Tethered Hearts | ✓ | Books 1 & 2

Episode 38| Bad Vibes

Sophia's P.O.V.

I thanked Grayson again for offering us help on finding Bryce and Conner.

"I can't thank you enough." I put my hand to my chest, relaxing now that I knew we were in safe hands. "It's really kind of you. You're a godsend."

"You shouldn't thank me. It's my pleasure," Grayson smirked, exiting the elevator after us. His eyes crinkled in a funny way, almost out of amusement – but I wasn't too sure what he was amused about in the first place. "My car is near the back of the parking garage. I'll drive it up to the entrance of the lobby. I shouldn't take that long. You guys stay here."

"Okay," I said. My eyes zoomed to where Nicolas parked his car. His gunmetal gray car stood out like a sore thumb squeezed between the luxury vehicles lined up next to it. Behind the windows, Nicolas sat in the driver's seat with his eyes shut. "I'm going to tell my friend over there."

"No, you don't have to do that." Grayson shuffled in to my path, lingering his hand on my wrist, not gripping it, but lightly brushing it. A shudder ran up my spine - it wasn't in the same way Bryce made me shudder. Bryce's touch softened any tension I felt in my body. Grayson, though, made me do the exact opposite – making my body curl up inside itself. A cold, alarming jolt shocked through me like a siren. A warning siren.

Something wasn't right.

"You don't have to tell him." Grayson suggested, gradually coiling his hand on my elbow. "We'll be back so soon, I'm sure he won't even notice you guys left without him."

"I...I don't know if that's a good idea." I stammered, exchanging a look with Kelsey. Oh, how I wished she could sense the riot of emotions storming through me. "I think we should tell him. Kelsey, why don't you go tell him. I'll wait here."

He couldn't block us both off from reaching Nicolas. "Okay." Kelsey agreed and lightly jogged up to the car, and then knocked on the window. Nicolas bounced up in his seat, in fright.

He rolled down the window. "Geez, you scared the shit out of me."

It was loud enough for me to make out the words. Kelsey's response was soft, far too quiet for me to hear.

"I'll go bring my car, then," Grayson said, dryly, facing the black top.

"And I'll be here," I replied. The second he dashed to the back of the parking garage, I sprinted to Nicolas' car. Kelsey spun on her toes when I approached. "We need to leave."

"What, why? I thought Grayson was going to take us to where the guys—"

"I don't believe him." I cut her off. "Don't you think it's weird to begin with that he was at the apartments, lounging around the fourteenth floor. Does he even live here?"

"No, he doesn't. But maybe he was waiting for Bryce," Kelsey answered. "That could be why he was there."

"I don't think so. It just doesn't add up to me. Why would he be here, waiting for Bryce, when he just told us he'd help us find him. It seems like a waste. We could've simply waited up there with him."

Nicolas narrowed his eyes at me. "Wait, how do you know that he's lying though?"

I hesitated. I knew what I felt, but painting out my thoughts for them to see exposed me to the possibility of them blinking back at me like I was some lunatic. They'd think I was spouting nonsense like that one guy in the movie Psychic, claiming that I knew what would happen next. They wouldn't take my words seriously.

There's no harm in trying.

"I had a gut feeling, okay." I blurted. "I got bad vibes off him when he kept saying he didn't want to let us tell Nicolas we were leaving. Didn't you think that was odd, Kelsey?"