13. Rule #13 Everyone Leaves

Rule #13: Everyone Leaves

Zoe

" W e have to go."

Daniel gripped my arm, tugging me towards the exit.

Daniel was here.

My mind was racing to catch up to what was happening. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I could do nothing but follow along until I came to my senses. I wrenched my arm from his grip. "I didn't need your help!"

He whipped around and glared at me. "Sure didn't look that way, love. You're welcome by the way. "

His gaze drifted over my head and he grabbed my damn arm again. "Fuck. Come on."

"I need to find Rory!"

"What we need to do is get the fuck out of here before security catches up to us."

There was a command to his voice, a surety, but also also a hint of something else. Fear?

We were almost to the door when I ripped my arm from his hold.

"I have to find my friend! "

Daniel rounded on me, eyes blazing. Yellow flecks glinted in his forest green eyes. "Oh, your friend that left you alone while you almost got assaulted in a deserted hallway? That friend?"

One minute Daniel was glaring into my face. The next he was flying across the entryway into a wall.

"Back the fuck up," Rory snarled at him. But of course this stupid werewolf wouldn't cut his losses. Because he stood and got right in her face.

"Where the fuck were you?"

" Who the fuck are you?"

"The person who saved her from getting raped." Daniel's hands tightened into fists and a low growl left him. When his eyes flashed yellow, I knew he was probably on the verge of losing it.

I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Now, now children. Play nice," I said in a tone that would hopefully diffuse the ticking time bomb in front of me.

Rory turned to me, concern shining in her eyes. "Wait. What happened? What's he talking about?"

I couldn't deal with this so I walked away from both of them, the cool night air hitting my face when I exited the club. I stood there and counted to five before Rory joined me and I could sense Daniel hovering somewhere behind us. This uncertainty was new for him. He had only ever been cocky and confident.

"I want to go home," I said, looking at neither of them. Rory wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I stiffened at the touch. Physical touch was my love language, but I barely knew her. She quickly dropped her arm, then pulled her phone out.

"Can't get a signal," she muttered as she walked off, waving her arm in the air as if that would help. Daniel hadn't moved from behind me but I could feel the tension radiating off him. Turning my head slightly to the side, my voice trembled as I whispered, "Thank you."

I felt him move then. The heat of his body radiating against my back. Daniel's fingers brushed against mine, sending electricity up my arm, but a voice called out, breaking the moment. He stepped back, taking his warmth with him and an uncontrollable shiver wracked my body.

"Uber's two minutes out," Rory said. "Where's the wolf?"

I spun around. But the spot that he had stood only moments ago was now empty. He left, the same way everyone else did.

The entire ride home I could sense that Rory was itching to say something, but she kept mercifully quiet. That reprieve ended the second the front door closed behind us.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," I replied, heading for the staircase.

"It obviously wasn't nothing."

She followed me up the stairs, clearly not letting it go, but I didn't want to talk about it.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. Goodnight, Rory." I closed the door to my bedroom before she could protest and locked it. After a second, I set some wards. But my magic faltered. Rifling through my bedside drawer, I pulled out one of the power boosters. The red liquid burned as it went down, tasting like a cinnamon fireball. Power rushed through my veins and I gasped. I flung my hands up and tried setting the wards again. This time it worked instantly. A locked door wouldn't keep a vampire out, but the wards would. Discarding my clothes as I went, I stepped into the shower and turned the water up to scalding. I tried to scrub the feel of their hands off of me. Had I invited the attention? Yes, I had. I'd even welcomed it. But my body was mine to give on my terms. More than that though, it was the fear that had rattled me. I was vulnerable without my magic. If Daniel hadn't been there… I didn't want to go down that road.

"Fuck!" I yelled, slamming my fist against the tiled wall of the shower. Blood seeped down my fingers and I took in the cracked tiles. Shit. I'd have to get that fixed.

I stood there until the water ran cold, then I bundled up in my pajamas, wrapped my hand in a bandage, downed a pain suppressant and promptly fell asleep.

Once again, I woke up to a million missed calls from Lewis and at least five thousand texts, each more panicked than the last. It was after eleven which meant I'd missed my morning class. I sent him a text.

Me

Sorry I missed my class. Sick. See you Monday.

Lewis

Bullshit. Since when do you get sick?

Me

Since today. Leave me alone.

I didn't bother waiting for his reply. My head was pounding and it was like my mouth had been filled with cotton balls. I got up, filled a glass of water from the bathroom and drank it like Moses after coming out of the desert. Probably. Then I fell into bed again. The soft mattress welcomed me and my duvet wrapped around me like a mother's hug. Not that I knew what that felt like, but I had a good imagination and it lulled me to sleep.

It was dark when I woke up later and my stomach let me know it was entirely unhappy with me. Another grumble echoed in the room and I groaned as I dragged myself from bed. When I reached the landing, I froze. Voices floated up from below and my heart galloped. I knew those voices. I stumbled down the stairs, flying into the kitchen.

Lewis and Rory sat at the island, laughing and making eyes at each other.

"Oh, wow. You look like shit. Maybe you really are sick."

Lewis strode over to me, placing a hand on my forehead and I swatted it away. "Fuck off."

Lewis grabbed the wrist of my bandaged hand. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," I replied, tugging my hand from his hold.

"I brought you soup," he said, ignoring me.

"Thank you," I replied as he looked down at me. Lewis could read me better than most. He took my brashness with a pinch of salt, but he knew I loved him. That I would do anything for him.

"What happened?" he asked.

I stepped forward, wrapped my arms around his waist and he held me close, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

Rory cleared her throat. "Okay, I'm off. I have a shoot tonight."

"A shoot?" I asked, pulling back from Lewis.

"Did you not know your roommate was a model?" he asked with a frown. I hadn't really bothered to get to know Rory, and I didn't intend to. That way when we eventually went our separate ways, I wouldn't be at a loss again.

"No," I muttered. "But of course she is."

"Thanks, Rory. I've got her."

Rory nodded, then her gaze met mine. "You okay? "

"Yep. I'm good."

I could tell she didn't believe me. But I couldn't afford to let anyone else close. They all eventually left me. Even Daniel had left last night after the unnecessary drama I had caused. It was better to keep them out.

When the front door closed, Lewis pulled a container from the fridge then heated some soup and a garlic roll. He placed me on a stool and then put the bowl in front of me.

"Eat."

I didn't have it in me to argue with him, so I did. I was starving and he didn't say a word till I was done.

"What happened?" he asked again. "Daniel said something happened at the club last night."

Fury raced through my veins. Stupid Daniel. "If you know then why are you asking me?"

He leveled me with a look that said to drop the attitude. "He didn't give me details. Just said I should check up on you."

"I got into a situation that I shouldn't have and he helped me out."

With raised eyebrows, he said, "You let someone help you."

"I didn't have much of a choice being pushed up against a wall by two guys."

"Fuck," he swore, pushing his dark hair back and coming over to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I was stupid."

"No, you weren't. They were assholes."

"I couldn't fight back, Lew," I said in a small voice as he wrapped his arms around me again.

"You're okay. I've got you."

We stood like that for a long time before he finally spoke. "I'm glad Daniel was there."

"I still don't trust him, but me too. "

"Yeah, me too. Would have sucked to lose a new housemate," a new voice said.

Lewis and I both screamed, him louder than me, as we took in the translucent teenage girl sitting across from us at the island.

We had a fucking ghost.