you wanna ask the crazy guy?”

Ouch. Okay, I deserved that.

He gripped the doorknob and tilted his chin, looking past me. “How about you?”

I turned as Aiden paled and backed away.

“N-No,” he sputtered. “I-I mean you’re not crazy. You’re just…” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “Sorry, she just gets worried about…stuff.” Swallowing hard, he jerked his head toward his own door in a gesture for us to go. “We’ll leave you alone now.”

My heart raced. I was petrified, but my mind was reeling with possibilities. If I left, I’d have to forego what little ground I had already gained. Was it worth it? I couldn’t just spout idealistic lectures and then punk out when it came down to it, could I?

“Look, I just wanted to see if you were okay.” Also, please don’t hurt us.

“Well, you’ve done your good deed for the day.” Wallace stepped back and started to close the door. “You’ll sleep well tonight.”

“Wait! That’s not what I—”

“Goodnight.” He shut the door with a soft click. vzyl

That was it. The discussion was over, and so was my visit to the seventh floor.

I stumbled back to my room in a daze of frustration, not caring about the orange scrunchie on the doorknob or Gabby’s extracurricular activities. All I wanted to do was crash in my own bed and figure out what happened. My face was still burning. I could feel it.

I jerked the key in the lock and kicked the door back. With what little balance I could muster, I grabbed all of the bags and made my way inside. “Don’t mind me.”

The room was dark, but I could see silhouetted forms from the window’s glow. Worse, I could hear the rustle of sheets off to the left. I groaned and charged ahead, avoiding eye contact. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” a male voice muttered, followed by a distinct zipping sound. “I’m out.”

I nearly snorted, tossing my bags beside what felt like my bedpost.

“Jinx, wait!” Gabby called, her voice rough with desperation. Something hit the floor, and I heard the pad of hurried footsteps. A second later, the light flicked on.

I recoiled, throwing an arm up to block the light.

There, standing two feet from the door, was a man who could’ve easily passed for some celebrity stunt double. His skin was smooth umber poured over hardened muscle, a delectable treat for the eyes. As he bent to shove his socked feet into boots, he snatched his shirt off the floor. “I’ll call you.”

He wasn’t going to call her.

With that, he swept out the door, leaving the two of us alone. I slid my gaze back to her, raising one eyebrow. She was clutching a sheet around her body, and her dark hair was mussed, sticking every direction. Smudges of mascara circled her eyes, where it’d rubbed off like a raccoon. The girl was a mess.

“Rena!” Her eyes lit with Latin fire. “Didn’t you see the scrunchie?”

“Saw it, left, came back.” I bent to paw through my gym bag, sorting out things to toss in the hamper. “And did you seriously just sleep with someone named Jinx?”

She huffed, smoothing her hair back. “His name is André Jenkins. Jinx is his stage name.”

“God help us all.” I turned away from her, sorting through my supplies. “Stage name for what?”

“He’s a dancer,” she replied. “I’m dressed.”

I couldn’t stifle a snicker as I straightened, moving to stuff a load of packaging into the bin. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

She rolled her eyes and flopped back on her bed. “Whatever. So, why’d you come back early?”

I carefully blanked my expression. “I just didn’t feel like hanging around Aiden’s place anymore. Sorry.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean? I was tired, Gabby. I’ve been running around all day.” I opened my dresser and rooted around for something to wear as pajamas. It wasn’t like I was lying. I really was tired.

“Did something happen?” She walked over and threw the deadbolt on the door. “Did you guys get into a fight?”

“How often does Aiden fight?”

She considered it for a moment. “Good point.”

I couldn’t tell her about Wallace—that he was every bit the nightmare we’d imagined him to be. The shock was still fresh. I hadn’t processed it yet. The only thing I did know was that I’d been wrong. Again.