Page 20 of The Villain

“I guess,” I grumble. Yeah, I like her. She’s a complete stranger and I feel more for her than I did in my past relationship. “This isn’t good, Tera.”

She ignores my wary tone. “Ok, so don’t dress up or anything.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Be yourself, the edited version.”

“That’s not being myself.”

“Do not ask about her voice.”

“What?” I sit back in my computer chair and fiddle with the figurine in my hand. The baristas said something about it, too.

“She has partial paralysis of her vocal cords. It makes her sound breathy and kind of flat. Sometimes her voice gives out, too. Or she has to clear her throat a lot.”

“It really is weird,” Max pipes up again. “Fair warning, she sounds like a cross between a heavy breather and a smoker with zero emotion.”

“Don’t make fun of her, Max. She can’t help it.”

I don’t know what to say to that. The questions about her are piling up and if I don’t get answers soon I’m going to explode. Was she bullied for it? Is that why she’s psycho? It seems plausible.

“Tell me honestly. Real talk. Is she a main character or a sidekick?”

“What?” Max laughs in confusion.

“Shut up, Max,” Asher says flatly.

The idea that people are living out their own books is ridiculous to me. Tera swears by it. If I’m a sidekick a relationship won’t work unless South is a sidekick too. Main characters don’t go with sidekicks. Why the fucking twins are main characters I have no clue. Tera said it was because they’re names were unusual.

Fuck, South is an unusual name.

Why am I thinking about this? It’s complete bullshit.

The pause before she answers makes my brows go up as I wait impatiently. She categorized herself as a sidekick to Andi’s main character before. She graduated to main character status through tragedy. She said I’m a sidekick. What am I dealing with here? What are my odds?

“She’s a super villain, Shade. There aren’t rules for villains. They break them all. I guess that would make me her henchman, huh? I never thought about that before.”

What the fuck have I gotten myself into? And why am I more excited now?

09. Dark Signs

South

He’s at an inside table with a blank expression. I know he’s waiting for me but it’s weird. He looks more like the statue version than a person. What has him so tense? I told Tera I would behave myself so he has nothing to worry about.

Not to mention the sight of him makes some tension I wasn’t aware of dissipate. It’s like a puzzle piece I’ve been missing just got found and put back into place.

He already has his own cup so I walk to the register and order the most caffeinated beverage in the largest size, tell them my name, and sit across from him.

He takes his time looking at me and I do the same. He’s a mixture of races that I can’t piece together. Mostly Asian with something else thrown in to make his skin a little more honey colored. I could lick him right up. His eyes are gray. Almost translucent. I wasn’t expecting that. They’re beautiful, wary, and guarded. His full lips are tight and he doesn’t seem impressed by what he’s seeing. His expression is carefully closed off.

I sit in silence, waiting on him. I didn’t call this little meeting and I have no idea what he wants. I’m not starting shit, no matter how good it feels to be looking him in the eyes finally. I’m sure it’s creepy that we haven’t said a word to each other. We’re staring each other in the eyes like a couple of gunslingers about to draw down on each other.

“Evie?” A barista calls.

I don’t hesitate to get up and grab my drink. I need this. My back is killing me from the drive and I wouldn’t be awake right now if I didn’t want to see him.

I sit back down and he looks at the cup in my hand as I take a small sip.

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