JASPER
Observing the room, I noticed two obvious things.
Midnight had been gone for twenty minutes.
Luna and Laina had come in looking very flustered.
Laina had a dark circle forming around her eye.
A dark feeling turned my stomach.
"We need to go find Midnight now", I managed, darting off, not giving the boys time to ask questions.
Speedily, I darted down the hall, the boys calling after me urgently.
But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.
Swinging open the female toilet doors, my stomach lurched.
Midnight lay on the floor, covered in blood and not moving.
"Shit" roared Axel pushing past me and clutching her to him.
Cal rushed into the toilets to get tissue and wet it at the sink.
You could ask what I did.
As I stood there, my eyes fixed on Midnight, I couldn't help but feel panicked.
I despised the feelings she had managed to raise in me.
It was as if I almost cared about her well-being.
But that wasn't me. I have been devoid of any human emotion ever since Lila.
Without hesitation, I sent a message to our Roses group chat, seeking help.
Within moments, both Dexter and Romeo barged into the bathroom.
Dexter had already called for an ambulance.
Despite the commotion around me, I could only stare at the girl lying on the cold, tiled floor.
My chest tightened as if a viper had coiled around my throat.
The memories of finding my mother in a similar state flooded my mind, leaving me feeling helpless and lost, just like that boy I once was.
The vibrant red hues of drug and addiction had seared themselves into the very depths of my soul.
I was in agony.
The world around me had become nothing but a hollow echo, and so I did what I always did - I ran.
I fled from the situation.
Even as my brothers called out to me, their words fell on deaf ears.
The sight of Midnight's lifeless body on the ground was too much to bear.
Her pain, for some unknown reason, cut through me like a knife.
I do not recall how or when I made it back to my house, but when I finally did, I sighed heavily.
Memories of finding my mother and Lila in similar states flooded my mind, and I felt overwhelmed.
Thankfully, my foster parents were at work, so I was spared any probing questions.
I unbuttoned my shirt and changed into a pair of grey sweats before settling down at my desk.
My room was pristine, with every object in it organised.
I meticulously arranged my laptop, ensuring everything was in order, just how I liked it.
As I opened a new document, my fingers danced across the keyboard as I began to plot revenge against the five girls who had dared to hurt Midnight.
I was determined to make them pay for their actions, and nothing would stop me.
Later that evening, I received a message from Cal informing me that Midnight had suffered a severe concussion and several broken ribs.
Despite my anger, I knew I needed to remain calm and focused to help Midnight.
**
The next day, I head to school with Romeo, who eyes me cautiously.
"Yesterday, what was that about?" he asked seriously.
Romeo didn't do serious.
"Well, when you find your mother at the age of seven overdosed, and your girlfriend eight years later covered in blood and dead, then see another girl in the same position, you'll leave the scenario", I stated, bored of his interest.
"Look, man, Midnight needed you yesterday as much as she needed all of us", he said, staring out at the road.
"Look at yourself, Summers, fawning over a girl who can't defend herself. You've known her for all of five minutes," I snarled.
It was a defence mechanism I knew I'd get hit for.
But for some reason, I didn't.
Romeo's jaw stuck out as if he couldn't believe I'd say that.
Interesting.
He'd known me from the age of five, like the others. "You know you have no idea how to show some fucking sympathy", he snapped, flicking his blonde hair back and turning off the engine.
"You know what, I don't get", he snapped again.
This time, his green gaze met mine. "Please enlighten me," I said while watching him.
"The fact you'd known Midnight was gone, you led us right to her to protect her, and you left her there. You fucking walked away, and then she asked for you last night, not any of the ones who put the effort in to save her. She called out for fucking you," he managed through clenched teeth, and with that, he stormed out of the car furiously.
Slamming the door with a thud.
I sat there and didn't speak.
Midnight had asked for me.
Her most frightening monster.
Why? I was just as clueless as Romeo.
And that for Jasper Underwood was fucking unheard of.
MIDNIGHT
With gentle care, Dexter helped me to the plush grey sofa in my living room.
As I sat down with a sigh, I winced in pain from the ache in my ribs, which had been treated by my aunt at the hospital.
