Page 25 of Flock This

Of course, my code worked no matter what. That was what friends were for, after all.

I spotted a bowl full of hard candies on a shelf beside the sign in sheet. I grabbed it, then unwrapped one piece and popped it into my mouth as I walked out, bowl still in my arms.

I pushed open the door to the main, shared lobby of the building with my hip, only to find a large body right in my way.

I caught myself before I ran right into him, barely saving my precious bowl of pilfered candy.

While chivalry wasn’t a big thing in the world anymore, I was used to men trying to help when a woman almost falls. This asshole didn’t so much as react, didn’t seem to give a damn if I fell right on my face.

Then again, one look up at his face let me know why.

What did someone with model-like good looks care about us mere mortals?

He had chin-length wavy blond hair and blue eyes so light they could have passed for gray, like an overcast sky. His hair was wild, with thick curls, a messiness that implied he couldn’t tame them. His jawline was square and he had the sort of cheekbones woman brought pictures of to plastic surgeons for reference.

I clutched the bowl to my chest tighter, just holding them making me feel better. “You’re hot, but not nearly hot enough for me to forgive you standing right in the way.”

He tilted his head, the first reaction he’d given me. He moved his gaze to the bowl and narrowed his eyes. “Do you make a habit of stealing things?”

“Daily.” I popped another candy into my mouth to prove my point, smacking my lips loudly. “Stolen things taste much better.”

He paused, as if unsure how to respond to that. A strange feeling came over me, something I struggled to understand. It felt like…fear?

Except, it wasn’t mine—it was like someone trying to pour fear into me, but it rolled off instead of filling me.

He stood taller and took a step backward, as if confused. After a moment, he shook his head and moved past me without another word. He typed a code into Ignis’ door, the keypad turning green as it unlatched.

Which meant whoever this asshole was, Ignis knew him well enough to give him a code like my own.

“Makes sense you’re going there,” I muttered.

He paused and looked back at me but said nothing.

“She’s a good therapist, but I bet you’re too much even for her. Ignis is talented, but she’s not a miracle worker.”

“Clearly, given you’re here and stealing from her.” With that, he walked into Ignis’ office, the door shutting with a loud click.

I popped another candy into my mouth as if that were a win, then yelled despite the fact he couldn’t possibly hear me, “Why don’t you have some candy while you wait? OH, RIGHT.”

It wasn’t the greatest comeback—in fact, I was pretty sure it was horrible—but I took it as my own petty win as I headed out of the lobby.

Now I just had to call this mystery friend and hope they could help me clear my name. Arguing with models wasn’t on my list of things to do.

Or so I thought…

Chapter Eight

Meeting up with a stranger was a bad idea. Meeting them in the middle of fucking nowhere was a stupid plot point in a horror movie. Yet here I was. I’d driven south of the city, to an area of the desert where an oasis caused trees and greenery to pop up, to where the tracker had asked me to meet him through text messages.

Something moved in the bushes to my right, and I jumped away. A squirrel popped its head out from its hiding spot, looking at me as if I were the one causing ruckus.

“It’s rude to startle people,” I told it. The squirrel didn’t move, cocking its head to the side like a dog. “I guess you’re kind of cute, other than the whole possibly having rabies thing.”

“Squirrels almost never have rabies, and have never infected a human in the United States.” The male voice came from behind me, causing me to spin to face it.

There stood a man I had never seen before, one who looked too pretty to be real. Part of me wanted to reach out and touch him just to check. He had long hair that wasn’t blond but rather a pure white, as though not a speck of dirt touched it.

His eyes were a green as soft as his voice, though that didn’t hide the intelligence there. Of course, as strange as his almost otherworldly appearance was, it didn’t come close to the most obvious part.

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