Please Don't Go (The Midnight Strike, #1)

by E. Salvador

“You don’t want to what?” he presses, insistent as always. Be a bother. Annoy you more than I already have. Inconvenience you. “It’s not necessary.” “Mmm, I disagree. I think it’s very necessary. Put me in your phone.” “No, stop being so insistent or I’m going to kick you out.”

“You didn’t need to do that.” I track his tongue as it pokes out and drags along his top and bottom lip. “I did and I wanted

“Aren’t you an overachiever?” I tease. “So, you can speak it then?” “What can I say? I like getting good grades, and my dad would have also beat my ass,”

“Sto facendo di tutto per non baciarti in questo momento.” I lift a brow, holding back a smile. “Well? You know I have no idea what that means.” He stares at me for a long beat, his amber eyes holding me in place and burning me up. “I said, I hope you’re ready to eat.”

So I should be over the goddamn moon because I’m a step closer to finally making the dream a reality. But as happy as I want to be, I can’t. It feels wrong.

“Where’s your phone? I’ve texted you like twenty million times.” She stands in front of me, panting and slightly sweaty. I should tell her. She’s right here. She deserves to know, but so did Adrian and he’s not here.

“What’s that?” “What’s what?” I quickly shut it and tuck it in my pocket. Her eyes narrow in suspicion. “What are you hiding?” “What are you talking about?” I take a step back when she takes a step forward.

“We’re friends.” I shrug. There’s a beat of silence, only a second long, before she’s beaming. “What did you guys agree on?” “You’re so nosy. I’m leaving.”

“A thing for brown?” She sounds amused. “I thought your favorite color was green?” “Yeah, a thing. I happen to really like that color.” I reply. “And it is but it’s a bit too obvious and brown is different. Brown is…I just have a deep thing for

“You don’t have to stay, but if you ever feel like you need to um…get some rest, you can. Don’t feel obligated to spend the night or come over. But if you ever need space from your roommates, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

And so am I because I’m struggling to accept that she trusts me so much, she gave me a key to her house.

It’s weird how silence can feel so loud, so suffocating, so isolating. It’s my fault for craving it back then. I wished for it, prayed everything would just for a moment be quiet. And now that I have it, I hate it.

I hope you enjoy, and I’m so happy you’re here! With love, Garcia

He shakes his head, his damp hair moving with the movement. “I highly doubt that really pretty girl was lying.” My heart rampantly flutters. “You don’t get compliments often, do you? Is that why it went straight to your head?” “I do but not from her.”

“You should take her words with a grain of salt. Her words tend to be fickle.” “Unpredictability happens to be my middle name. So, I guess that makes the two of us fickle.” “I’m not sure that’s how it works, and I thought it was Jesus?” “That too.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” “Because my mom would love you,”

He’s not asking me. He’s just asking. “I’ve never thought about it. Mom always said men were useless and served no purpose other than to get you pregnant and leave you,”

“But listen, I’m all for women taking the lead. I’m a supporter and all, but if anyone is going to propose, it’ll be me.” “You’re really willing to spend the rest of your life with me?” I don’t know why I play along but I do. “Yes.” His knuckles brush against mine. My cheeks flame. “Are you sure you want that?”

“So, you want to get married and have kids?” “With you, yeah. Just tell me when and where and I’m yours forever.”

“Be careful what you wish for.” “I know. That’s why I’m wishing for

“But I’ve just always washed them by hand, and the dishwasher at the baseball house is broken. We actually use it to store extra dishes and whatnot. When you go over…maybe don’t look in there.”

“We can compromise. I’ll start buying groceries and cooking.” Her lips part, and I don’t doubt she’ll argue against me doing that. “Take it or take it. I’m not going to argue with you, Josefine.” “You mean take it or leave it?”

“Usually but this isn’t negotiable. I’m going to be here and I really want to be useful to you.”

I’m not sure because her ass is nestled right above my dick, so it’s hard to focus on anything else. “What do you want me to do?” My voice is gruff. Fuck. “Nothing. Just stay still and breathe. You’ll pass out if you don’t.”

know she’ll hold the picture down and look. That’s why I said that. Sorry, I should’ve warned you, but it just came to mind.” Yeah, she should be apologizing because now I want to hear her say it over and over again.

“What’s wrong? You said thirty minutes! You said…” She stalks towards me and jabs her finger at my chest. “Thirty minutes, Daniel! You said you would be…” Her voice goes hoarse and then it cracks. “Here in thirty minutes. You promised!” “Josefine, hey, I’m here now, I’m sorry. I didn’t⁠—” “No!” she shouts, backing away, raising a hand for me to stay away from her. “I don’t want you here. I want you to leave. This was a mistake. Grab you stuff and get the fuck out!”

“It’s not that I like having you here, but you cook. So don’t get it twisted. That’s the only reason why I want you here.” “Mm-hmm, right. I’m going to pretend you don’t enjoy my presence as much as I enjoy yours.” He grins. “You enjoy my presence?”

