𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊

28. 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼

"BRAD HAS THE HOTS FOR YOU."

Eszter glanced up at the random comment, taken back. When the enhanced looked at Michelle, the girl was smirking like it was the hilarious thing in the world, and Eszter could feel it. However, it didn't fail to flutter a shimmer of a rosy color across Eszter's cheeks, burning as she grew flustered.

There was no denying Brad's feelings toward Eszter, especially for the enhanced as she could practically feel his infatuation for her; it was unsettling, and it made Eszter a little guilty for feeling as if she were leading him on when truthfully, that wasn't the case. From what Eszter can tell, Brad is a good guy, but the enhanced wasn't into the boy as he claims to be with her. He's a good friend.

"Stop it," Eszter glares at Michelle with a warning stare. She only received a subtle grin which was starting to annoy the enhanced. "Brad is a cool guy, but he's kind of . . ."

"Clingy? Desperate? Obsessed?"

"I was gonna say kind of like a puppy, but yours works, too."

"Yeesh. My condolences," Michelle hums. She didn't look concerned on the surface.

Eszter stared at her friend with a blank look, almost like she was displeased by the lack of concern from her friend, but the enhanced dismisses it when there was a soft knock at the door. Sighing softly, Eszter waves her hand lazily as the door glowed purple before slowly swinging open; behind the door, a terrified Peter was standing timidly at the entrance, poking his head inside as he immediately finds Eszter sitting in bed.

His brows furrowed for a second, wondering how the door had opened on its own, but Peter suddenly had a brain fart.

Finally lifting her gaze at the door, Eszter smiles. "Pete, what's up? MJ and I were just about to head to bed," she adds. Her eyes shift to the girl across from her room.

Peter steps forward into the room, and then he notices Michelle. "Hey, we need to talk," he says in all seriousness. Eszter instantly frowns once she registers his anxiety growing, but she was concerned at how Peter was freaking out internally. "In private."

A short pause settles between the couple, and Eszter's eyes appeared distant from Peter's view, but the boy hadn't realized what she was doing; the enhanced drifts her gaze across the room as she stares at the wall, dipping into her powers. Like an invisible wave sending across the building, Eszter's face contorts into an unreadable expression, and the enhanced recognized a familiar presence.

Eszter hasn't felt this presence since Tony's funeral.

"Oh, um . . . okay," Eszter hops out of bed. In her pajamas, the enhanced shuffled toward the door and slid her feet into her slippers. Then, Eszter makes her way toward the door where Peter stood, but she turns around. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay?"

Michelle salutes.

Without another word, Eszter motions for Peter to move as she closes the door behind her, following the boy back to his room. On the way to his room, Eszter was dreading it the closer they were getting to the person; much to her dismay, the enhanced should've seen this coming. Eszter was too excited for the idea of going on a trip with her lover and friends, the mere thought of leaving the hero's life behind sounded like a dream come true.

Boy, was she wrong.

Once they enter the bedroom, Peter closes the door behind Eszter and him. The presence was closer, and Eszter can feel the man lingering in the bedroom, but as soon as the enhanced rounded around the wall, Eszter found the man sitting in the corner.