Four Walls (Book One) ✔️

Chapter Forty-Six

"I can't believe you made this happen," an awestruck Damian whispers, his eyes glued to the red and white 'SOLD' sign in front of what used to be Castelul.

"It only took them three weeks to find a buyer, too," I say, smiling triumphantly.

"I'm still not thrilled that you confronted the Bishops on your own," my best friend scolds me. "You could have gotten hurt."

"I could have," I agree, "but it was kind of exciting to be out in the field. Thanks to me, neither Taisley nor Bradley will bother us ever again."

"And they're gonna keep our secrets?" Zane pipes in, glancing at Damian. Since becoming roommates, they've bonded over their supernatural abilities. They're not friends, at least not yet, but the animosity between them has vanished.

"I'm not too worried about that," I reply. "Taisley gave me the video footage of you"—I poke Damian in the chest—"teleporting, and she swore that she would keep her mouth shut."

"Should we have let them go? What if they cause trouble in some other town?" Damian voices his concern.

"That's not our problem. They're gone now, and good riddance," Zane says, exhaling a sigh of relief.

"There is just one thing I still don't understand." I hook my arm through Zane's as we walk away from the now abandoned building. "Why Starkton? Bradley has enough money to settle down anywhere in the world, yet he chose to embark on his business venture here."

"All things considered, he did pretty well. Castelul was always packed," Damian remarks.

"Yeah, because it was a secret brothel," I mutter, shaking my head in disgust. "It makes sense, though. Most of the adults in this town are heathens."

Damian cringes. "Gross. Anyway, I have to run. Jessi's waiting for me at the library. See you guys later!"

Once Damian is out of sight, Zane weaves his fingers through mine, blushing a deep maroon as he does so. I give his hand a gentle squeeze and lead us to Gabby's.

I claim my favorite table when we reach the diner. We order coffees and pastries and chit-chat while we eat.

"There's something I want to talk to you about," Zane announces, his cheeks turning scarlet once again. "

"You have the floor," I reply, gesturing to the empty space in front of us.

"Well," he begins, "you know how we had that casual arrangement for a while?"

"Do you want to start that up again? Because I'm still not comfortable getting my freak on in the Forbes' house, and we have nowhere else to—"

"That's not what I was getting at. I mean, I want to, but I was hoping we could be more... serious this time around." His anxiety is palpable as he bites his lower lip, looking anywhere but at me. "Layla, I'm not a hopeless romantic by any means, but I'm into you. You're a fucking badass, and I'd be lying to myself if I said you were just a bed buddy to me. I really like you, and if you feel the same way, I want to explore that. If not, then that's fine. We can forget I brought it up, but—"

"Stop," I interject, my cheeks as red as his. "I like you, too, Zane. Why do you think I've been letting you hold my hand this whole time?" I glance down at our interwoven fingers, which haven't detached since we arrived at Gabby's. "I don't want to jump into anything too serious right away, but I'm willing to give us a chance."

"Works for me, babe." He winks, bringing his mug to his lips. He takes a long sip of his coffee before adding, "And as far as our bedroom predicament goes, I'm trying to find my own apartment. Moira and Damian are great, but I need my own space. I need to be able to rip your clothes off without having to worry about someone walking in on us."