Strength (Mark of Nexus #1)

by Carrie Butler

  I chucked a pillow at his face. “A little too good.”

  It skidded over the top of his head and landed with a soft thump on the floor. He laughed and opened his mouth to retort but was silenced by a muffled cry.

  I blinked, looking around the room. The TV wasn’t on.

  Aiden’s mouth formed a thin line as he eyed their shared wall, concern lining his forehead. I followed his gaze and felt my blood run cold. The sound had come from Wallace’s room.

  We listened for a moment, and a loud growl emanated from the far wall, followed by a thud. I could practically feel the color drain from my face. Wallace...

  THUD!

  I jumped as a hoarse scream penetrated the barrier, echoing in my mind. “What’s going on?”

  “Do we really want to know?” Josh tilted his head back but didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “Just turn on some music to drown him out.”

  Drown him out? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “What if he needs help?” I sat up with a sick feeling gnawing at my insides.

  “He doesn’t need help, Rena,” Aiden cut in, giving me one of those you’re-too-naïve-to-understand looks. “It happens every night.”

  “Then what did you do the first time you heard him?” I flinched as something slammed into the wall, followed by a broken gasp. “You couldn’t have known it would be a reoccurring thing.”

  “Well, the first night, we figured it was a fight or something. It wasn’t like we were going to get in the middle of it.”

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Bystander mentality. “What about after the roommate moved out? Did you do anything?”

  “We called the front desk when he got loud,” Josh offered, mindlessly banging away at his keyboard.

  Aiden nodded vigorously. “Yeah, we called the front desk and reported it. The first time, they sent out that e-mail. The second time, they said they were already aware of his condition, so we let it go.”

  “So, you’re telling me you were both too chicken-shit to walk ten feet and knock on the guy’s door?” A strong sense of injustice wracked my nerves as I sat there, fingers twitching. “And what do you mean by ‘his condition’?”

  He shrugged. “They didn’t say, and since they made such a big deal about confidentiality, he’s probably got some mental illness. It’s not like they can kick him out, because they’d be facing a discrimination suit. We’re just stuck ignoring him, for now.”

  My blood pounded in my ears as he spoke. I knew Aiden wasn’t a cruel guy, but his indifference made him a stranger. Was that how I sounded last night? I put my head in my hands. Hadn’t I decided to stop dwelling on Wallace’s problems? We weren’t friends. We had nothing to do with each other.

  I bristled. That was it. We didn’t have anything to do with each other, because I’d drawn a line between us before we ever met. We weren’t friends, because of my choices. What was wrong with me? I wasn’t upset with Aiden; I was disgusted with myself.

  A tremendous weight sank into my shoulders, where the bruises had formed. What right did I have to criticize anyone, when I was just as guilty? Because of our stupid assumptions, we were forcing some guy to suffer through the entire year alone. “I’m done.”

  Aiden looked up. “What?”

  Nervous energy pulled me to my feet, and I began to pace, trying to work it all out in my mind. “We can’t be those people, Aiden.”

  He looked confused. “What people? What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t want to look back and regret my time here.” I threw a frustrated gesture, flicking my hand out. “I don’t want to be the reason some mental guy’s scorned all over campus.”

  “Why would you be the—”

  “We are the reason.” I stopped and looked him in the eye. “We sat back and let those stories go viral, without bothering to find out the truth. We don’t even know what’s wrong with him.”

  Another tortured scream penetrated the walls, resonating in my heart.

  “Screw it,” I said. “It doesn’t matter what’s wrong with him. We’re not going to act like he doesn’t exist. Not anymore.”

  “Well, I guess I get what you mean.” He stood up and leaned against his dresser. “But you’ve been acting really touchy about this whole Wallace thing. Is there something you’re not telling us?”

  “Do you live inside a Lifetime movie, Aiden?” I snapped, crossing the room. “I swear, I can’t say anything around here. If you guys won’t deal with this, I will.”

  Josh jerked his head back to look at me, like I’d completely lost it. “What are you going to do?”

