Midnight Secrets

Chapter 46

The whole morning was a blur. I woke up and my eyes hadn't even fully adjusted to being open when I was already hauled into the bathroom and being forced in the shower.

If I had half the mind and was awake, Emma would have witnessed her own demise happening right before her. I was ready to claw her eyes out and watch her pits spit out blood by the time the cold water hit my body.

I was jumping from my toes and squealing at every harsh bite until my body got used to it. I stood under the spraying water less than five minutes before I dashed out and got ready.

Early morning fighting it was.

I crept out the Emma's room and stepped out into the hallway. The hallway was silent because everyone's asleep. It was only lit by a few dim lights, which made everything look eerie. I wondered where Shar was sleeping if he decided to stay over.

I walked past the room I had briefly shared with Nate, and my ears involuntarily strained to catch any sounds from behind the door. The air hung heavy with tension, and it was eerily quiet until I heard a faint creak from his bed.

My heart skipped a beat, and I froze in my tracks. Was he awake? Could he sense my presence just outside his door? Would he step out?

A whirlwind of questions swirled in my mind, but before I could hush them and continue on my way, Nate's door swung open.

I slowly turned toward him, my neck craning to meet his gaze. "Hi," I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath.

He looked down at me with an expression that was difficult to decipher, his voice matching the softness of mine. "Hi," he whispered back, his words tinged with a hint of vulnerability.

"How are you?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

"I'm good. Yourself?" Nate replied, his eyes searching mine.

"Well enough," I answered, my words carrying the weight of the days we'd spent apart.

"Sleep well?" he inquired, his concern evident.

"Kind of. You?" I whispered, the tension between us palpable.

"Well enough," he responded, his voice gentle yet hesitant.

"Look-"

Nate quickly interrupted me. "I'm so sorry for the way I treated you."

Our words stumbled over each other as we both spoke simultaneously, our apologies quick to follow, creating a disjointed but somehow fitting exchange.

"It's okay," I assured him, a hint of a smile tugging at my lips.

Nate studied me for a moment before his gaze fell to my clothes, his curiosity piqued. "Where are you going?" he asked, his words careful.

"I'm headed to practice with Emma," I explained, my voice hushed as though sharing a secret.

"Out of all the people to pick, you picked her," Nate remarked, his tone carrying a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Is she not good at fighting?" I inquired, my curiosity matching his.

"I wouldn't say she's bad," he mused, "she just has a fighting style that doesn't quite make sense."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

"It's hard to explain," he replied, his voice thoughtful. "You'll see for yourself and realize it within a second."

"Are you planning to go back to sleep?" I wondered, a touch of hope in my voice.

"No, I'm awake now," Nate confessed, a brief silence hanging between us. "Do you mind if I join?"