Into the Stars (USC Series Book #2)

chapter nineteen

INTO THE STARS
———
MALACHI

Fucking Tyson. Only he would announce his presence like that. I internally groan and back away from Brinley, threading my hands through my hair to ease whatever is racing through my body right now.

When I hear Tyson's steps grow louder and louder, I refrain from looking up at him, my head bent down in my lap, staring at the ground.

I am pissed off today. Not at anyone in particular, but the world in general. Nothing seems to be going correctly. First, the whole tree incident which was just... lovely. Then, I could barely fucking board down the mountain because my torso was aching. I don't even remember hitting the tree that hard but I must've because when I got back to the cabin and removed my shirt, lo-and-behold, a giant gash on the left side of my body with the signs of a bruise that is bound to come.

And yet again, I almost lost all self-restraint and kissed Brinley. Though, we do have some sort of... illicit affair, for lack of a better term, situation going on between the two of us, something about kissing her felt different knowing that we couldn't blame it on sleep deprivation or the fact I was not entirely sober.

The only thing I am thankful for right now is that Tyson hadn't walked in about thirty seconds later. Otherwise, mine and Jones's cover would have been blown. We haven't explicitly talked about whether we want to keep this whole 'benefits-with-no-friends' thing private, but it was assumed.

I can sense that Tyson is standing behind me, but I am unsure whether or not he has said anything since entering, lost in my own secluded bubble. I keep my head bowed down, memorizing every grain in the hardwood floorboards.

"Why did you come back so early?" Brinley asks and I do not know if that was the first words exchanged between them but my attention immediately peeks at the sound of her voice.

Tyson rounds the couch, throwing himself down beside me as he shrugs. "Got bored, the snow was too"—he pauses, looking for the right word—"slushy today for my liking. And also, the others were heading back in an hour or so and I would not miss much."

The snow wasn't good today; I admit. The weather had warmed up a bit today. Though it was still well below twenty degrees, it was warmer than the typical low-teens. Hence the reasoning for my urge to get nice, more powdery snow, leading to the shortcut I had taken about a hundred times since we got here with zero trees in the way.

Jesus, Malachi, you have a secret vendetta against a fucking tree. Get yourself together.

A choked, slightly amused sound falls from my lips at the stupidity that has been my entire day. Tyson and Brinley's gazes are both drawn to me and the smallest grin ghosting my lips. I look up, flickering my eyes between their confused expressions.

"What?" I ask, any amusement from earlier disintegrating in the blink of an eye.

Tyson shakes his head, a goofy-ass smile spread wide across his face. "Anyway, another reason I came home early was to formally invite the both of you out to dinner with everyone."

"When?" Brinley questions, having moved from her spot on the ground to the couch on the opposite wall, a patterned throw pillow tucked in her lap.

I stare at her unashamedly, since her focus is set on Tyson. There are so many things that make me... make me feel when I look at her. So many different things. From dislike to lust, the list is honestly endless. I think in the four days we have been in this cabin, forced to spend time together, she has made me feel more things than I remember feeling in almost a decade. Her presence keeps the reminder in my mind that I am still human and am capable of feeling things.