I Have an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #1)

Chapter 49

Olivia's POV

"Samuel," I whisper.

Eliza and I are standing immobile at the end of our front drive, turned in the direction leading to the bus stop. Nick and Samuel, on the other hand, are still frozen at the other end of the street, but while the former sinks his hands into the pockets of his jeans, the latter jumps to life and sprints down the street.

I expect Samuel to stop a step away from me, but he doesn't. Instead, he crashes straight into me and wraps me into the tightest hug possible. I don't hesitate to return the embrace. Who cares that Eliza is standing a step away from us or that Nick is still lumbering closer toward me. All that matters is that Samuel and I are together again.

Samuel pulls away sooner than I want him to, but before I can produce a single sound in protest, he sneaks his hand around my neck and pulls my face closer to his. The kiss is hurried and clumsy, and like the hug, it ends before I know it. As he leans away from me, I try to pull him back, but he grabs my left arm instead. He focuses on the still-healing scar running diagonally across the forearm—the one cut from the accident that still needs to heal. While he eyes the scar, I watch his face as he presses his lips into a thin line and then turns his eyes to mine with an unreadable question lurking in them.

Before I can ask him what this is about, he lets go of my arm and moves to my side. He wraps his arm around my lower back and focuses on the street in front of us. Without me noticing, Nick had finally crossed the distance between us, so he is now standing three steps away from me. My every muscle tenses. His parting words during our last interaction make it impossible for me to guess what he is about to do right now. It is why I'm struck speechless as he diminishes the remaining three steps in two wide strides and pulls me into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

It takes me another moment before I lift my hands as well and rest them on his broad back. "You have nothing to apologize for." While him walking away from me had definitely hurt me, I know I don't have a right to hold it against him. I'm, after all, the one who walked away from his brother when he needed my help.

"No, I do." Nick pulls out of my embrace and takes a step back. "I can't imagine how scared you must've been alone that night. And I'm the last person who can judge you as I'm the reason Charlie was out that night."

"It's not your fault," I say, ignoring the possessive way Samuel tugs me against his side now that Nick isn't hugging me anymore.

"Two guys at once, eh?" Eliza snorts from where she's still standing a couple of steps away from us. "Mina was right, after all."

"Why are you here?" Samuel leans to the side and glares at her.

"What's it to you? You're no longer her—" Eliza begins.

"Where were you last night?" Nick unknowingly interrupts her, which earns him a glare from both Eliza and Samuel.

"Out," I say.

Samuel immediately tightens his arm around me. "You can't be alone outside, especially not at night. The world is too dangerous without a—"

"You've any idea how worried your mother was?" Nick asks before Samuel can finish his lecture. "How worried I was?"

"When did you even get home?" Samuel adds. "We were at your house almost until midnight, but there was no sign of you."

"Stop." I raise my index finger, to stop any further questions from either of them. "Mom already gave me a long lecture, so there's no need for another one. I know I did wrong, and I'm sorry to have worried all of you."