Ian dropped me off at home but I didn’t go inside even after he left. I sat on the curb thinking the night through. There were so many things that had happened. I was suddenly determined to get out of Byron’s clutches. Whether I joined Ian or not was a thought for later. But after what I had seen tonight, it was hard to deny the fact that he was right. Byron was hurting people. Ian had told me that there were more kids and adults like his cousin, though not as severe. It was enough to convince me. Everything that I knew as it was was completely wrong.
It was almost eleven when I finally walked through the door, exhausted. The lights were all off except for the kitchen light over the sink. I figured Adrian was a sleep, so it surprised me when he barged through the front door, grumbling curses. I noticed he had a few tears in his clothes as well as a dark red stain down the front. His nose was covered in dried blood. He stopped short when he saw me.
A smile cracked through the blood on his face.
“What are you doing home so late?” I asked. “I thought you were asleep.”
“Nah, Jude called a while after you left and he asked me to go to the bar with him since the three of you were going clubbing. It got a little out of hand though,” he trailed off.
“So your bloody nose was a result, then,” I stated. Adrian grinned sheepishly.
“Eh, yeah. I got into a bar fight, pretty much. Jude accidentally knocked this guy’s drink and the man was pissed. He punched Jude and then I jumped in and all hell broke loose.”
There was something weird about the way he said it, and the uncomfortable way he shifted on his feet was telling me something I couldn’t see. My mind was too exhausted to think it through, though.
“Huh.” I turned away from him, walking towards my room. “Who knew you’d ever get into a bar fight.”
“Hey, new things happen every day,” Adrian shrugged. I nodded absent mindedly. I was changing into my pajamas when I felt Adrian’s fiery skin against my own. He pressed his body against mine, tucking his head into the crook of my neck and kissing it softly. I tilted my head back, leaning into him and reveling in the comfort of his body. I felt safe in his arms.
My body sagged with tiredness and my knees buckled out from under me. Adrian caught me before I collapsed into a pool. He carried me to my bed and gently laid me down, hovering over me. I saw his eyes darken a little and I realized that I hadn’t been able to put on my shirt. I grunted a little, my hands searching for the shirt. Adrian smiled softly and pulled the shirt over my head. My eyes drooped shut and before I knew it, I was asleep. I was faintly aware of the lingering kiss Adrian left on my lips before the bed shifted and his weight disappeared.
There was a thought pressing at the back of my mind, relating to the traitor, but I pushed it back. I would figure out who it was tomorrow. I was too tired to think of anything now.
The next morning was a blur. Adrian rushed me out of bed, careful not to injure my shoulder, and drove me out to school. He chucked a granola bar at me once he parked the car. I wasn’t sure why we were in such a hurry until we reached school and saw that the school grounds were empty of students. It could only mean one thing.
We were late.
And by a lot, too, if the clock above the school told me anything. The short hand pointed at eight and the longer hand was angled towards fifty.
“Oops,” I muttered. Adrian dragged me through the halls, running us to second period. He pushed me into my class, and continued running to his own class. I stumbled through the door, interrupting Mrs. Debree’s reading. She glared at me.
