Hello Readers! Are you enjoying the story so far? I try to include a song for each chapter, but sometimes it's hard. Do you have any songs that you feel fit the vibe of Nova and Nox?
The forest is dense and gloomy. My escape is hindered by thick trees and fallen branches covered in moss. I trip with nearly every step. It could be my racing heart causing my limbs to shake or it could be the growl that echoes through the woods that has me in a panic. It's coming for me. And it's close. Too close. Tossing glances through the nearby trees, I catch a glimpse of a black blur. A wild beast on four legs covered in fur, a flash of vivid blue eyes, a snarling mouth filled with long sharp teeth. I run. That's all my brain can comprehend. Run. It keeps pace with me. Taunting me almost. It's obviously in better shape than myself as I huff and puff, begging my burning lungs to hold off just a little longer. A glimmer of a road just ahead can be seen through the thinning trees. I have to make it. A road has people and people can help. Right? The animal stalking me must realize it too because it pushes itself harder, faster. Seconds before it lunges to block my path, I div
(Song: Heads Up by Future Palace) The drive isn’t as long as I would like it to be. My headache has subsided at least. It’s bound to recur at some point in time today. Lyra and Eden must sense the tension that rests upon my shoulders, because they fill the car with useless banter just like they did on our drive to Fairbanks. Sooner rather than later, we arrive at our destination. My grandmother’s house looms in front of me. I feel like I should know this place, have a sense of familiarity, but I’ve got nothing. Just that familiar tingle on the tip of my tongue of unreachable recognition. My phone buzzes in my pocket. Several times. Text after text after text. I glance at the name as I exit the car. It’s just dad replying back. I don’t even have a chance to open the messages before Lyra’s fist knocks against the door signaling our arrival as if I wasn’t already aware. She pushes me front and center so I’m the first one to be seen once the door swings open. It sets my nerves on edg
(Song: Harder To Breathe by Letdown) I take the backseat so I can sit with the box. The box that has my mother’s things in it. No matter how badly I want to flip open the lid, I can’t get my fingers to move. I can feel Lyra’s eyes on me in the rearview mirror. “What’s that?” She asks. Talking about it has my throat constricting once again. “Just some of my mom’s things.” Peeling my hand off of it, I try to forget about it. “I’ll look at it later.” Zoning out the rest of the ride, my mind becomes fixated on that dreadful box. What’s inside it? It has my heart racing for conflicting reasons. Good and bad. Terrifying and comforting. I don’t let myself think about my mother very often, because it hurts too much. The ache of missing her is still debilitating. Another buzz of my phone has me jolting in the backseat. Finally, I skip past the three missed calls to scroll through all the texts. Call me. Please call me Nova. Where did you hear that name? Nova. Call me. Now. The car comes
(Song: Enemy by The Plot In You) No one follows me, which leaves me with conflicting feelings. The tug of war battle is a roller coaster of emotions and thoughts. The breaks are broken and the seatbelt is too tight. Each incline and every turn, I’m whipped around like a ragdoll. All for one boy that I swear I’ve just met. Stepping outside doesn’t clear my head as well as it’s supposed to. The back patio area is mainly for smokers among other things. A few illegal transactions are the least of my worries though. With no eye contact, no inkling of wanting to have a conversation with anyone, I find a corner that’s the least occupied. It takes longer than it should to pull out my phone and dial my dad. Jittery fingers and a growing headache impair my motor skills. The phone barely rings once, before a frantic voice screams from the speaker. “Nova.” There’s no pause for an answer as he keeps shouting at me. “Nova, do you have any idea what time it is? Why haven’t you answered my calls o
The look on Lyra’s face as she jumps to her feet once we arrive has my stomach churning. What did she do now? “Ready?” The smile on her face is too eager. “I may have made a bet with the boys while you were gone.” “What did you bet?” Please let it be something mediocre. There’s no surprise that she isn’t that forthcoming. “If the guys win, they want us to join them for a house party.” A house party? “They actually live in town. What are the odds?” Yeah. What are the odds? Nox and the twins are townies. Fuck. My father’s right. Nox is aware of my past. And he might be in cahoots with Gideon. My voice is shaky as I ask, “and if we win.” Through twisted lips and a scrunched face, she admits, “they visit us in Cromwell.” Well there goes throwing the game. There’s no way in hell I can let them win. Going to their house. I can weasel my way out of them coming to Cromwell. But I know Lyra and once she has a boy in view it’s impossible to get her to let go. “I think Nox and I should have
(Song: Right Left Wrong by Three Days Grace) I wake up in my hotel bed partially oblivious to getting here. I fell asleep in the car and Lyra had tugged me awake. In a daze, I trekked up to the second floor or did Lyra walk with me? Either way I made it here, changed and crawled into bed. I can't complain. It was a nightmare free night but I swear I had a dream about Nox. But like most dreams the details disappear upon waking up. I might not remember what it was about but it leaves an anxiousness that settles heavily on my chest. Pushing it aside, I roll out of bed. My head is feeling better but still groggy with sleep. The first thing my eyes land on after stretching my limbs awake is the box. Was I carrying it? Maybe Lyra did walk with me back and she carried it. My eyes scan the room for my phone. A panic engulfs me. I tear the bed apart, look at the nightstand and desk once more, check the bathroom, even my clothes that I had been wearing last night. It's nowhere. And then it
(Song: Fire Up The Night by New Medicine) Our ride back to the hotel is fairly quick, which I’m grateful for. An icy numbness chills my bones and it’s not from the mild weather of Fairbanks. I can’t stop thinking about who I saw at the cemetery. It could’ve been just a random person visiting their dead loved one, but where did they go. They just disappeared like they didn’t want to be caught. If it was Nox, he wouldn’t run and hide. He would make himself very known. It still could be Wes. Stepping into the lobby of the hotel, Lyra turns on me, “Dinner, tonight. Here?” She tosses her thumb in the direction of the restaurant attached to the hotel. “Say in a couple hours?” With all of us in agreement, we break off to our rooms. Lyra and Eden turn left down one of the main floor halls as I go right to hop on the elevator. It takes forever to open up and with so many people hustling around. But I wait it out because I refuse to take the stairs. I’ve been able to ignore the stranger with
The restaurant in the hotel isn’t too fancy and not overly busy either. That doesn’t help settle my nerves or my stomach. My thighs still burn from Nox’s roughness. I don't know where my head was at. I just let him manhandle me. My mind races as we sit down and order. Thankfully, Lyra’s too busy texting someone that I hope isn’t Stryker. But Eden is very observant. “Are you okay? You seem a little off?” You could say that. “Is it about visiting your mom today?” Immediately, I’m filled with shame. I visited my mother’s grave for the first time and not even a couple hours later, I’m doing despicable things with a stranger. What the fuck is wrong with me? “It's just a lot being back here.” Which is true. It’s like I’m turning into a whole different person being here. “Maybe you should stay, you know, longer than a week.” Lyra doesn’t know how terrifying her words are. “I know there’s a lot of heartbreak here, but maybe you can come to terms with it. Maybe it’ll help you move on witho