Moiety (The Northwestern Wolves Series #2)

Chapter 27: Deja

"You know if you are not ready you don't have to go back today." I turn from staring out the passenger window at the coffee shop that we are parked in front of. My eyes connect with Nicholas's and I give him a timid smile. He reaches over and grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine as a way to try to reassure me.

His touch burns and I try my best not to snatch my hand back. "What tha hell? Why does that keep happening?" I think when I look down at our joined hands. I turn back and look out the window. Denise walked in about five minutes ago and I can see her setting everything up. "It's time. I need to do this. Plus I need money. Zay and I have coasted long enough on my savings," I reply as I gently slide my hand out of his.

"Deja." He sighs and runs his hand over his waves. "You and Zay can come and live with me. I can take care of y'all." My head snaps to him and I frown. I open my mouth to speak but he shakes his head and stops the words that are sitting at the tip of my tongue. "I know what you are going to say, but you have to understand I almost lost you. You are my best friend and I love you."

He blows out a frustrated breath and I can see that all of this has taken a toll on him. "Look...I need to be honest with you." He looks down at his lap before he turns his body slightly in his seat to face me. "I want us to try to be more than friends. I - I love you...more than a friend."

I stare at him, not sure what I should say. I mean I had already figured out this much. He hasn't really been subtle about what he wanted. The thing is I'm just not sure we are on the same page or at least I'm not.

I smile a weak smile at him. Reaching out my hand to touch him, I remember the burning and stop before I can connect with his skin. "Nicholas, I love you too." He smiles and I can see the hope in his eyes. "...but I'm not in a good mental space to start anything." I lay my head back against the headrest. "Plus you haven't been being very honest with me. If I'm being truthful no one has."

He turns his body to where he is back sitting forward. He doesn't speak for a while, but I stay quiet and watch him, hoping he will tell me some truths.

"Look. We are not keeping anything from you. We just can't tell you anything we don't know. No one knew this guy. He was some tall, big, pale mutha fucker. I knew dude was bad news and I should have tried harder to talk you against everything."

I let his words play through my mind, but nothing - not a single memory comes back. Tall, big...pale. "What do you mean everything? What exactly was going on?"

"Hell what wasn't going on. You moved in with the dude after knowing him less than a month. And he wouldn't even let you be around anyone without him sitting outside in his damn truck or coming everywhere with you. The mutha fucker was like a got damn possessive ass stalker."

"Stalker?" I bite my lip and stare at him searching his face for deception, but I don't find any. "Do you think he was the one that could have hurt me?"

"Hell yeah...that's what I think and I told the police that shit too. You were different. You barely talked to me or Asia. We decided not to tell you because we felt it was best. We didn't want you to think any of this was your fault."

I turn and stare out of the window reaching for the door handle. This is all just too much. What the hell was going on with me. "Do you remember his name?" I whisper the question.

"You called him the giant most of the time but I think his name was Grayson or some shit like that.

"Grayson," I say the name out loud in my head, wondering where this Grayson could be. "I'm already late. Let me get in here. I have to start living my life again. I can't keep hiding, but I will think about what you said." He nods his head and smiles. I push the door open and start to get out of the car.