Though she thought I had fallen down the stairs, I kept the truth hidden from her.
I knew my aunt would do anything to protect me, and I didn't want to put that to the test.
Dexter looked at me warmly and asked, "Are you comfortable, princess?" The same genuine concern I had seen in his eyes the previous night at the hospital.
"Very", I mumbled, flinching at the pain in my side again.
He sat beside me, covering most of the sofa with his muscly frame.
His blue gaze flicked to the television screen.
Some American soap drama was on.
"Thank you for yesterday", I mumbled, pushing a few stray
hairs from my eye.
"It was a team effort, really. Jasper put the pieces together and led us to you. Axe and Cal they tended to your cuts. Romeo shouted the halls of Firewell down, asking for people to help. I called the ambulance and carried you to them," he murmured.
For once since I met him, he looked somewhat sorry.
Suddenly, he grasped my hands in his, holding them tight.
He studied me with these dark blue depths, and I gazed into them.
The moment felt suspended in time.
The air around us charged with an electric current of longing, our breaths mingling, becoming one.
As his lips met mine, it wasn't just a kiss but a declaration, a merging of souls.
The world around us faded.
Leaving just me and Dexter.
As the front door opened, we both slowly jumped apart, our hearts racing with the fear of being caught.
The room was silent, except for the sound of our heavy breathing and the pounding of our hearts.
Callix's piercing baby blue eyes glimmered in the dimly lit room.
He knew what had just happened, but he said nothing.
Instead, he handed me a plan that Jasper had sent over for the girls.
"I think it's only fair you take this one, boss," he said, looking straight at me.
I was taken aback by his sudden change of topic, but I nodded.
Dex glanced at me, still confused and dazed, he got up and said, "I'll see you later, princess."
Callix didn't mention anything about what he had just walked in on.
Instead, he spent the rest of the day looking after me, helping me with whatever I needed.
His silence spoke volumes, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
**
As the sun began to set and the sky took on an orange hue, the light shone into the living area of my new home.
Suddenly, the door opened, and all the boys walked in.
"How have you been doing, beautiful?" Romeo asked as he slid his arm around me.
I winced and let out a soft whimper, clutching my ribs, which had been sore all day.
"Be careful," Axel growled at his friend, stepping forward with a dark look.
Romeo raised his hands and murmured, "Sorry, princess."
"It's alright," I smiled, touching Romeo's arm.
Despite the pain in my ribs, I was happy to see them all, and I appreciated their concern to come and see me.
He looked down as my fingers toyed with his sweatshirt.
A weak smile formed on his beautiful lips.
"We have a lead on the mirror," said Dex, eyeing behind him to check if my aunt was in.
"I don't want my aunt knowing, "I said, guilt edging into my tone.
"That's for the best," mumbled Jasper, flicking his hair back, unable to even look at me.
He focused his attention on this flowery ceramic dish, which bothered me for some reason.
The boys watched me stare at Jasper, hoping for some acknowledgement.
I got nothing.
"Laina was seen around your area the other night. Why she'd write that, I don't know, but it's the only conclusion we can come to," Dexter said, his gaze flicking to my mouth.
I didn't think he realised he was doing it.
But he was.
I watched his dark blue orbs flicker with something I couldn't quite place.
Love? Intrigue? Who knew the guy was an enigma.
Let me correct that all five of them were.
"So, what are the next steps?" I asked, glancing up at Jasper again, and still, the fucker couldn't look at me.
"Oh, princess, the fun has already begun," Dex grinned, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips.
A hollow pit formed in my stomach, and panic settled in my gut.
No, she deserved this, they all did.
"We have three steps," managed Romeo carefully.
He glanced at me with those deep green eyes.
They were captivating and latched on to my every being.
"One, we scare them," smirked Axel, joining in the conversation quickly.
"Next, we hunt them," whispered Callix, watching me with those baby blue eyes, lurching for me—almost like he was hunting me.
"Then we do what any good predator does", stated Dexter, rising to his feet suddenly.
"We torture our prey", muttered Jasper, not even looking my way once again.
Well fuck.