Page 12 of Nitro

"I thought Marc would never let me leave," I confessed, taking a seat at the kitchen counter.

Dylan, stirring spaghetti sauce on the stove, shot me a supportive smile.

“I’m glad you stood up to your brother, Tommy. You deserve to have a life of your own,” he said.

After a hearty meal, we cleared the dishes together. Dylan checked his watch, and I glanced at the wall clock above the fridge.

Dylan had arrived at 6 pm. Now it was 11.

"I didn't realize how late it was getting. Thanks for inviting me over to your apartment, Tommy. Let's do this again soon," Dylan suggested as he headed towards the door.

I nodded, a bit apprehensive about him leaving so soon. A small part of me wished he'd stay for another hour or more.

"Yeah, definitely," I replied, trying to hide the lingering discomfort.

"You're a grown adult man," I reminded myself once Dylan left, the solitude settling in.

It was a feeling I had experienced recently when Nitro left me alone for the first time.

I realized that I wasn't used to being alone after years of captivity, and the prospect of being alone still made me an uneasy.

After a quick shower, I slipped into my pajamas and settled down in bed.

I turned the TV on and chose a dull documentary on tropical fish from my new streaming service, hoping that would make me fall sleep instantly.

Two episodes later, I found myself yawning and dragging myself to bed.

However, the moment I pulled the sheets over my body, the tiredness seemed to evaporate.

Turning onto my side, I was left alone with thoughts that I usually locked away during the daylight hours.

Memories of staring out from the bars of my room, Hicks's ominous figure looming above me, a sinister smile playing on his face as he told me I had a job to do.

I shut my eyes tight, attempting to push away the ugly images.

"Think of something positive," I told myself.

I tried redirecting my mind away from the darkness that threatened to engulf me.

I began to think of things that brought me joy—my new apartment, adorable puppies, daisies, and, of course, Nitro.

Nitro and I had been frequently texting each other since that amazing kiss.

We were…dating? The concept felt foreign to me. When I shared the news with Dylan, he was over the moon.

“Nothing is certain yet,” I had reminded Dylan.

Part of me still believed Nitro would change his mind about me any second.

After all, why settle for a messed-up individual like me when he could have anyone he wanted?

After tossing and turning in bed, and counting sheep in my head, I pulled my cellphone from under my pillow. It was 3:10 am.

I let out a hiss of frustration. At this rate, I wouldn't get any decent sleep. For a moment, I debated texting Nitro to keep me company.

Then I realized what a selfish thought that was.

Sure, he mentioned he kept long hours and told me I could contact him anytime.

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