TO LIE WITH MIDNIGHT ROSES

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RENESSA

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"Unbelievable. You are truly unbelievable, Ryker." Xavier shouts.

I look up wide-eyed at Ryker, then quickly I turn to look at Xavier. He is standing at the doorway, his button-down shirt smeared in blood and rain, sticking to his skin tightly.

 The wet, sheer white fabric exposing more of him than I had ever seen besides that night in his room when he walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist but I could hardly see much within the dark shadows. Now, beneath his tightly clung shirt, I could see his chiselled chest clearly and he looked extraordinary yet terrifying all at once.

"It's not what it looks like," I mutter, lying because it was.

I had almost kissed him and I think I may have wanted to, I think it might have felt good. I can still feel the tension in the air, the room was hot and heavy and I felt the heat still fresh in my cheeks. 

Our lips had touched, brushing together softly and I may have wanted more. I hadn't been kissed by anyone in so long but maybe that was the only reason I had wanted to feel Ryker's lip against mine because looking now at Xavier my heart was racing even more but I was unsure whether it was from fear or because of the way he looked right now had made my stomach tighten and mouth go dry.

Ryker looks at me, his eyebrows shoot up and his expression is full of disappointment. My heart stammers in my chest as I inch away from him again. Xavier's scorching brown eyes sear into my skin as I back away, his presence making me grow anxious. Seeing Xavier look upset struck a chord inside me, almost like I was betraying him. Betraying the man who saved me, whose hand I held while I fell asleep. The man who I told had beautiful eyes.

"Yeah," Ryker states, crossing his arms. "I am calling her Nessa. She liked it and what are you going to do about it?"

Before I could even finish breathing or move out of the way, Xavier had thrown himself into Ryker, knocking both of them down and hitting the record player as they tumbled. Both men let out a sound between huff and growl as they hit the floor. The record player falls, causing the song to skip as it lands with a hard thump along with their bodies and the sound startles me.

"Stop it!" I yell, "God, would you both just stop?"

But neither of them does. Xavier has Ryker pinned on the floor, he throws the first punch, hitting Ryker on the right side of his jaw drawing blood from his lip.

"Don't you dare touch her. Ever." He growls.

"I would never touch her if she didn't want me to!" Ryker snaps back, licking his own blood off his lips. Then Ryker is on top of him, hand around his neck while his other holds down his arm. They're moving too fast now for me to see. I back away, bumping into the wall behind me as my heart continues to race. I want to yell at them again. They're up off the floor in seconds and a couple of the books fall from the shelves as they smash into them.

"She isn't a pet, Ryker. She doesn't need a nickname!" Xavier shoves him back again, Ryker's back hitting the shelves once more.

"Well, she isn't a prisoner either!" Ryker retorts. "And yet you treat her like she is less than one."

"That is not true!" Xavier snarls.

"It is and you know it. She deserves better than that! I do not care what Varida says or how you feel because I know it's bullshit. You don't care about anyone or anything and don't you dare tell me you started now. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you but Nessa deserves better than that."