Chapter 12

The next few days were a blur of awkward interactions between everyone, not just Alyx and Sam. It took a few days for Sam and Alyx to get used to Mick and Paxton being couple-y. Sam laughs, and Alyx rolls his eyes. It was going from four single people to two single people and one couple, who also happened to live with each other, that was throwing off the dynamic.

Alyx could barely look at Mick for a while, saying, “I need to get over seeing your actual asshole before I can look you in the eye,” to which Mick reprimanded him for his language in front of Sam, who chortled. There was something going on between Mick and Alyx that Sam couldn’t figure out. It felt like they were always talking about something, and the minute she walked in, they would stop.

Mick had been randomly winking at Sam whenever he teased Alyx, which resulted in one of two things. It sent Alyx retreating into his room or disappearing to the gym, or managing to force him to interact with the group. Sam was mostly confused by the whole thing, she had never had people she was close enough with to tease, and even after Mick briefly explained that they had known each other forever and been in the military together, “practically brothers” in his words, she still didn’t get it since she hadn’t had siblings.

Paxton tip-toeing around, Alyx growled. “I don’t care who you fuck, I just don’t want to see it. Put a fucking sock on the door.” It took a bit, Sam worried that things would change between them, but Paxton was still Paxton, and after a few days they were quickly back to being best buddies.

Sam and Alyx had the most cringe worthy interactions, but Sam only thought that because those moments embarrassed her. If she asked, Paxton would probably claim that title, and rightfully so since he was outed as gay and had been witnessed in flagrante delicto. Maybe it just felt like she was embarrassing herself. It seemed like they couldn’t stop bumping into each other, literally.

Which was a problem because she had started noticing how tall he was. How wide. Just… big all over. Which had never been something Sam was attracted to. Big always meant dangerous, but ever since they had come to a truce in the gym, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not even slightly. And with those muscles, his attitude up until now, and that scar, she definitely should have been.

But… He was nice to her. Which was… Nice. That was a word Sam felt comfortable using when talking about Alyx.

Or thinking about Alyx.

Which she did far too much.

Sam liked when he was nice to her. She liked when anyone was nice to her, but this felt like a different sort of like. But she knew if someone was nice to her but not to other people, they were not nice and usually wanted something from her.

So, she was friendly, but she kept reminding herself to be wary of him. He had a temper. He was mean, and surly, and a total ass.

Then she overheard a group talking in the machine shop.

She was working under the metal lathe, unplugged and taped off with her safety goggles, neon orange helmet, and gloves in place, but mostly out of sight as she worked in the panel near the floor. A small group of higher-level students, 1 girl and 3 guys, were using the CNC machine for a project that she didn’t know or care about beyond them being in the shop during her shift.

Until she heard Alyx’s name.

Despite it being a machine shop, it was fairly quiet right now. The CNC machine was by far the quietest thing in the shop, most of the motor and cutting tools in a protective metal box with a door controlled by a computer program, but it wasn’t silent by any stretch of the imagination. The only reason she heard them was because they were trying to get the designs they had made on their laptops to load onto the machine’s computer.

Blah blah,mumble, Alyx, mumble mumble, No way!

Sam’s ears perked up, her mind straying from the belt she was replacing and oiling, caught on the sound of her room-mate’s name.

“What did that felon do now?” A grumbling male voice.

The girl’s voice, her tone insistent. “It’s true! I nearly had a panic attack.”

Sam’s heart sank, wondering what he had done now, and went as still as possible, trying to listen without it being obvious she was listening. Not that the group could see her or even knew she was there. But just in case.

A younger, scoffing male voice. “Didn’t happen. Alyx Collins? No.”

There was a sound, not really a sound, but more like a swish of air, and Sam got the impression of nodding as the girl’s voice came again. “He looked right at me and smiled.”

“Bull shit.” The grumbling voice spoke. The younger guy tried to interrupt, but the grumbler kept talking. “You are telling me he looked at you, smiled, and held the door open for you?”

“Yes!”

“Yeah, that sounds nothing like him. Are you sure it was Alyx Collins?” Younger guy. “There is a guy that looks like him, kind of. Matt. He’s over in the radar department.”

The girl scoffed. “I’m not an idiot. It was Alyx Collins. It was terrifying.”

Sam’s head was spinning. He had been nice to someone other than Mick, Paxton, and herself? The group kept talking, and Sam listened with half an ear, but they quickly devolved into whispering gossip and rumors about Alyx, which Sam had no interest in, and then back to their project.

Something to think about.