𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 ೃ⁀➷

chapter two

Octavia nudged me with a grin. "Well, that was interesting."

I smirked, trying to play it off like I wasn't still thinking about Murphy. "Yeah, I guess."

"You guess?" she teased, raising an eyebrow. "You totally had his attention back there."

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't deny the thrill I felt when Murphy's gaze met mine. "He's just trouble, O. Josh is right."

"Sure, but maybe a little trouble's not so bad," she said with a wink.

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Yeah, well, Josh would kill him before I even got the chance to figure that out."

We both laughed, but I knew there was truth in my words. Josh didn't trust Murphy, and if he ever found out I was even slightly interested in him... it wouldn't end well.

—

As we headed back toward the camp, I caught sight of Murphy leaning against a tree, watching the group. His dark eyes scanned the crowd, but when they landed on me, they lingered for a moment. My heart skipped a beat before I quickly looked away, hoping Josh didn't notice.

Octavia must have seen the look on my face because she leaned in, whispering, "You've got it bad."

I shook my head, trying to deny it. "I don't even know him."

"Doesn't mean you're not curious," she said, a knowing smile on her face.

I didn't reply, my thoughts too tangled to make sense of how I felt. Murphy was reckless—dangerous even—but there was something about him that made me want to get closer, despite the risks. The only problem was, how long could I keep it a secret before Josh found out?

We made our way back to the camp, the flicker of fires illuminating the tension that still hung in the air from earlier. I could feel Josh watching me as we walked, his protective gaze heavy on my shoulders. It was like he could sense I wasn't being completely honest.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked again, his voice low, but firm.

I nodded quickly, avoiding his eyes. "Yeah, Josh, I'm fine. Just tired."

He wasn't convinced, I could tell, but for now, he let it drop. I hoped it would stay that way. The last thing I needed was Josh grilling me about Murphy—especially when I didn't even have answers for myself.

As we reached the edge of the camp, Murphy was still there, leaning casually against the tree like he owned the place. He glanced up, catching my eye again. This time, I didn't look away as fast. Something about him just drew me in, like he wasn't trying to be anyone other than who he was, even if that meant being difficult or dangerous.

Josh stiffened beside me, his eyes narrowing at Murphy as he stood protectively close. "What are you looking at?" he barked, his voice harsher than usual.

Murphy smirked, pushing off the tree and sauntering over with his usual swagger. "Nothing, Guard-boy. Just getting a feel for my new neighbors."

Josh took a step forward, his hand brushing his side where his weapon would normally be. "I told you to back off earlier, Murphy."

Murphy's grin widened, his eyes flicking to me for a split second before settling back on Josh. "Relax, man. I'm not looking for trouble. Not today, anyway."

I could feel the tension building between them again, and the last thing I wanted was for Josh to go after him in front of everyone. I stepped between them, placing a hand lightly on Josh's chest. "Let it go, Josh. He's just messing with you."

Josh's jaw clenched, his eyes locked on Murphy's smug face, but after a moment, he stepped back. "Fine. But stay away from her, Murphy. I mean it."

Murphy chuckled, shaking his head. "No problem, Guard-boy. Not looking for any family drama."