Blade

Chapter 29: My territory

Sienna

I sit next to Camilla, her head resting lightly on my shoulder as she recounts the time she embarrassed herself in front of her crush. Normally, I would have laughed and teased her, but today my attention barely lingers on her words.

For some reason, my gaze keeps drifting to a certain tattooed guy a few steps away. His fingers move quickly over the gaming console, and a faint smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he watches Nico and Franco's frustrated expressions.

We are in the game room. Empty pizza boxes and scattered snacks litter the floor, while a jumble of full and half-empty bottles of beer and vodka clutters the table. The scene looks like a wild party left behind by a group of careless revelers.

The guys are deep into a series of video games, placing a few bets that I don't bother to follow. Their laughter and shouts blur into a background hum I barely notice.

Blade lights a cigarette, the glow briefly illuminating his face as he chuckles at something Nico whispers in his ear.

Ever since we held hands this morning, he has been avoiding me. More than that, he seems to be pretending I don't exist at all. It irritates me. I can't tell if he's angry or just ignoring whatever is growing between us, but the sting of being dismissed every time I try to speak leaves my chest restless and tight. My heart refuses to settle, pacing with my frustration.

"Sienna?" Cam snaps her fingers in front of my face, her lips pressed into a frown. "Are you even listening to me?"

My eyes dart away from the man who consumes my every thought before she notices me staring and comes up with some ridiculous story about me being in love.

"Yeah. What?" I blink rapidly, the puzzled look on Cam's face prompting me to purse my lips in confusion.

"You haven't been listening to a word I said." She grumbles, swatting my shoulder lightly. Her eyebrows are drawn together in bewilderment as I lean forward, fingers lacing together nervously, feeling the tension in the space between us.

"I'm sorry, Cam. My mind is preoccupied right now." With someone that's weakening the walls I built around my heart. I nibble on my lower lip and let out a soft sigh. I'm treading on dangerous waters, and I know it.

"With what?" she asks, her eyes searching mine as I fidget with the hem of my sweatshirt, avoiding the weight of her gaze.

"I'm tired of being stuck indoors. It's been weeks since I stepped out of this house, and the boredom is killing me." I lie smoothly, gnawing at the inside of my cheek as I catch the sympathetic look forming on Cam's face.

"I feel ya." Cam pats my shoulder, her touch light but reassuring. Her eyes suddenly light up with a mischievous spark, and a smirk plays across her lips as a thought clearly strikes her. She turns to the guys. "Blade?"

My eyes widen and heat rushes to my cheeks as Blade exhales a thick cloud of smoke, slowly licks his lips, and fixes us with a raised-eyebrow stare.

"When is your next business meeting?" Cam asks, twirling a strand of her dark brown curls around her finger.

"In an hour. Why?" Blade takes another slow drag of his cigarette just as Franco's phone buzzes loudly. Excusing himself, Franco steps out of the game room, leaving the four of us in tense quiet.

"Can we come with you?" Cam props her elbow on the arm of the chair, tilting her head slightly as her long eyelashes sweep over Blade's eyes.

"No way, Cam. It's in The Hive." Blade shakes his head, his fingers curling around the last bottle of beer on the table.