Mask | ✓

13

It was strange living with Nixon.

Well, it would've been strange living with anyone no matter who it was. The last time I had done so was as a child. The first time was when my parents brought Reo home and told me he was going to be staying with us, and the second being when Reo and I moved into our shared home at eighteen.

Both of those, however, were at least six years ago. I wasn't used to having another person in the house with me and it showed. No matter what he did — whether it be the smallest sound — I could hear.

"Yes, I'm fine, Nolan," I could hear him say, followed by a sigh. "No. Nothing's happened. I've only been here for a day, stop worrying and tell me about what's happening on your side?"

It didn't surprise me that he was talking to his brother, but it also wasn't my business. I turned my head back around to face the computer screen. I'd just finished running background checks on all the possible warrior applicants and now it was time to meet and examine them in person.

"Maia," I linked my gamma. "Please email the group of warrior candidates and let them know that they've been approved to come in and be interviewed."

"Of course," Maia responded quickly, but her tone had a hint of sadness.

She was most likely thinking about Hopper. It made sense that she was a little sad, I would've been more concerned if she hadn't been. Hopper may have been a traitor, but he'd grown up in this pack and he was with Maia for years before everything that happened. Those memories weren't just going to disappear.

I figured that's why she was so eager to get this over with. The faster we found a new head warrior, the faster she could get Hopper out of her mind. But now that the time was finally here, it meant no more ignoring those feelings. Now they had to be faced head-on.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it, I'll have the emails sent out in a few hours."

"Mai—"

I began to link her again, but the sound of my phone ringing filled the office. My eyes glanced over at the name and sure enough, it was Cloud.

I guess it was finally time to stop ignoring him.

I sighed before picking up the device and answering it.

"Hell—"

"Did you break your phone?"

The question caught me off guard and made my brows furrow. "What?"

"Did you break your phone?" Cloud repeated.

"No?"

"What about your hands? Did you break your hands?"

"No? Cloud are you—"

"So then what the fuck, Tatum!" Came his angry voice. "Is it so fucking hard to just, I don't know, respond to a text or answer a call?"

Now it all made sense. I should've expected him to be angry. It was, after all, Cloud.

"I've been a little busy," I told him.

"I get that, but it isn't hard to shoot a quick text. I care about you, Tatum."

I knew his words came from good intentions, but they only annoyed me. I didn't need to be coddled or worried about every hour of every day.

"As I've stated, I was busy. You aren't my main priority, Cloud, and I don't need to be yours. Focus on your trip, I don't need to respond to every text or call you to send me. Just because I don't reply doesn't mean that something's wrong with me."

"I never—"

"Bye, Cloud."

I hung up the phone before he could respond and sat it on the desk with a sigh. Leaning back in my chair, I stared up at the ceiling. Later, I would call him back and we'd talk, but for now, I wanted to avoid the pitying voices. I wanted to act as if my life was normal. I wasn't some fragile peace of glass that could break just from being touched too hard.

"You look like shit."

I sat up and turned to face the door where Nixon stood staring at me. His eyes trailed down my body and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you for the kind words. They really touched my heart, Nixon. Truly, thank you."

Nixon snorted and rather than feeling annoyed, I was actually a little relieved. If there was one person here who didn't treat me any differently, it was Nixon. Granted, that was because he didn't know what happened, but it was still refreshing.

"What can I say? I'm a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them, Tatum."

"Thank you for your uncensored honesty."

"You're welcome. Eli says I tend to be 'too honest', but I don't see it. In fact, it's one of the many things I pride myself on."

I was even going to bother asking who 'Eli' was.

I shook my head. "Did you need something?"

Nixon walked further into the room and took a seat in the chair opposite mine.

"Not really. However, I do have to say that your home is undeniably boring. If I'm going to be stuck here, I think it's only fair that you entertain me."

"Entertain you?" I repeat with a raised eyebrow. "Why would I do that? Go watch something on the T.V. or read a book."

Nixon mirrored my raised eyebrow. "Do I look like the type of person who likes to sit down for extended periods? You're the one who confined me to this house so get off your ass and let's do something."

I stared at Nixon. He didn't say it, but his eyes traveled down to my phone letting me know that he had at least heard part of the conversation I had with Cloud, and by the subtle tenseness in his body, he had something on his mind as well.

"Alright," I finally agreed and stood up from my seat. I walked to the door and glanced over at Nixon. "Come on, I'm sure we can find something to do."