Secrets Worth Keeping (Finding my Home #2)- Nikita Parmenter Page 0,105

some point but honestly I’m up for a more relaxed drinking game right now there seems to be a lot involved” he says before he reads the rules out to the rest of us.

It sounds awesome but very active and I’m feeling particularly lazy after the long day and awesome meal that Rafe cooked. I want to play a game but maybe one that we can sit down for instead.

“I’m with you on this one” I reply, “I absolutely want to play it before we go home though” I add.

“I agree with Princess. I vote lazy drinking game.”

“Maybe we can play it for Luc’s birthday tomorrow?” Jensen suggests, agreeing with the rest of us.

“What are we doing for Luc’s birthday?” I ask curiously.

“There’s a bar down in town that doesn’t card, I thought we’d go down there for a few after the curry you and Rafe have made” Luc says.

“Sounds good. I have a fake ID anyway though so shouldn’t be a problem” I grin.

“Alright what about a round of never have I ever and then a movie?” Atlas suggests.

We spend the rest of the evening learning some surprising things about each other, drinking and then finally pass out watching a movie.

When I groggily start to become aware again it’s still dark outside and I desperately want to fall back to sleep, still curled up on the couch and surrounded by all of the guys except Atlas. Unfortunately my damn bladder is hearing none of it and I reluctantly untangle myself from my snuggle partners. At this point my eyes are pretty much closed still and I have no idea who I was even snuggled with. I only opened them long enough to register that Atlas was missing and that was about it.

I stumble my way upstairs and to my room, since in my sleepy state I can’t remember if there is even a bathroom downstairs. I make it to my room unscathed but half way up the stairs decided it’s probably a good idea if I open at least one of my eyes since I nearly fell back down them. Once I’ve done my business I decide that the trip back down the stairs is too perilous with only one eye open and I’m not willing to open the other one so I crash into my bed instead, I barely manage to get myself under the covers before I’m drifting back into unconsciousness.

I regret the decision not to go back downstairs to the guys the instant the nightmares inky black tendrils grab a hold of me and pull me under.

Fuck.

Atlas

I scream myself awake as I’m hurled into consciousness and immediately start swinging before I wake more and remember where I am. I take gulping breaths trying to calm my pounding heart.

Fuck.

It sucked leaving everyone downstairs, all of them asleep and somehow managing to surround Ever. I couldn’t risk hurting one of them or worse Ever if and when I woke up swinging. If I’m being honest with myself though I can admit that more than that, I don’t want her to see me like that. The nightmare tonight was particularly brutal. I’m not surprised though, I managed to pull Trick to the side before he got too drunk and after Ever had already fallen asleep and he filled me in on her past. It made me murderous and I’m out for fucking blood from every fucker who laid a finger on her, even though from the sounds of it she gave as good as she fucking got, they still deserve to die and if I ever get names from her, they will. Some of the things in her past align with my own and bought my own memories to the forefront of my mind and that's what triggered the brutal nightmare.

After I’ve calmed down enough, I untangle myself from the covers and make my way out of the door, hoping that a glass of water will help to calm me further. As soon as I enter the hallway, I hear Ever cry out and before I’ve made the conscious decision, I’m sprinting to her room wishing like hell that I had a weapon but equally comforted knowing that I can end someone with my bare hands if I have to, it’s just a bit more messy.

Ever’s door is already open so I don't waste time breaking it down. I survey the room on high alert looking for the threat only to realise that there is none and Ever is