Chapter 31 A presence

Chapter 31 A presence


Nyx's p.o.v

The rain dripped down my body and seeped into my clothes but I didn't stop running. Not when my teeth clatter from the cold and definitely not when my tears mixing up with the rain blinded my vision.

I would confront Mom, I couldn't take Pa Paul's word for it. I know she would want to distract me but I have to be determined. Twenty two years was long enough to let her heal from whatever he did.

Luckily, my house wasn’t far from here, I got to the threshold in minutes.

I stopped under the porch, my chest heaving as rain continued to pour. My hands trembled as I grabbed the hem of my shirt, twisting it hard, wrinkling out as much water as I could.

Cold had settled deep into my bones, the kind that made my teeth chatter uncontrollably. My fingers felt numb, stiff as I squeezed my skirt, watching water splash onto the floor like I was wringing out a soaked rag.

I hugged myself, arms wrapping tightly around my body, but it did nothing to stop the violent shivers. My clothes clung to me, heavy and uncomfortable, and my hair plastered itself against my face and neck.

That was when I felt it.

A sudden awareness crawled up my spine, sharp and unsettling. A presence.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. It felt like I wasn’t alone anymore, like someone was standing just behind me, close enough that I could almost feel their breath.

My heart thudded painfully.
Then footsteps.
Soft. Deliberate. Right behind me.

I spun around so fast my head reeled, eyes scanning the rain-soaked yard, the shadows, the trees swaying violently in the wind. Nothing. No one. Just darkness and the relentless downpour.

Fear wrapped its icy fingers around my chest.

I didn’t wait to check again.

I fumbled for the door, shoved it open, and stumbled inside, still dripping wet. I slammed it shut behind me and leaned against it, my heart racing as if it wanted to break free from my ribs.

The house was silent. Dark.

Every light was off, the hallway swallowed in shadows. Everyone was probably asleep. The stillness felt unnatural after the chaos outside, too quiet, too heavy.
Water pooled at my feet as I stood there shaking, listening to my own ragged breathing, unable to shake the feeling that whatever had been out there hadn’t been my imagination.

Or could it have been.

I headed towards the stairs wanting nothing but the comfort of my duvet, every movement left an ache. The cold was too much. Just as I ascended the first stair, a door opened and closed in the darkness, Travis' office.

It couldn't be him though, he wouldn't work in darkness or could it be him. What was he doing sneaking about in his office, then another door opened. Kent's room, then I saw the familiar T-shirt he always wore.

Only for a fleeting second before the door shut.

I frowned.

What's Kent doing sneaking about by this time?

I shrugged and continued into my room. I turned on the light. Peeling off my wet clothes and shrugging into dry nightwear .I couldn't help but wonder what Travis and Bianca were doing at this hour.

My heart hurts just by imagining it.

I turned off my light and I climbed into my bed

I curled deeper into the mattress, pulling the duvet up to my chin, but the cold had already claimed me. It wasn’t just on my skin anymore it was inside me. In my bones. My teeth knocked together no matter how hard I tried to stop them, my body trembling in sharp, uncontrollable waves.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the warmth to come, willing my breathing to steady.

It didn’t.

That was when I heard it.

A knock.

Soft. Careful. Almost hesitant.

I froze, my heart stuttering as I strained to listen. Maybe it was my imagination. The rain, the exhaustion…

Another knock.

This time, unmistakable.

My throat felt raw as I swallowed. “C-come in,” I whispered, my voice shaking, barely louder than my breath. I was sure whoever it was wouldn’t hear me.

But the door pushed open anyway.
For a second, there was only silence. Footsteps crossed the room, unhurried but purposeful, and I tensed, my fingers clutching the duvet.

Then I smelled him.

Before I even saw his face, his scent wrapped around me warm, familiar, grounding. It settled something frantic inside my chest.

“Nyx.”

The way he said my name soft, concerned made my heart thump painfully. A strange calm washed over me, even as another violent shiver tore through my body.

The light flicked on.

I winced at the sudden brightness, turning my face away, and that was when he truly saw me sprawled on the bed, limbs tense, shaking so hard the mattress trembled beneath me.

The door shut quietly behind him.
In two strides, he was at my side.

“Nyx,” he said again, closer now. “You are shaking.”

He reached out, his hand hovering for a brief second before settling on my arm. His touch was warm so warm it almost hurt.

“I… I’m fine,” I lied, my teeth chattering through the words.

His brows drew together as his gaze swept over me, the dampness still clinging to my hair, the way my shoulders curled inward like I was trying to disappear into myself.

“You’re freezing,” he said, voice firm now, laced with something that sounded dangerously close to worry.
Another shudder ripped through me, betraying every word I’d just said.

“I will be fine.”

“No,not like this,” he said. Without thinking, he rushed towards the heater and tried to turn it on but it wouldn't bulge. “It's not coming on.”

I mustered all the strength I could. “its broken.”

“Fuck.” He groaned, without thinking, he pulled off the hoodie I hadn't even noticed he was wearing, leaving him bare.

Then he got beside me, pulled me up.
I barely had time to gasp before his hands were on me again, steadying, grounding. He lifted the hoodie and tried to slide it over my head.

“N-no,” I protested weakly, my hands coming up to stop him. “You’ll get cold.”
His jaw tightened.

“I said no,” I insisted, my voice small, trembling. “You’re already…”
“Nyx.”

He said my name like a warning.

My fingers stalled mid-air.

“You are not about to argue with me while your body is shaking like this.” His voice was low, firm, leaving no room for negotiation. “Arms up.”

“I…”

“Now.”

Something in his commanding, protective, unyielding made my resistance crumble. My arms lifted slowly, muscles aching, and he didn’t waste a second.

The hoodie slipped over my head, warm fabric enveloping me instantly. It was oversized, swallowing my frame, the sleeves covering my hands. His scent wrapped around me fully now, deep and comforting, and a shaky breath left my chest before I could stop it.

“There,” he murmured, adjusting it gently around my shoulders. “Better.”

I shook my head faintly. “You’ll freeze…”
“I won’t,” he said shortly, already pulling the duvet back. “And even if I did, that wouldn’t matter.”

Before I could process his words, he climbed onto the bed with me.

I stiffened. “W-what are you…”

He sat behind me and pulled me back against his chest, one arm wrapping firmly around my waist, the other tugging the duvet up and over us both. His body was solid, radiating heat, completely surrounding me.

“Relax,” he said softly near my ear. “I’ve got you.”

The warmth seeped into me slowly, stubborn cold fighting it at first, but his hold tightened just enough to keep me still. His palm pressed flat against my stomach, anchoring me, while his chin rested lightly on the top of my head.

“You’re not allowed to be cold like this,” he continued quietly. “Not when I’m here.”

My teeth finally stopped chattering, the violent shivers easing into faint tremors. I sagged back into him, exhaustion crashing over me now that my body wasn’t fighting anymore.

He noticed immediately.

“Good,” he murmured. “That’s it.”

I didn’t realize I was crying unt
il his thumb brushed gently over my wrist, slow, soothing circles.

“I was scared,” I whispered.
“I know.”

His grip tightened not possessive, but protective.