Nightfall (Devil's Night, #4)

by Penelope Douglas

“I know.” Kai let out a sigh. “I’m feeling it, too. I need something to happen.” “Something to obsess over,” Michael added. And then Damon chimed in. “We should kill someone.”

Did she have any idea how hard it was to try to sound like an angry teenage girl with zero sense of humor?

“Em, look at me a minute.” She stopped, looking like the whole world sat on her shoulders. What the hell was wrong? I knew if I asked, she wouldn’t tell me, though. “Em?” I murmured.

What was wrong with her? As far as my friends were concerned, there’d always been something wrong with her, but she looked…defeated. Like a broken vase barely held together with glue. Emory Scott never looked like that.

She stared at the floor and then retreated a step, but I grabbed her face, bringing her in close and rubbing my thumbs underneath her eyes. I wiped away the tears, but more just streamed down. And in that moment, I wanted to do nothing else with my life more than change her world, so she’d never feel like this again.

She tried to pull away, but I couldn’t let go. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in, hugging her as she gasped. Sobs wracked through her as she tensed, but I just held her tight, keeping her standing so she didn’t have to even worry about that right now.

Such a big mouth and attitude on a person who was really so soft and small.

We watched, and as the movie played, she started to change. Her eyes got bigger, her color came back, and I even heard her laugh once.

“I don’t think about anything else when I’m watching them,” she explained. “They take me away. It’s an escape. I like the survival aspect in some of them, too. Ordinary people becoming extraordinary. Being called to do great things.”

But then, Em started laughing, her pearly white teeth gleaming in the biggest smile I’d ever seen on the smartass little shit.

We fell quiet again, the surround sound blasting every fight and explosion, but I swore I could only hear my heart beating with her next to me.

I slid down in the seat, folding her into my arms as she tucked her head into my neck, neither of us giving a damn about the film anymore. I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of finally having her in my arms, and I had to fist my hands to keep them from roaming, or else she’d probably slap me. But God, she felt good. Like everything was lighter when I held her.

I was the temperamental one. He was the lover.

“You come to me,” he said, “or I’ll come to you.”

“Will is like that,” he said, his voice softening, somber now. “Isn’t he?” Like a smile that doesn’t hurt. I nodded. “Easy, normal, peaceful…” he told me. “The only thing in my life untouched by anything ugly. Nothing has tainted him. He’s the one thing that’s still beautiful and thinks the world is beautiful and believes people are beautiful and all that shit.”

Damon Torrance was gifted at manipulating someone’s mind. Putting the right glasses over someone’s eyes to make them see the world how he wanted them to see it. God help the woman who ever fell in love with him.

But Will liked Em. I’d rather live in that memory of the movie theater forever than ever make another one with anyone else.

When the bruises faded, and I had nothing else to show for what would never fade in my head, I had this. One book for every time I stood back up. Again. And again. And again.

“You’re so pretty,” he whispered. I shook my head, curling my fingers into fists. “But I’m getting really tired of you looking at me like that,” he said, his expression suddenly serious. “Like I can’t be trusted.”

“What’s the problem? Yesterday was amazing. Why do you always have to think so much until you’ve twisted something that was good into something bad?”

“It was a long time before I met someone who could take me,” she explained. “That’s the thing about broken people, Guillaume. If we ever give you our heart, then you know that you deserve it.”

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, gripping his T-shirt at his waist and dipping my forehead into his back. “I’m not…” My voice shook. “I’m just…not a happy person, Will. And you’re right, I never will be.”

“I’m not right for you,” I told him. And not because he was rich and popular and I wasn’t, but because he made my life better. I looked forward to him. What did I give him?

And something started to come over me, like a curtain falling—or lifting—and for once in my life, I refused to stop myself. I was so cold. And he was so warm. It was like an invisible rope pulling me to the edge that it was beyond me to control.

There was nothing about Will Grayson that wasn’t perfect.

I wanted him to know he deserved better. I wanted him to know that if I were someone else, I’d be his and I’d love him so good.

