DARKSIDE

24 | Storm

Nothing happened for what felt like forever. Nova's heart had picked its pace again, and Derek's face was still stoic.

She would've stood her ground again and asked him what was it now, why was he looking at her like that but this time; she could feel something wasn't right with him. Something was disturbing him.

She knew by the clenching and unclenching of his jaw. She knew by the storm going on in the blues of his eyes. She knew by the way he stood there, his body tense, his hands curled in a fist in his pockets. She knew.

What she didn't know was how to handle it. How to even begin. How to proceed from here.

Was she in a great, deep trouble? Was she actually going to lose her job? It'd be fair if she did, she wanted to play hero, and all wannabes had to suffer for their show.

Because Derek seemed to not want to move even an inch of his body, Nova took it upon herself to sacrifice her life and utter out the first words. Someone had to do it and Derek didn't seem to want to be the one to do it. So nova had to take the lead by default, didn't she?

"Derek," she said his name, softly. That was all she could manage and it seemed to be all that Derek needed to hear. Because he blinked just as she called him. Though his eyes still held the storm in them. She won't go unharmed, she knew that now too.

"Ms. Newton," he all but grunted so low, she barely even heard it.

Something made her want him to be close to her. But he didn't make any move to even cross the threshold of his own room.

"Come here."

She didn't know what she was saying. She shouldn't know what she was saying, only—only she did. She knew and that's why she was saying it.

Derek still didn't move. Only his jaw clenched again, his eyes darker now.

It didn't look like he was going to move any second now, so Nova decided to go there instead. But as she was shuffling with the blanket to get it off of her so she could get off the bed, a hand was holding hers in a grip so tight yet so gentle, she almost flinched back.

Almost because now she knew the feeling of his hand. Derek.

And just like that Nova stilled right where she was, her eyes looking for his in the dark. When she looked into the blues of his, she saw the storm so clearly there, she saw how he held back with the way he was clenching her hand in his so tightly yet making sure he doesn't hurt her, that it made her want to drop dead right that instant.

"You shouldn't move yet," Derek said then, softly, holding back the rage Nova could feel.

"You should've come when I called for you, then." Nova was playing with fire. She knew she was playing with fire but it was because this time, she wanted to see how it would go out of control. It was clear that the hangover had just done a number on her. She was going insane; was losing all of her sanity.

"Don't test me, Ms. Newton. This is not the time." As he somehow managed to utter that through clenched teeth, Nova gulped. Now she was scared. Being scared was new to her. Nova wasn't someone who got scared that easily but now, now she was.

"Sorry," she said.

And as soon as she said it her heart jumped out of her throat because after taking a sharp breath, Derek leaned forward, his hand travelled up leaving hers and found the side of her neck instead. He touched his forehead to hers, closed his eyes, his other hand found the other side of her neck and he was holding her so close to him that she could feel all of him. During all this he had shifted closer to her too, and she was still in his room and in his clothes. It was only him all around her now. She was breathing him, feeling him, thinking him and it was overwhelming her.