  “Watch.” I gave the door handle a jerk and stormed into the common area. My fist shook as I raised it, giving the wood grain a sharp rap. C’mon, c’mon. Just let me get this over with.

  One minute passed and then another. I shifted my weight and knocked again, listening to the muffled groans from within. Wallace wasn’t making this any easier.

  Aiden cracked his door open and peered out with a grave expression. “I get it, Rena. You don’t have to take it this far.”

  “I’m not doing this for your benefit.” I pounded on the door, and we both jumped as something made a loud crack.

  He heaved a sigh, glancing at the other door. “Well, it seems like he’d rather be left alone.”

  I stared at the door, slowly lowering my arm. How could I retreat after making such a bold declaration? Why couldn’t Wallace just open the door and assure me it was all a big misunderstanding?

  With a half-defeated sigh, I plunked down on the sofa wedged in the corner. “I’ll just wait until this”—I gestured toward the door—“passes.”

  Aiden sighed again, slipping past the door to sit beside me. “It’ll be another twenty or thirty minutes. You might need some company.”

  I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and felt my lips pull back in an unexpected smile. “Thank you.”

  Chapter Six

  After the screaming subsided and the noises stopped, I took a deep breath and pounded on the door again—mentally preparing myself for another bout of waiting. It wasn’t like I had anywhere to go. Gabby was still occupying the room downstairs. I had all the time in the world.

  Not that he’d ever answer the freakin’ door.

  I was about to retreat to my spot on the sofa, when the door jerked open with a barely-perceptible whoosh of air. My hair fanned at the abrupt vacuum, and I swallowed, feeling everything I’d planned to say disappear with a single glance. “Wallace…”

  It looked like he’d just escaped a brutal assault, leaving half of his face swollen, red, and glistening with sweat—his left eyelid lowered at half-mast. “What?” he snapped, swiping the back of his wrist under his nose.

  “I…I…” My voice jumped an octave. “Are you okay?”

  His narrowed, unfocused gaze met mine. “I’m fine.”

  He didn’t look fine. He looked dead.

  “I just thought I heard something and wanted to check on you.” My adrenaline fed off of his fearsome exterior, burning my legs with the desire to run. It was like meeting the manifestation of our fears for the first time. He seemed so different from last night. “I-Is there someone with you?”

  His austere features darkened, and he shifted from one side to the other. “Sure you wanna ask the crazy guy?”

  Ouch. Okay, I deserved that.

  He gripped the doorknob and tilted his chin, looking past me. “How about you?”

  I turned as Aiden paled and backed away.

  “N-No,” he sputtered. “I-I mean you’re not crazy. You’re just…” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “Sorry, she just gets worried about…stuff.” Swallowing hard, he jerked his head toward his own door in a gesture for us to go. “We’ll leave you alone now.”

  My heart raced. I was petrified, but my mind was reeling with possibilities. If I left, I’d have to forego what little ground I had already gained. Was it worth it? I couldn’t just spout idealistic lectures and then punk out whe
n it came down to it, could I?

  “Look, I just wanted to see if you were okay.” Also, please don’t hurt us.

  “Well, you’ve done your good deed for the day.” Wallace stepped back and started to close the door. “You’ll sleep well tonight.”

  “Wait! That’s not what I—”

  “Goodnight.” He shut the door with a soft click. vzyl

  That was it. The discussion was over, and so was my visit to the seventh floor.

  I stumbled back to my room in a daze of frustration, not caring about the orange scrunchie on the doorknob or Gabby’s extracurricular activities. All I wanted to do was crash in my own bed and figure out what happened. My face was still burning. I could feel it.

  I jerked the key in the lock and kicked the door back. With what little balance I could muster, I grabbed all of the bags and made my way inside. “Don’t mind me.”

  The room was dark, but I could see silhouetted forms from the window’s glow. Worse, I could hear the rustle of sheets off to the left. I groaned and charged ahead, avoiding eye contact. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah,” a male voice muttered, followed by a distinct zipping sound. “I’m out.”

