Undetectables

10. Fairytale or Horror movie?

For once, I was at work before Gabriella. When she trudged through the doors, she looked like a hot mess.

“Enjoy your evening?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, “Why did you let me drink so much?” she questioned with a groan.

I giggled, “Didn’t you say you wanted to get blackout drunk and get laid? Check and check?”

“Oh, I got laid. That man was an animal. Or I was an animal. I can’t remember it all. The details are a little fuzzy,” she muttered.

I found my mind drifting to Nico. His piercing blue eyes. I couldn’t think too much. Every time I thought about him, it turned me on and the only one that could cure me of him, was him.

“You disappeared last night. Where’d you go?” she asked, pulling out all of the blenders. I was thankful that her back was turned to me or she would have seen the blush that washed over my face.

“Hung out at the bar for a little while trying new drinks before taking the Uber home.”

She turned around, “Damn, you didn’t get laid. That sucks, but there’s always a next time,” she winked.

I’m not sure any man could compare to the way that Nico worked my body. Even with Colson, the sparks could never compare to the way I felt last night.

Colson never made me feel the way that Nico did last night, and we’d had s*x hundreds of times.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“No fun!” Gabriella shouted as I headed to flip the sign on the door to open.

For a Saturday morning, it was incredibly slow. Probably because a winter storm had begun to roll in. Snow was falling quickly and before long, it started to look like a winter wonderland outside.

Sitting by the large window, Aspen was running circles in my head. Seeing the snow brought back memories of home, of Crimson River.

It was one of her favorite things to do. She was a pure white wolf and the snow made for the greatest disguise. Not only that, but it was so beautiful as it coated the trees. We’d always head up the mountains and look down over the pack lands, admiring their beauty under the veil of thick, white dust.

‘I miss it,’ Aspen whispered, her voice full of emotion.

I miss it too. More than I thought. Looking at the snow fall so heavily brought out the need to shift and feel our paws hit the wet, cold ground. We haven’t seen snow like this since before everything happened.

“If this storm doesn’t let up, I’m going to close for the day,” Piper shouted from her upstairs office.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I sent a quick text to Bailey, urging her to be safe today. She responded quickly that she was with Liam, the boy from school, at his house for the day.

Her being so carefree was like a double-edged sword for me. On one hand, I was incredibly happy that she’d finally come out of her shell trying to enjoy her life given the circumstances, but it equally terrified me. I remember being a teenager, believing that nothing could touch me.

But life wasn’t that simple anymore. My sister was smart. But I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about her all day, every day.

No one braved the storm to come into the coffee shop and Piper quickly decided to close up for the day, promising to text us if we would be closed tomorrow.

Before I braved the snow, I checked the weather on my phone. We were under a winter storm warning and snowfall was meant to total at least nine inches in the city with localized amounts over two feet in the mountains.

Gabriella and I worked quick to put away everything that we’d gotten out for the day and head home. Neither of us wanted to be snowed in the coffee shop.

Walking outside, I just stood on the sidewalk, allowing the snow to fall around me. Admiring its beauty, I decided to go home slowly. Though I knew my shoes would be wet by the time I made it, I didn’t care.

I wished that I could let Aspen take over, even for a moment, to enjoy the snow, but it wasn’t worth the risk. There could be too many eyes watching here in the city.

Turning around the opposite direction, I decided to go to the grocery store to grab some hot chocolate. My mother made us homemade hot chocolate on snowy days growing up and today felt like the right time to relive a happy memory. It wouldn’t be homemade, but it would remind me of my mother.

As I was heading to the store, I felt as if I was being watched. I’m not sure how to describe it, but something felt off.

I started to walk faster, but as I hurried past an alleyway, I felt a pair of hands grab me and pull me between the buildings.

My eyes widened as the hands spun me around and standing before me, were piercing blue eyes behind a ski mask.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he pulled his ski mask off to give me a lopsided grin.

“You scared me, you know?” I huffed out, feeling my heart racing erratically.

His mouth met mine, melting away the fear of the moment. I silently wondered if this was going to be our thing, meeting in dark places like this.

My bottom lip pulled between his teeth before he released me, “You are even more beautiful in the light,” he whispered, studying my features.

A small smile spread on my lips.

My mind decided to do its thing and a series of images from last night flashed through my mind. I looked Nico up and down, remembering how he looked undressed. Biting my bottom lip, I found it hard to focus. The memories of last night flooded my senses.

“Something on your mind?” Nico winked. This man could read me like a book. It was as if my thoughts were projected into his mind and he wasn’t afraid to say it.

“How did you find me?” I questioned, ignoring his question. He knew the answer without me saying a word.

“Answer me first and I will answer you,” he smiled.

Touche. I may as well choose the path of no shame, “I was picturing you naked,” I blurted out.

One of his eyebrows raised and a soft blush tinted his cheeks. His smile grew, “I’ve been watching you since the first time I saw you.”

“Why?”

“Outside of the obvious? You intrigue me,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“I hate to disappoint you, but my life isn’t very spectacular.”

Nico’s hand reached out, his thumb running across my lower lip. The contact made my body shiver, but not from the cold.

“Very few of us are what we seem,” he whispered, pausing, “Would you like to walk with me?” he questioned. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but refused to come out, so I only nodded, wondering what he meant by that statement.

His hand found mine, and the two of us headed down the street. Nico was so calm walking in public. Calmness was a foreign feeling to me, but with him, I felt safe.

He started towards the edge of the city and soon, the thick line of trees came into view. I hadn’t ventured this far outside of the city before, and I regretted it.

The view was phenomenal. Every tree was blanketed with plush white. The pine peeked out from beneath the thick layer of snow, making for a picturesque sight.

I followed behind him closely, climbing through the dense forest. The actual floor was not covered with snow yet, the trees acted as a shield, preserving the lush green beneath.

Nico remained quiet as I dutifully followed him. My mind swirled with questions that I wouldn't ask. The moment was too pure to ruin. I wouldn’t dare taint it with realities. This felt like something straight out of a fairytale.

A mystery man, who happens to also be incredibly sexy, wants the plain, not-so-special girl. She follows him into the woods for a little rendezvous, with only nature bearing witness. But it also could be something from a horror movie. Which would honestly be more likely. A dumb girl follows a charming man into the woods, luring her with his looks. He gets her far enough away from society, where he murders her, hiding her body where no one will find it.

I gulped, choosing to think along the lines of the fairytale, holding on to the thought of tearing his clothes apart out here in the open.

He glanced over his shoulder, looking at me with dangerous eyes as if he had read my mind. I forced a smile, biting my tongue.

Moments later, a clearing within the trees opened up. The snow was clean and untouched. Nico stopped, looking around for a moment before turning towards me, “We’re here.”

I furrowed my brows, looking around. We were fairly deep in the forest, having made it far away from the city, but it just looked like any other spot.

He stalked towards me, “What are we doing out here?” I asked, feeling my nerves kick in. My mind started imagining the horror movie. He hadn’t made me feel uncomfortable, if anything, despite the nerves, I still found myself feeling comfortable with him. Wanting him. Lusting over him.

“Do you trust me?” Nico questioned, his voice deep and alluring. His hand reached out, brushing my cheek and tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

Should I trust him? Probably not, but I admit, he could do whatever he wanted with me and I’d die a happy woman.

“Yes.” The words slipped off of my tongue and a victorious smile spread on his face.