This Wicked Sin

Chapter 12: Gabriel

“Not that I want to kick you out or anything, but what are you doing here?” Nix’s voice was adorably puzzled despite his words.

I was lying on a couch in his game room. Nix rented an apartment near campus so he wouldn’t have to share his living space with a roommate.

Nix and I go a long way back. His family, the Crosses, were close associates of my family and high-ranking members of the Raven clan. Nix and Vox’s father was my father's official right-hand man. Because of that, our two families grew up very close. While Vox and my older brother had been planning their nuptials, Nix and I had bonded over our shared distaste for it.

“Why do you ask that like I can't want to spend time with my oldest friend?” I grumbled.

“Gabriel, please. Let's be real here. I don't think you've spent a single Friday night at home unless you were sick and hungover. Most times, even that wouldn't stop you.”

I laughed a little because he was right. I had come here to waste a little time before I was expected to move to Rowan's apartment tomorrow. He'd been hounding me for days to make the move as soon as possible. I was surprised I lasted this long against his strongly worded 'suggestions'. I didn't even know why I was so hesitant to move. It wasn't like I had any deep sentiment towards my current apartment. Was it that I saw moving closer to Rowan, and subsequently my family, as a loss of freedom? As a step back from my journey to escape them?

“I told you, I'm trying to cut back.”

“But why? Did something happen? Did you finally discover some healthy coping mechanisms for your problems?”

“You're such an asshole,” I said.

“Stop trying to steer this conversation away from the current topic. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. You can just say that and I'll drop it.”

“For now.”

“Of course, for now, dummy. You can't run away from talking about things forever.”

“I swear you're speaking like a therapy major right now.”

“I'm trying to be a good friend.”

“You already are a good friend.”

“Whatever. Get over here. I need a second player for this dumb co-op quest. Then you can tell me what's going on.”

I grumbled a bit but went to join him. And then I finally told him of the deal from Rowan. He was going to find out eventually.

“So what you're saying is that you're basically out?” There was an odd inflection in his voice.

“If I can keep myself clean, then yeah.”

“But why? Is it so bad here? Are you sure you can't carve out a life here? You have so many people who love you, are you really willing to give that up? What about-”

He didn’t finish his sentence. He sounded sad. I didn’t want to be the cause of any of that.

Nix continued after a moment of silence. “I remember when we were growing up. We all used to train together, remember? I was always scrawny and sucked at everything. I spent every single moment of combat training wishing I could escape to my room and be on my computer for the rest of my life. It freaking sucked honestly. I'm sure I embarrassed my dad quite a bit. But you? You were always so good at everything. Second only to Rowan, which is something to be impressed about. You were different from me. I saw the look in your eyes every time you bested an opponent. You loved it.”

“What's your point, Nix?” I asked quietly. I didn't want to talk about this.

“I guess I'm just trying to understand what happened. You don't just give up something like that for no reason. You were alive and at your best when you trained. Is it-is it because of that incide-?”

“No,” I bit out before he could even finish, “No,” I said again, more calmly this time.

That incident. The reason the Corvins and the Dakas are no longer allies and are a hairsbreadth from an all-out bloody war.

I wish it were that simple. The truth of it was, my father didn't want me anywhere near the family business.

My father trained me from when I was young to be strong and unyielding. To take what I am owed. Now he wouldn’t even look at me if not in disgust.

But it was okay. I was okay. I didn't need those things. All I needed was to get out of here and start a new life.

“I'm not-” I paused, debating whether or not to tell him. He didn't know the extent of my father's disdain for me. Most people didn't. “I can't. I'm not allowed to.”

“Sorry,” he said when he noticed how much my mood had plummeted, “I'm glad Rowan has your back at least.”

“He's always had my back,” I said. I wished I could have his back. But the idea of Rowan letting someone do that for him was entirely laughable.

“This quest is ass,” I said after a few moments of silence.

“I know. I wouldn't have bothered with it but it gives really good premium crystal rewards.”

“I don't know why you'd even bother when you can afford to buy a hundred times what they're offering.”

“It's not about being able to afford this. It's about the grind. The journey is what makes it worth it.” Then he said after a pause, “My dad told me to limit my game spending to $100 a month.”

“The grind my ass.” I guffawed.

“It's not like I don't enjoy the grind,” Nix grumbled under his breath.

My phone vibrated on the couch with an incoming call. It was far from the first one of the night. I doubted it would be the last.

“Aren't you gonna get that?” Nix questioned when the phone didn’t stop ringing.

“It's probably just one of the guys trying to get me to go out again. It's nothing.”

“It might be Rowan.”

“Nah. He has his own ringtone.”

“Do I have my own ringtone?”

“Are you jealous right now? Is that what this is?”

“Don't be ridiculous. I would just like to know, you know, in the intellectual sense if I'm put in the same category as your other random acquaintances. Am I going to be ignored every time I call because you assume I'm ‘one of the guys’?”

I let out an incredulous laugh. “You’d have to call me in the first place for that to be an issue.”

“I've called you,” he said defensively.

“Yes. Like 3 times. In the entire time, I've known you. Which is pretty much my entire life. Why would you be concerned about what ringtone I put for you?”

“Argh. Whatever. Can you just put your phone on Do Not Disturb then? It seems like they won't stop calling and that phone is gonna vibrate a hole through my couch.”

I sighed. “Fine,”

I picked up the phone just as it stopped ringing.

Apart from a good number of calls from the guys throughout the night, there were about 7 missed calls from Aren.

That was extremely unusual. Just as I was about to call her back, the phone vibrated with an incoming call from Aren.

I answered immediately.

“Aren?” The call was coming from a clearly noisy place. “Hello? Aren?”

“Gabe. Please. Come get me.” Her voice sounded weak and slurred. Was she already wasted? It was pretty early in the night for her.

“What’s going on? Where are you?” I demanded. There was a feeling of unease in the pit of my stomach.

“Please. I can't think straight. I think I've been drugged.”