Ch34

NOVA

“Because if we're doing this, you're doing it right,” Enzo says, ignoring my hand completely.

He doesn't even pause as he keeps rifling through the back of the closet, pushing aside thick sweaters and dresses until his hand snags on a dark velvet hanger tucked all the way in the corner. He pulls it out with a swift tug and holds it up between us.

“No. That's not... that's not good."

It's a dress I bought on a whim months ago... a really short, clingy black mini dress with thin straps and a plunge so low I've never had the courage to take the tags off.

“Put it on,” Enzo says.

“Enzo, I can't wear that!” I shake my head, backing up a step. “It's way too short. It's a long shirt, and it's practically see-through at the sides. I'll look ridiculous in it.”

He doesn't lower the hanger. His eyes fix on mine and I don't think they've ever been colder. “You asked me how to fix things, Nova. You said you'd do anything.”

“I meant...”

“You meant anything as long as it's comfortable for you?” He lets out a dry laugh, tossing the dress onto the foot of my bed. “Right. Typical. You make a mess, you cry, you promise the world, but the second I ask for one simple thing, you freeze up.”

“That's not fair,” I whisper. “I just... I've never worn something like that out.”

“Because you're used to hiding,” he says, stepping closer until he's standing right over me. “You want to make this up to me? You trust me to handle tonight. Otherwise, stop pretending you care about making things right, and I'll just leave alone.”

I look from the dress to the resolve in his eyes. My throat feels tight. Am I being selfish? He's giving me an outlet... a chance to get back on his good side... and here I am, throwing a fit over a piece of fabric.

“Okay,” I say, my voice barely audible. “Okay. Fine.”

“Good.” He walks over to my dresser, opens the top drawer without asking, and tosses a pair of black fishnet tights onto the bed beside the dress. “Wear these too. Pull your hair back. High ponytail. Five minutes.”

Before I can object to the fishnets, he walks out and snaps the door shut.

Five minutes later, I stand in front of the full-length mirror, feeling utterly exposed. The black dress hugs every line of my body, the hemline resting dangerously high on my thighs, while the fishnets make my skin feel almost painted on. I've scraped my hair up into a tight, slick ponytail, exposing the sharp angles of my face and neck. I feel stupid.

I take a breath, open my bedroom door, and creep down the hallway toward the stairs.

Enzo is waiting at the landing, leaning casually against the railing. When he sees me, his eyes drag slowly from my heels up to my face. He doesn't offer a compliment, nor does he smile. He just gives a curt nod and turns toward the main foyer.

As we reach the bottom of the stairs, the lights are on in the living room. Noah, is sprawling on the sofa with a controller in his hand, a video game paused on the giant TV screen. He looks up at the sound of our footsteps.

Noah stops cold. His eyebrows pull together in confusion as his eyes flick over my outfit, then straight to Enzo.

“She'll be fine,” Enzo says coolly.

Noah blinks. “I didn't ask, dude."

“She's with me,” Enzo tells him. “We'll be back late. Don't wait up.”

Without giving Noah a chance to argue, Enzo grabs the doorknob, opens the front door, and nudges me out onto the porch ahead of him. The cold night air slams into my bare skin, making me shiver, but the chill is nothing compared to the heat of embarrassment burning my face.

Enzo shuts the front door behind us, cutting off whatever Noah is about to say next.

My mouth hangs open in utter shock as I jog to keep up with Enzo’s long strides down the driveway toward his car.

“What did you tell him?” I gasp, grabbing Enzo's arm right as he reaches the driver's side door. “What did you say to him before you came upstairs?”

Enzo pauses, looking down at my hand on his sleeve until I let go. “I simply told him I needed your help at a girls' party tonight. Promised him you'd be safe.”

“Yeah?” I demand, my eyes wide. “And he just said yes? Just like that?”

Enzo unlocks the doors with a double click of his fob. “He trusts me.”

“He trusts you, but he was looking at me like I'd lost my mind!” I hiss, wrapping my arms tight around my waist as the wind bites through the thin fabric of my dress. “Enzo, seriously, where are we really going?”

He opens his door, resting his forearm on the top of the frame, and looks at me over the roof of the car. The streetlamp catches the hard angle of his jaw.

“You'll see,” he says quietly.

“That's not an answer... It's not exactly reassuring."

“How well do you know how to be a good informant?” he interrupts.

I freeze, my hand resting on the passenger door handle. “A what?”

“An informant,” he repeats, tilting his head slightly.

I look at him, completely confused, the wind blowing stray hairs across my face. “I... I don't know what you're talking about.”

“I mean...” Enzo's lips twitch. “Can you spy, Nova?”

"Define spy."

"I mean dirty work, being my ears at school and places where I'm not at. The works. I want you to do something really big. Do you promise you can do it?"

"I can't if I don't know what it is."

He watches me. "Oh you can. If you can betray me then you can do this. Trust me."