EIGHT

                                    

                                          
Everything came flooding back to me in one, terrible, painful burst. With Nico hovering above me looking so similar to how he had looked when he had fucked me a week ago, my body reacted before my brain could even register what was going on. 
                          
Suddenly, there was a loud smack and a stinging pain in my hand as I punched him, knuckles meeting jaw. Nico's head snapped to the side, his eyes darkening at the sudden contact, his body stumbling back from mine. I bolted up from his bed, eyes wide as my hand trembled, Nico giving me a smouldering look as he glared, lips pulling back in a snarl as he pressed a hand against his now throbbing jaw. From the force I put into it, it would definitely be hurting right now.
                          
"Oh my fucking God," I whispered, taking a tentative step back, hands outstretched. "I am so sorry. I just... I mean... I didn't mean... fuck... sorry!" I blabbered, Nico opening his mouth to say something, but his words were lost as I ran out of his room in a flurry, arms flailing as my heart hammered in my chest.
                          
I seemed to be making a habit of running out of Nico Beckett's bedroom in a panic.
                          
Rushing into the kitchen and grabbing my backpack from the floor, I got the hell out of that house, quickly running back home with a speed that would rival any member on the track team. Pulling out my keys quickly, swearing at the red patches on my knuckles, I quickly opened the door and ran through it. My had immediately smacked into something soft which yelped, a hand reaching down to slap me on the head.
                          
"What the hell, Wes!" Jamie grumbled as I stepped backwards, rubbing my nose as Jamie crossed her arms, foot tapping in frustration until she looked at me properly, her stance relaxing as a small smile crossed her face. "You look as flustered as you did last week, where did you go?" Jamie pestered, her smile widening as my cheeks flushed. I gave her a withering look, which she deflected with the flick of her hand. "Where did you go, Wes? Who did you see? Or more like... who did you do?"
                          
"Fuck off, I was working on a bio project, okay?" I snapped, my sister laughing as she pulled me into a headlock, my body flailing.
                          
"I know, little bro," Jamie snorted, releasing me as she rolled her eyes, though there was still a broad grin on her face. "Just messing with you. Your reactions are too good."
                          
"I hate you," I mumbled, Jamie just ruffling my hair before disappearing into the kitchen as I made my way upstairs. Flopping onto my bed, I rubbed at the red, tender skin at my knuckles. My hand throbbed, and I could only imagine how much Nico's jaw smarted now. 
                          
"I am so fucking dead," I said weakly, covering my eyes with my hands, slither of light filtering through the gaps in my fingers. 
                          
This is the worst.
                          
~~~
                          
"Wes!"
                          
I glanced around at the voice, heart swelling a little as I saw Sofia waving over at me from a cluster of seats, Rachel and Parker sitting beside her. Parker had one of his feet propped up on a free seat, waving me over as another commuter began to make a beeline towards the seat. Apologising as I pushed past the standing travellers in the aisle, I threw my bag onto the seat as the business woman gave me a withering look, heels clacking on the seat. Meekly, I lowered myself into the seat, Parker laughing at the shame on my face.
                          
Since having lunch with Sofia and her friends last Monday, Benny and I had been hanging around them a lot more, and I had found that everyone except for Leo (who had football training early in the morning) took the same train as me in the morning. It was now unspoken knowledge that we would all travel to school together, and I found having someone to sit with in the train was nice, despite Parker's noisiness, which often garnered unwanted attention to our group.