Page 42 of Gambler's Fallacy

It doesn’t work.

The door opens. Nacho meows and rushes out.

That deep voice says, “Seven? What are you doing?” It’s familiar, though I can’t place it. I don’t know that I want to place it. The fact that it’s familiar means that Caleb had to have sold me out, which is even worse than my family simplyfindingme.

Footsteps approach, then there’s someone right outside of my personal space.

“Hey,” the voice whispers. “Seven? It’s just us.”

Just us.

I whimper, trying to turn so I’m not head-on with whoever it is, but there’s nowhere to go.

“Seven. It’s Vortex,” the voice says even more quietly. “C’mon, beautiful. Open up those eyes and look at me.”

Vortex.

It’s only Vortex.

My eyes fly open, and I launch myself into his arms, almost tackling him in my haste to get close. “Vortex,” I croak out.

“Why are you hiding in the closet?” he asks, wrapping his arms tightly around me. It’s almost uncomfortable, but I don’t care because it makes me feel safe, too. “Did something happen?”

He glances over his shoulder, and I follow his gaze to where Havoc and Caleb are standing.

Havoc looks worse for wear, with a large bruise on his cheek and a cut along his forehead. His knuckles are bloodied, too. When I look at Vortex, I see that he’s similarly roughed up, like he and Havoc got into a fight. Caleb is in his sleepwear, contacts already out for the evening, and he gives me an intense stare through his glasses that I shrink away from.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Vortex soothes. “Everything’s fine. Did you have a nightmare?”

I shake my head.

“C’mon. Let’s get you out of there,” he says. “It’ll be more comfortable in bed, or in the living room. Do you want to cuddle?”

“Did the two of you get in a fight?” I whisper.

Vortex blinks at me, then shrugs. “Not with each other. We’re okay.”

Havoc shifts uncomfortably. “Yeah. We’re fine. We just wanted to see you, Seven.” He gives Caleb a suspicious look. “Did you do something to scare him?”

Caleb holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I haven’t touched him all night. Seven wanted to turn in early with Nacho.”

My cheeks burn with embarrassment. Nothing had happened, and I don’t even have nightmares to blame for this.

Vortex lifts me up and carries me to the side of the bed, letting me down with a grunt.

“How hurt are you?” I manage to get out, looking him over through tear-filled eyes.

“Don’t worry about me,” he says dismissively. “It’s barely anything.”

He says that, but his movements are stiff, like there are a lot more bruises underneath his shirt and jeans. Havoc is holding himself unnaturally too.

“These big babies wanted you to comfort them,” Caleb says, deadpan. “Which is why they showed up unannounced when we were both ready for bed.”

Comfort. I can do comfort even though part of me is rebelling at how unfair it is that my mind put me through hell and I’m thinking about making them feel better.

But what else is new?

I reach up for Vortex, pulling him down for a kiss. He obliges me readily, for all that he makes a quiet sound against my lips.

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