Page 10 of Blurred Lines

I roll my eyes as he cues it up on the projector and Hadley saunters in.

“Hey.” I smile at her, and she returns it with a tight one of her own, but I can see her bloodshot eyes, even in the dark. “You alright?”

She nods, telling me she’s fine before deflecting. “What are we watching?”

Wilder beams at her. “Just you wait and see. It’s going to be epic.” The idiot is practically bouncing on his heels as he hits play and bounds over to sit beside me. That’s something else that’s changed since Hadley first disappeared. In basically any social situation, Wilder always sits beside me now, whereas before he would have sat beside Hadley. Albeit the pretense of their relationship is long since over, so maybe he no longer feels obligated to sit next to her.

“Batman?” I question as the screen comes to life and the movie begins.

Wilder’s grin only grows bigger. “The Dark Knight.”

Hadley barks out a laugh, although it’s lacking any of her usual humor, and I roll my eyes at his nonsense. I remember the top he was wearing when he showed up at my door that night…or more specifically, what was scrawled across the front of it. I’m not sure what his fascination is with superheroes. Maybe he wishes he was one, although, as I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, watching as he stares captivated at the screen, I don’t think that’s what it is. He’s more of an anti-hero, if anything. Maybe the possibility of someone being a hero just intrigues him.

We get caught up in the movie, munching away on popcorn and sweets, and we’re about halfway through when Hadley jumps to her feet.

“Are you okay?” I ask, concerned.

“Y-yeah.” She looks pale, and her voice quivers. “I just need some fresh air. I’ll be back in a sec.”

Before I can offer to go with her, she takes off, and when she’s gone, I look at Wilder, seeing the same concern in his eyes.

“She’s not doing okay.”

He shakes his head, his lips pinched tightly. “She’s not.”

I sigh in defeat. “I don’t know what to do, or how to help her.” I hang my head, embarrassed and frustrated that I can’t be there for her when she needs me. She’s always been there for me, and right now I feel like I’m failing her.

In a surprisingly sweet moment, Wilder places his hand on my knee, giving it a quick squeeze. “Hey,” he murmurs softly, waiting until I lift my head to look at him. “You’re doing great.” I scoff, but before I can make some sort of snarky comeback, he continues. “She knows you're here, and when she’s ready, she’ll come to you. She’s just not there yet.”

I look at him quizzically. “How do you know that?”

He doesn’t give me anything, simply shrugs. “I just do.”

The movie continues playing, but neither of us are really paying attention—at least, I’m not—until Hadley slips back into her seat beside me. I cast her a glance, trying to be subtle about it, and she looks better than she did when she left, but she’s still pale and it’s immediately obvious that she’s not really following the movie either.

Chapter 5

The next day, Hadley and I are studying in the library. We’ve been here for hours and if I’m going to keep going, I need a caffeine fix. Saying as much to her, I head toward the coffee machine by the door and get myself a large latte. As the machine works its magic, I remember I need to grab a book for English, and instead of heading straight back to the table, when the coffee is done, I walk with it through the stacks, looking for the right one.

Once I’ve located the book, I head back toward our study table, pausing when I spot none other than Hawk lurking like a fucking stalker between two bookcases. As I approach him, I can see that he’s got a clear fucking view of Hadley.

He must hear me, as his head snaps back to look at me over his shoulder. “Eh, what are you doing?” I ask, looking at him like the crazy person he’s currently acting like.

He frowns at me before he focuses back on Hadley. “None of your business, go back to the table.”

“Why, so you can continue to watch us like a complete creep?”

He doesn’t immediately respond, but eventually he huffs out a breath, realizing I’m not going to just walk away. When he turns back to face me, he’s got his signature scowl firmly in place, and he crosses his arms over his chest, further adding to the intimidating look he’s going for.

“I’m just checking up on her.”

I quirk a brow. “Well, you can see for yourself, she’s alive and unharmed. You can go now.”

My snarky attitude only makes his scowl darken as he takes a threatening step toward me. “Don’t tell me what to do when it comes to my sister.” His words are a menacing growl that both terrify and excite me. When the hell did that start happening? Hawk’s formidable stare used to have me quaking in my flats, and now it sends a zing of exhilaration racing up my spine. Even worse, when I shift my stance, I can feel a noticeable dampness in my panties. No. Hell no. Abso-fucking-lutely not! Finding Wilder hot is one thing, but getting turned on by Hawk? Nope. Can’t happen. I won’t let it.

Swallowing roughly, I ignore my rising body temperature, focusing on his words instead. “You’re smothering her. You need to back off and give her some space.”

He barks out a cold laugh. “‘Cause you know so much about it.”

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