  I nearly snorted, tossing my bags beside what felt like my bedpost.

  “Jinx, wait!” Gabby called, her voice rough with desperation. Something hit the floor, and I heard the pad of hurried footsteps. A second later, the light flicked on.

  I recoiled, throwing an arm up to block the light.

  There, standing two feet from the door, was a man who could’ve easily passed for some celebrity stunt double. His skin was smooth umber poured over hardened muscle, a delectable treat for the eyes. As he bent to shove his socked feet into boots, he snatched his shirt off the floor. “I’ll call you.”

  He wasn’t going to call her.

  With that, he swept out the door, leaving the two of us alone. I slid my gaze back to her, raising one eyebrow. She was clutching a sheet around her body, and her dark hair was mussed, sticking every direction. Smudges of mascara circled her eyes, where it’d rubbed off like a raccoon. The girl was a mess.

  “Rena!” Her eyes lit with Latin fire. “Didn’t you see the scrunchie?”

  “Saw it, left, came back.” I bent to paw through my gym bag, sorting out things to toss in the hamper. “And did you seriously just sleep with someone named Jinx?”

  She huffed, smoothing her hair back. “His name is André Jenkins. Jinx is his stage name.”

  “God help us all.” I turned away from her, sorting through my supplies. “Stage name for what?”

  “He’s a dancer,” she replied. “I’m dressed.”

  I couldn’t stifle a snicker as I straightened, moving to stuff a load of packaging into the bin. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  She rolled her eyes and flopped back on her bed. “Whatever. So, why’d you come back early?”

  I carefully blanked my expression. “I just didn’t feel like hanging around Aiden’s place anymore. Sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean? I was tired, Gabby. I’ve been running around all day.” I opened my dresser and rooted around for something to wear as pajamas. It wasn’t like I was lying. I really was tired.

  “Did something happen?” She walked over and threw the deadbolt on the door. “Did you guys get into a fight?”

  “How often does Aiden fight?”

  She considered it for a moment. “Good point.”

  I couldn’t tell her about Wallace—that he was every bit the nightmare we’d imagined him to be. The shock was still fresh. I hadn’t processed it yet. The only thing I did know was that I’d been wrong. Again.

  Chapter Seven

  I sat in Social Policy Analysis, chin resting in one hand, pencil poised in the other. My eyes were closing of their own accord, and every few seconds, I jolted in alarm. It wasn’t the most exciting class I’d ever taken.

  We’d spent the first hour going over the syllabus and the second hour digging into a PowerPoint. Bleh. The material was dry, and the textbook smelled like binding glue. It was a wonder I didn’t pass out sooner. Why couldn’t I substitute the class for field work?

  Just when I’d given up all hope of staying attentive, the last slide projected onto the screen. I perked up, embracing my second wind as the professor strode down the center aisle.

  “All right. It’s 11:40 A.M. I’ll give you the last ten minutes to start your homework. You can either do it here or take it—”

  The screech of twenty chairs, as they were pushed back in near-perfect synchronization, interrupted her speech. I gathered my things and crammed them into my messenger bag. With any luck, I could get to the dining hall before the big rush at noon.

  I stood up and hastily buttoned myself into my purple, clearance-special pea coat. It pleated at the waist and had big, funky buttons down the front. I’d gotten it for thirteen dollars after Christmas and wore it like a victory medal.

  I slung my bag over my shoulder and merged into the line for the door. Go, people. I hate loiterers. It’s one thing to have a legitimate reason to hold up the flow of traffic—like, maybe someone is on crutches or something. That’s fine. Well, except for them. It sucks for them. But pausing to have a conversation in the doorway? I blew out an aggravated sigh. Un-ac-cep-ta-ble.

  “A little impatient today?” a smooth voice cut in, interrupting my thoughts.

  Was someone talking to me? I cast a quick glance over my shoulder and found a pair of amused brown eyes taking in my every move. My cheeks burned. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

  The guy grinned, studying me like he had some kind of divine insight. Laugh lines creased the corners of his eyes, and his warm gaze smoldered. “And it’s only the first day of class, sweetheart. How are we going to make it through fifteen weeks?”

