Meadow’s POV:


    “Ah, fick mich,” Nn groaned. “Was I not supposed to tell you that? You’re going to get me into some


    damn trouble…”


    But I wasn’t listening any longer.


    Juniper was out.


    ric had let her out of the facility, and that was why he had men stationed around the house. He thought that if I found out, I was going to find her.


    But I wasn’t. If anything, she was going to be the one to try to draw me out. But my sister hadn’t contacted me yet. A lot of questions rose with that revtion. If he was going to let her out, why didn’t he tell me?


    And with the way he was cruel to me the other night, I thought that he wasn’t going to have her released


    anytime soon.


    “Are you alright?” Nn’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.


    I looked out the window again. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine.”


    “Well, you don’t look fine,” he muttered under his breath.


    I rolled my eyes. “Whatever I look like shouldn’t matter to you, Nn. You don’t even like me.”


    I wasn’t sure why it surprised me that Nn didn’t disagree with me. I wasn’t expecting him to say it wasn’t true. That he did like me. But confirming it right now seemed a little… disappointing.


    We didn’t speak after that, except when he was asking for directions. And in less than an hour, we were parked in front of Nova’s apartment building.


    “Thanks for the ride,” I murmured before I got out of the car. And froze.


    Because Nn just got out of the car too.


    I arched a brow at him. “Uh… what are you doing?”


    Nn <i>took </i>off his jacket, tossing it into his car. “I’m just going to save us the theatrics and say yes, Meadow, I’m following you into your friend’s apartment. And no, I’m not leaving you alone. I’ve done enough for you already, the least you could do is let me see it through. Besides, I’d like to meet this best friend of yours.” He waggled his eyebrows.


    I sneered at him. I was prepared to argue, but I knew that I wasn’t going to win this fight. Nn wasn’t


    going to drive off and leave me here.


    Unfortunately.


    “Don’t try anything funny,” I snapped before turning on my heel and heading into the building. While we rode the elevator, the atmosphere was slightly tense. I made sure to stay at least five feet away from Nn. Funny that ric would send his brother who didn’t even like me to check on me, meanwhile he


    hadn’t sent a single text.


    It pissed me the hell off. But even at that, I still missed him. I wondered what he was doing in Vegas. I knew he had a club there and probably some other business ventures, but why did it seem like he was deliberately avoiding me?


    And why was he so cold?


    “I like you, princess.” Nn’s voice filtered into my mind, bringing me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him but he was typing away on his phone.


    “What?”


    He spared me a short nce. “At first, I didn’t understand you. But knowing what I know about your sister -which isn’t much, by the way–I can tell you haven’t had the best life. You’re damaged.” He smirked. “I


    like that.”


    My cheeks heated, and I opened my mouth to say something snarky, but then the elevator doors opened. So instead, I shot him a sour look and stepped out of it, heading toward Nova’s door with Nn following


    closely behind.


    I could hear Nova retching even before I turned the corner into her living room.


    Nn whistled behind me. “Wow, she must be really fucking sick.”


    I ignored him, walking over to Nova just as she tossed the bin aside, letting out a low groan.


    “Hey,” I whispered, dropping my bag onto the table. “Hey, I’m here.”


    She settled back against the couch. “About damn time,<i>” </i>she breathed. “God, I feel like I’m going to die.”


    My lips twitched. I reached for her forehead with the back of my palm. “Shit. You’re burning up, Nova.”


    “Yeah,” she muttered, squinting as she tried to look past me. “Who is–oh fuck!” Her face paled as her gazended on Nn properly. “You!”


    Confused, I turned to nce at Nn. He seemed frozen too, his thumbs hovering over his phone screen as his lips parted slightly. And then his eyes glinted with amusement.


    “You,” he echoed, pocketing his phone and not taking his eyes off Nova.


    I turned back to Nova, questions already at the tip of my tongue. “You know him?”


    “Yes,” she hissed.


    “Intimately, might I add,” Nn finished.


    All the breath knocked out of my lungs. There was no way in hell- “What on earth is he talking about,


    Nova?”


    Nn hummed as he stepped closer. “Nova,” he said, like he was testing the name around his tongue. “It’s


    a lovely name. Shame you had to hide it from me the night we met.”


    She rolled her eyes weakly, shifting her gaze to me. “How do you know him? And why the hell is he in my


    apartment when I look like…” She gestured at her old t–shirt and sweatpants. “This!”


    She seemed genuinely flustered that he was here. And holy fuck, I couldn’t believe that Nova and Nn


    had sex with each other. And didn’t exchange names.


    “Nova,” I started, clearing my throat. “This is Nn.”


    I didn’t think it was possible for Nova’s face to pale even more, but it did. Her eyes went wide as


    realization hit her. “Nn… as in… ric’s brother?”


    I simply nodded, my lips pulling back into a grimace.


    “Oh god<i>,” </i>she rasped. “I’m gonna throw up-”


    I reached for the bin, pulling it closer to her just in time for her to spill her guts again. “Okay, I think we need to take you to the hospital.”


    “Should I be ttered that you’ve been talking to her about me, or baffled that she just threw up because I’m rted to your husband?”


    I scoffed, shooting him a re as I moved to Nova’s side to help her to her feet. “Help me, please?”


    “What?” Nova stuttered weakly. “No. No, I’m not letting him touch me.”


    “Funny. I seem to remember you begging for my touch,” Nn deadpanned, walking over to us. He jerked his head at me, silently telling me to leave her to him.


    And then he carried her bridal style into his arms with minimal effort, ignoring her weak protests. “Let me go, Nn. I can walk. And I don’t need to go to the hospital. I’m fine, Meds,” she whined.


    “Not a chance, sü?e,” Nn replied. ‘sweet one.” “You’re burning up. Lead the way, princess,” he muttered, turning to face me.


    I only just realized that I had been standing there, gawking at them all this while, but Nn’s words spurred me into action and I grabbed my purse from the bag, grabbed Nova’s phone, and then opened the door so Nn could carry her out.


    And it was only when we were in the backseat and Nn was making a short call, that I shot my best friend an usatory re as she stared at me from myp.


    “When did this happen?”


    “Last week,” she murmured.


    “Thought you said you were staying off bad boys.”


    She shrugged weakly. “Didn’t say I wouldn’t fuck them. I just… won’t… open my heart up to them.” Her eyes fell closed. “This is a really nice car.”


    I mmed my head backward against the seat just as Nn got in the driver’s seat.


    Knowing what I knew about Nn, I was almost fully certain that he wasn’t going to leave Nova alone until she was either throwing knives at him or… throwing her ass up for him. Again, apparently.


    My best friend and I were doomed.