Page 34 of Chaos
I take another sip of my Coke.
The thought of him sends a flutter through my stomach. The memory of our time at the pond makes my cheeks heat. I still can't believe we had sex in a public place. Well, almost public. And it was fun. Exhilarating.
From across the room, Kandi throws another death glare my way. She perches on a barstool, her micro-mini riding upto show the entirety of her tanned thighs, twirling a strand of platinum blonde hair between her fingers. I meet her gaze steadily, refusing to look away first. A week ago, her hostility would have made me shrink into myself. Now? I just feel sorry for her.
Sensing a presence next to me, I look up from my textbook. Fiend slides onto the barstool next to mine, his hair falling loosely around his shoulders.
"Studying hard?" He nods toward my textbook.
"Trying to." I mark my place with a highlighter. "Not sure how much is actually sticking at this point."
"Chaos said you're a smart one.” His eyes scan my notes. "Going to be some kind of pharmacist, right?"
"That's the goal." I stretch my arms above my head, working out the kink in my shoulder from hunching over. "Though at this rate, I might be my grandmother’s age by the time I finish."
Fiend's mouth quirks in a half-smile. "Actually, that's why I came over. Chaos called, said you can go see your grandmother tonight."
My heart leaps. "Really? When did he say that?"
"Just now." Fiend gestures to his phone. "Said I need to take you and stay with you the whole time."
I chew my bottom lip. "That's...surprising. He's been so adamant about me not leaving."
"Well, now you've got me as your personal bodyguard." He shrugs, glancing at his watch. "But if you want to go, we gotta head out now to make visiting hours.”
"Let me just text Chaos real quick—” I reach for my phone, then realize it's not in my pocket. Where is it? I pick up my textbook and notebook, looking under them, then scan the floor. Where the hell is my phone? I swear I had it…
I texted Chaos not long ago.
Fiend's eyes follow my movements. "We don't have much time. Visiting hours, remember?"
"I know, but?—"
"Look." He holds up his phone, showing me a text.
Take Rowan to see Grams. Stay with her at all times.
My heart races with excitement. A week feels like forever when you're worried about someone you love. “I’m so happy. He's been so strict about me staying put."
"That's why I'm going with you." Fiend stands, jingling his keys. "I'll be glued to your side the whole time, don't worry."
Ten minutes later, we're in a club truck, pulling out of the compound. The guard at the gate nods to Fiend, barely glancing at me in the passenger seat. I fidget with the sleeve of my jacket, a strange nervousness twisting my stomach.
I've never spent much time alone with Fiend. He's always been polite enough, but distant—not warm like Zeus or intimidating-but-kind like Demon. There's something closed-off about him that makes me uneasy.
"I really appreciate this," I say, breaking the silence as we drive through the industrial area surrounding the compound. "I've been so worried about Grams."
"Zeus said she's doing well at the new place." Fiend keeps his eyes on the road, one hand draped over the steering wheel. "Better care, better food."
"That's what he told me too." I smile, remembering Zeus's animated description of dancing to big band tunes with Grams. "I can't thank Chaos enough for moving her there."
We lapse into silence again. I watch the streets pass by. I’m fairly certain I know where the new facility is located, but we should have turned left three blocks ago.
"Um, I think we missed the turn," I say, pointing back. "Shouldn't we have gone that way?"
Fiend's knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. "Taking a different route. Security precaution."
That makes sense, but something about his tone sets off warning bells in my head. We keep driving, moving further from the city center. The buildings grow sparser, the streets darker.