  I blinked. Was this guy for real? Who starts up a conversation like that out of nowhere? I wasn’t shy or anything, but the familiar language was throwing me off. “I guess we’ll have to manage.”

  “Of course we will.” He leaned back against one of the tables as the line started to filter past him. His sandy blond hair was a little on the shaggy side, with stray tufts sticking out beneath his knit cap. Where I’m from, we call it a toboggan, but up here, they call it a beanie. Either way, it worked for him.

  He wore a wrinkled t-shirt with a plaid button-up thrown over top. For some reason, he’d opted to wear a gray scarf but skipped the addition of a winter coat. If he was going for the casual, unkempt look, he’d achieved it.

  I flashed a polite smile and turned around as the line moved forward. That was awkward. At least I’d have something to talk about at lunch.

  When I finally made it out into the hallway, I started booking it for the west doors. Somewhere, there was a tray full of tater tots with my name on it. I needed to take a shortcut.

  “So, what’s your name?”

  “R-Rena.” I flinched as the guy suddenly flanked my side, casually strolling with his hands in his pockets. Curse my little legs and their inability to take long strides!

  He nodded. “Maverick.” I must’ve given him the crazy stare because he went on to continue, “I go by my last name. I mean, if your name was Johan, wouldn’t you?”

  “Okay.” I laughed, shaking my head. “I’ll give you that one.”

  He grinned, jumping ahead to open the thick, metal door. “Ladies first.”

  “Thank you.” I squinted at the bright snow, feeling slightly disoriented as we made our way down the sidewalk. “Johan, huh?”

  He shrugged. “My grandfather was Swiss.”

  “That’s cool.” I shoved my hands into my pockets and tromped through the bank of snow that separated me from the parking lot. I’d sacrifice comfort for my tots.

  “You going to the dining hall?” He followed without blinking as I ventured off path.

  The cold soaked into my pant legs, and I shivered.

  “Yeah, I’m supposed to meet my friends.” Hint. Leave.
r />   “Cool, cool. I’ve got time to kill. Mind if I tag along?” He put a hand behind my back and steered me around a parked SUV. “Of course you don’t, angel. Let’s hurry. I’ve got a hankering for French fries.”

  I opened and shut my mouth like a fish out of water. How did that just happen? And why would anyone choose fries over tater tots? Nothing made sense today.

  Maverick started humming, and I zoned out as we made our way to the dining hall. It was just one lunch. Not even an hour. I could do this…

  The sound of Gabby’s fake laugh assaulted my ears—the one she used when she was trying to be witty. I blinked, barely remembering getting from point A to point B. We were all seated at our usual table, having already gone through the line, and Maverick was busy making friends.

  “So, I said to the chancellor, ‘No, your hat is an abomination!’” He grinned and tucked his arms behind his head, stretching his long legs under the table.

  Gabby burst into a fit of giggles, nearly choking on her Diet Coke. She’d been leaning in since the first whiff of male pheromone. Of course, to her, it would’ve been the same had it been female pheromone. She gets a little manic around strangers.

  I shot Aiden a pointed stare, and he shook his head. He looked pretty uncomfortable with the sudden addition to our lunch reservation. I wish I would’ve had time to warn him.

  “That’s so awesome,” Gabby said, exhaling the words in a rush as she stared at Maverick. “So, your family travels abroad every summer?”

  Bull. People with that much money don’t go to school in Ohio.

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “Every summer.”

  This would be the last time I brought home a stray. It was annoying and disrupted the flow of lunch. I stabbed a tater tot and smeared it through a blob of ranch dressing, idly scanning the room.

  The dining area was packed and filled with a hundred simultaneous conversations. I inhaled and took comfort in the delicious, fried aroma. As sad as it was, the promise of tots had gotten me through the morning. It was Monday, and I knew they would be here waiting for me.