Chapter 2
1289 Words
Nate wasn’t sure when the world had become so unbearably loud. Every heartbeat around him pounded in his ears, every scent carried a weight he couldn’t ignore. The air in Liam’s apartment was thick with the smell of old books, Liam’s body wash, and the faint, lingering scent of someone else probably his last hookup.
“Dude, you good?” Liam asked, pulling open the fridge. His voice snapped Nate out of his thoughts, but it didn’t stop the onslaught of sensations. The hum of the refrigerator. The soft rustling of Liam’s hoodie as he shifted his weight. The almost imperceptible crackle of tension in the air.
Nate rubbed his temples. “Yeah. Just… headache.”
Liam snorted. “Midterms will do that to you.” He pulled out a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream and waggled it at Nate. “This is the cure.”
Nate collapsed onto the couch, dropping his books onto the table. Not that they’d been doing much studying anyway.
Liam popped open the ice cream. “So… since when did you start talking to Killian?”
Nate raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“I saw you guys down the hallway earlier,” Liam said, scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. “You and the killan. Didn’t think you two were on speaking terms.”
Nate groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t talking to them, per se. We just happened to bump into each other, which I really wish hadn’t happened because Celeste completely ruined my mood.”
Liam smirked, shoving another spoonful into his mouth. “Man, you talk about Celeste a lot.”
“Because she’s annoying,” Nate shot back. “She’s rude, arrogant, and—”
“And you totally like her,” Liam finished, grinning.
Nate scowled. “I do not.”
“Sure,” Liam drawled. “You’re obsessed with hating her. Kinda the same thing.”
“Oh, and what about you and Killian?” Nate shot back, leaning forward with a smirk. “You’ve been real interested in him lately.”
Liam’s face remained infuriatingly calm as he licked his spoon. “What can I say? He’s hot in a ‘he-could-snap-me-in-half’ kinda way.”
Nate choked on his own breath. “Jesus, Liam.”
“What? You asked.” Liam grinned. “If I’m gonna get thrown around, might as well be by someone with that kind of body mmmh just thinking about it makes me wanna.....”
Nate groaned, shoving a pillow at Liam’s face. “Shut up.”
Liam just laughed, dodging the attack with practiced ease. “See? This is why you and Celeste would work. She’d kick your ass, and you’d love it.”
Nate’s phone buzzed, cutting off whatever smart-ass remark he was about to make. He glanced at the screen and immediately sat up straighter. Mom.
“Gimme a sec,” he muttered to Liam before swiping to accept the call. “Hey, Mom.”
“Nate! Hi, sweetheart. How are you?” Her voice was warm, familiar, but there was a hint of concern that made his chest tighten.
“I’m fine,” he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just, y’know, college stuff. Midterms. Stress.”
She hummed in that way only moms do when they know you’re lying but decide to let it slide. “You sure? You sound… different.”
Nate swallowed. If only she knew how different. “I’m good, Mom. I promise.”
A pause. Then, softer, “I miss you.”
Nate’s throat tightened. “I miss you too.”
Liam, ever the menace, waggled his eyebrows at him. “Tell her I say hi.”
Nate flipped him off. “Mom, I gotta go, but I’ll call you soon, okay?”
“Well, I was thinking,” she started hesitantly. “Maybe you could come home this weekend? I know school keeps you busy, but it’s been weeks, Nate. I miss you.”
The way she said I miss you hit him harder than it should have.
“I… yeah. Yeah, I’ll come home.”
Her breath of relief was almost enough to make him feel normal again. Almost.
“Really?” she asked, like she hadn’t expected him to say yes. “Oh, Nate, that makes me so happy! I’ll make your favorite ,lasagna, garlic bread, and that caramel cheesecake you always beg me for.”
Liam, ever the menace, waggled his eyebrows at him from across the couch. “Tell her I say hi,” he mouthed.
Nate flipped him off.
“Mom, you don’t have to go all out,” he said, even though his stomach rumbled at the thought.
“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “My son is finally coming home, and you think I’m not going to feed you properly? You’ve probably been surviving on ramen and vending machine snacks.”
“Hey, I’ll have you know I had a very nutritious breakfast today,” Nate said, lying through his teeth.
His mom snorted. “Let me guess coffee and a granola bar?”
Nate opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “…Maybe.”
She sighed, but there was laughter in her voice. “I swear, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” Then, softer, “Just take care of yourself, okay? And if anything’s wrong, you’ll tell me?”
Something in his gut twisted.
“Yeah,” he lied. “I’ll tell you.”
She didn’t sound convinced, but she let it go. “Alright, sweetheart. I’ll see you this weekend.”
“Yeah,” he said, softer now. “See you soon.”
As the call ended, Nate exhaled and leaned back against the couch. He could feel Liam’s gaze on him, far too smug for his liking.
“Oh yeah, did you hear about the guy that died the night of the party?” Liam said casually, digging his spoon into the tub of ice cream.
Nate, halfway through scrolling his phone, barely registered the words at first. Then, his head snapped up. “What the hell? What do you mean died?” His voice came out sharper than he intended. “And how am I just hearing about this now?”
Liam blinked at him, unfazed. “Dude, you never listen to gossip. It’s been all over campus.” He leaned back against the counter, completely unbothered. “They found him in the woods behind campus, torn up pretty bad. The cops think it was a coyote attack.”
Nate’s stomach dropped.
His entire body locked up, heart hammering painfully against his ribs. The woods. That night. He’d woken up in the same damn place his clothes shredded, his body aching, his head a mess of confusion.
And now someone had turned up dead?
Surely, he would have remembered something, right? Right?
A flash of gold flickered through his mind glowing eyes watching him in the dark. A growl that had sent ice down his spine.
His breath hitched.
“I gotta go.” The words were out before he even fully processed them. He was already shoving his books into his bag, moving on autopilot.
Liam frowned. “Wait, what? Where are you—”
“I just remembered something.” Nate slung his bag over his shoulder and headed straight for the door.
Liam watched him, spoon halfway to his mouth. “Uh… okay? See you in class, I guess?”
But Nate wasn’t listening. He was already out the door, his pulse pounding as he rushed toward his dorm.
He needed answers. Now.
- Writer