“If I don’t answer, he could come home to check on me. He could find you here.” He grabbed my arm, pulling me back. “Then let him.” He glared down at me. “I don’t give a shit. He won’t keep me away from you, so the sooner he knows the score, the better.”

“I’ve liked you forever,” he said. “If you talk to him, the spell will break and the night will be over because you’re not the same in the sun. You’ll have all kinds of reasons again tomorrow about why I can’t have you. Stay with me tonight. Don’t talk to him. Don’t let anything between us tonight.”

I stood there for a minute, sick of the guilt and self-hate. I’d done it again. I was a bitter, condescending coward, and hopefully, he’d move on to someone like him. Happy and bubbly and…fun.

She stole glances over at me every now and then, and I kept my gaze locked on her.

Right now, she thought I was still obsessed and small-minded, every moment we spent together vivid and tantalizing in my memory. I didn’t want her to know that was true. Ever. I was supposed to be somebody by now. I was supposed to make her regret not wanting me, and this was humiliating. She shouldn’t be here.

She may not have deserved it, but… Okay, yeah, she kind of deserved it after she laid waste to my fucking heart. I wanted to break something of hers, too.

“Did you ever forgive him?” he asked, his tone gentle for once. “Family does.” He blinked, something churning in his head. “But he had to submit.” The corner of my mouth quirked. “Family does.”

I had questions. Like why didn’t she tell me what was happening at home? Or why couldn’t she trust me? I was patient. I would’ve understood. I wouldn’t have disappointed her.

Rory was the dominant one, and Micah loved every second of it because all he wanted was love. I was like that. Emmy was like Rory. Perfect for me. When she let herself be.

All my friends loved the control. Loved to hold them down and make them beg for it like Rika, Banks, and Winter were their toys. Not me. She dominated me, and I didn’t want it any other way.

Will’s truck flashed in my memory—the smell and the feel of him next to me. But after a few moments, I couldn’t think of anything. I couldn’t remember anything. No green eyes. No beautiful smile. No warm arms around me.

God, I wanted her. I could chalk it up to being without a woman for so long, but no…it was Emory Sophia Scott and how good her smiles felt. All the frowns were worth the trouble for just one smile.

A pyrrhic victory. And here I was, pretty sure that no cost was too great to just be able to hold her. It kind of scared me what I’d pay.

Normally, I’d run. I’d escape into my phone or a book or another room. Normally, I’d— But just then…he was there. And I stopped.

I hated home. I didn’t love the gazebo anymore. I was tired of school and tired of never seeing anything that didn’t drain me, no matter which way I turned. I wanted to see him. I wanted to feel his hand in mine.

He turned, smiling as he gazed into my eyes. “I love seeing you laugh.” I dipped my forehead to his, my body filled with excitement and more freedom than I’d ever felt in my whole life.

I looked over at Will to tell him my idea, but he was already staring at me. He gazed down with an entranced look in his eyes like he’d just been watching something so interesting as he stared at me.

I’d love to have an excuse to drag him into my hellish life and keep him there forever.

“My sweet, little secret,” he murmured.

“But you’re going to be fucking mine someday,” he growled. “Come hell or high water, Emory Scott. You’re my woman, and you’re going to come home to me every day and sit at my table and warm my fucking bed.”

“I bought Milk Duds and Twizzlers.” I chuckled under my breath. “I don’t know why because I was on my own, and I didn’t need all that candy, but I didn’t eat the Milk Duds.” I swallowed, staring deep into his eyes. “I couldn’t help but think… ‘Will would love this.’” My eyes stung, but I blinked away the tears, knowing exactly why I bought the Milk Duds. They were Will’s.

And my heart started to shatter, hearing a younger, happier Will Grayson begging me to let him hold me again.

I closed my eyes, the water raining down on us in the hothouse as I pictured all the fun we could’ve had if I’d just dived in all those years ago.

“Because,” I whispered over his mouth. “Because I want to be your girl.” He circled my waist with both arms like a steel band, stopping me. “And you remember what that means?” I gazed down at him, trying to hide my smile as I remembered everything he wanted.