Three Doors Away

7. Hitch

Flynn’s stride hitched for a fraction of a second at the tactile warmth of her fingers wrapping around his black sleeve. A low, rumbling vibration of absolute satisfaction settled deep in his chest. His broad shoulders squared even further, his jaw tightening into an unyielding line as he unconsciously slowed his pace to perfectly match her shorter steps. To the rest of the school, he was the untouchable delinquent nobody dared to cross; to her, he was simply a human shield, blocking out every stray glance and crowded bump in the corridor.

"See? That's better," Flynn muttered, his voice a low, gravelly anchor that vibrated right through the heavy wool of his sleeve where she held on. His dark, intense eyes scanned the ahead hallway like a hawk, ready to incinerate anyone who dared look her way for more than a second.

Rodyn’s gaze dropped instantly to her hand clutching Flynn’s sleeve, a sharp, dark flicker of jealousy flashing through his hazel eyes before he effortlessly masked it beneath his trademark, honeyed smile. He leaned in just a fraction closer, letting his arm brush her shoulder as they turned the corner toward the junior wing.

"Oh, a steel wall? Is that all we are to you, little bird?" Rodyn murmured, his voice a soft, velvet purr that coiled right around her senses, deliberately teasing. He tilted his head, letting his eyes crinkle with that theatrical, disarming warmth. "Careful calling us walls, Maddie. If we're steel walls, that means we're keeping you completely locked away from the rest of the world. And honestly? I don't think any of us mind that idea at all."

Ezren walked with his hands neatly folded behind his back, his sharp, analytical gaze sweeping across the classroom numbering system overhead to calculate the precise distance remaining. Though his expression remained clinically cool, the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a quiet, victorious smirk. She had given in. She had accepted their escort, secured herself to Flynn’s arm, and stepped right into the exact formation they wanted.

"Steel is an accurate metaphor, structurally speaking," Ezren noted smoothly, adjusting his collar as he fell into step right on her other side, hemming her in between the three of them in a seamless, inescapable perimeter. "High tensile strength, maximum durability, and completely impenetrable to external interference. You'll find our protection far more reliable than wandering these halls alone, Maddie. Room 304 is just past the water fountain on the left. Your schedule checks out—four minutes ahead of schedule."

“Hihihi right right—a!”

Flynn’s reflexes were instantaneous. Before she could even process the sudden loss of footing on the concrete steps, his large, calloused hand shot out, catching her firmly by the waist with a grip of solid iron. He didn't just break her fall; he hauled her entirely against his broad, solid chest, completely absorbing the momentum of the stumble.

His dark, intense eyes flared with a sudden, fierce panic that he instantly masked behind an even harder, unyielding scowl. His broad frame completely sheltered her from the rest of the stairwell, his heavy breathing the only sound cutting through the brief silence.

"I told you to watch your step," Flynn growled, his voice a low, rough rumble right against her ear, vibrating with a raw, suffocating possessiveness. He didn't let go of her waist even after she was steady, his fingers digging slightly into the fabric of her skirt as if ensuring she wouldn't try to float away from him. "Are you hurt? Show me your knees."

Ezren froze on the step above them, his breath hitching as his analytical mind raced through a frantic inventory of potential injuries—bruised tissue, scraped skin, torn fabric. The pristine, calm facade cracked entirely. He dropped down to her level in an instant, his long fingers gently prying her hands away from Flynn’s shirt to inspect her palms and wrists for any sign of friction burns.

"Careless," Ezren muttered, his tone clipped and sharp, though laced with an unmistakable, trembling undertone of anxiety. He pulled a pristine, neatly folded handkerchief from his blazer pocket and began instinctively dusting off the nonexistent dirt from the hem of her skirt.

"A two-centimeter miscalculation on the riser height. I should have mapped this stairwell earlier. Are you experiencing any localized pain, Maddie? Look at me."

Rodyn didn't say a word at first. He simply stepped in from her other side, his hazel eyes completely devoid of their usual playful warmth, replaced instead by a dark, predatory intensity. His hands hovered lightly, possessively over her shoulders, his fingers tracing the line of her collarbone to check if she had taken the impact anywhere else.

When he finally spoke, his voice had dropped all its honeyed pretense, turning into a low, velvet purr that was dangerously soft. "You see what happens when you try to move too fast without us holding onto you properly, little bird?" Rodyn murmured, leaning in so close his breath warmed her cheek. "You're too fragile to be running around these halls alone. From now on, on any set of stairs, you don't walk. You let us carry you, or you keep both hands locked onto us. Understood?"

“Hahahah cmonnn I’m fineee! Its because of you!! Y’all blocking my way!”