His gaze dips to my lips again. I need him to stop doing that. I watch his Adam’s apple bob, but his grumbling stomach makes the hot atmosphere cool. “Hungry?” I tease, pretending like I don’t want to kiss him again. He’s not into me.

“If you’re not going to be useful, get out,” I repeat. “Are you just going to pretend like you didn’t hear Angel’s question?” Kai instigates, smiling innocently at me. “You guys eloped, didn’t you?” “Váyanse a la verga.”

“Danny, I’m going to tell Mom.” I roll my eyes and ignore her but she’s like a fly, dead set on being annoying. “Anyway, if she’s your friend, why do you have⁠—” “Shut. Up,” I grit. “Have what?”

have for the past forty minutes, Vienna,” I grumble. “You’re so cute. My little ray of sunshine,” she coos, grazing her index finger under my chin. I blankly stare at her. “I’m not little. You’re literally a year younger than me.” “I’m taller than you,”

“I can be. Yes or no?” “I don’t think I want to be your friend anymore.” “Babe, that ship sailed a long time ago. You’re stuck with me for life. Remember we’re in the dead mom’s club. I don’t make the rules, so get used to me.”

“You’re so weird with your fixation on me and Daniel fucking.” I clench my thighs. “It’s just a question. Yes or no, Josie?” Yes. “No.”

“What if Josie wanted you? What then?” “What do you mean, what then?” I ask, a little more annoyed than I mean to be. “What if…Josie wanted you and let’s say you wanted her too…what then?”

“You got a praise kink I don’t know about?” “I don’t know, but I’m willing to find out.”

“I think I’m good. You’re a little needy for my taste,” I apathetically reply. He gasps, placing his palm on his chest. “Needy? Josefine Resendiz, I’m anything but needy.” A small chuckle claws out from the back of my throat. “Yeah, okay, Daniel Garcia.” “Don’t mistake my willingness for neediness because I’m more than welcome to show you just how needy I can make you.”

“It’ll just be the guys I was roommates with. We do this roughly two weeks before the bonfire and the season begins. It’s a little tradition we started my freshman year. It’s just us, though sometimes Pen comes and brings her friends. She was going to ask you, but I told her I’d tell you. I meant to do that yesterday but with me moving in, it slipped my mind.” “I think I’m going to stay and⁠—” “And what are you going to do?”

I should tell him that he can’t boss me around because I hate nothing more than a man telling me what to do but…this is Daniel, and I find it hot.

“His stuff is over here. Maybe he’s looking at his water.” “Point two: He calls you Jos.” “Wow, a nickname. You all call me Josie.” “Point three: You call him Garcia.” “Again, it’s just a nickname.” “No one else calls him that.” “Because they call him Danny.” “Gray tried to call you Jos and Danny told him not to.” “I’m sure he was just messing around. They seem to do that a lot.” “He may have looked like he was joking, but we both know damn well it didn’t sound like it.”

“Mild shoulder squeezes. That means nothing. And are you forgetting I’m teaching him how to swim? We touch each other a lot.” “You’re killing me, Josie.”

“Killing. Me.” “You’re delusional, Vienna. Delusional. Daniel’s a flirt. Trust me, he’s not into me. He wouldn’t ever be.”

“Werewolf penises,” she says and like she did with me, proceeds to explain how knotting works to everyone. Surprisingly they raptly pay attention, a little too intrigued. “That sounds insane,”

“Cool?” I lift a brow and look up to find him already staring at me. “That just sounds insane to me.” “I don’t know. The thought of someone out there being made just for you sounds nice.”

“But just so we’re on the same page, once you lose, we’ll still be good, right? You won’t hold any grudges?” I scoff and stand in front of him with the net between us. “Daniel?” “Yes, Josefine?” His voice is light and teasing but haughty. “Disrespectfully, fuck off.” Mine, not so much. He throws his head back and laughs. “I like it when you’re mean to me.” “I thought you were into being praised?” I say, a little quiet and playful. “I’m into anything you do,”

“You know, there’s space right over there.” She points at the space between Noah and Angel. “Well, go sit over there.”

“He’s weird like that,” Angel says through a mouthful. “What’s your excuse?” I question Daniel. “Seeing you try something new.” He grabs his phone and holds it up. My cheeks burn. This can’t be happening. “What are you doing?” “I’m going to record your first spam musubi experience.” I hear the smile in his voice, but now I’m self-conscious because everyone is staring at me.

I’m about to look away, Daniel’s eyes connect with mine. I must be hallucinating because he looks relieved to see me. You need to leave! You need to walk away! a voice screams in my head. But my legs do the opposite.

Then she approaches us and once again I’m struggling. There’s never a day that goes by without thinking about being around her, but right now is not one of those days. I don’t want Josie to see me like this or to think that I’m broken because I’m not.

“They matter too, you know.” I cradle his cheek, gently caressing it with the pad of my thumb. “You matter, Daniel.”

“I’m sorry if that came off brash. I’m not good at this kind of thing. Maybe you should look up a therapist. I hear they’re good at this kind of thing.”