Ash’s heart raced as excitement welled within her. Her first mission, and she’d already found her target. She could almost feel the weight of her success pressing against her chest, a heady thrill that left her momentarily lightheaded.
Could my luck get any better? she thought. Completing the mission this quickly would be an achievement she could carry back to the University with pride. She’d be heralded for her efficiency, her skill, her ability to deliver results.
But then, a pang of regret struck her like a whip crack. If she completed her mission too quickly, what would happen to Nile? The thought of severing this strange, sudden connection with him so soon was unbearable. How could someone she’d just met already feel so… essential?
The answer was clear: she couldn’t let it happen. She’d stretch out her mission under the guise of necessity. If her superiors questioned her, she’d explain that she needed more time to gain Dom’s trust. It wasn’t a lie, not entirely. Nile could be the bridge she needed to get closer to Dom, and that rationale was enough to justify the delay.
The flurry of thoughts and emotions surged through Ash in the span of a heartbeat, but she maintained her outward composure, her smile softening as she released Dom’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Dom,” she said, her voice smooth, as though nothing significant had just transpired between them. “Would you mind if I joined you guys? I’m new here and could use some friends. You both seem like nice people.”
Her words felt awkward -what the hell had gotten into her?- as they left her lips, too earnest for her liking. Internally, she cringed at herself. Seriously, Ash? Could you sound any more desperate? But Nile’s reaction swept away her doubts.
“Be our guest!” he said, beaming, as he all but shoved Dom to the side to make room for Ash at the table.
Ash slid into the seat gracefully, aware of Dom’s eyes boring into her back with an intensity that felt almost tangible. She ignored the dagger-filled glare, though, instead focusing on the proximity to Nile.
Being this close to him was like standing on the edge of a precipice, staring down into a churning river of emotions. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. The faint scent of him -a subtle mix of cedar and something uniquely his- only heightened the sensation.
She was so lost in the moment, so wrapped up in the sheer presence of Nile, that she barely registered the passage of time. It wasn’t until the shrill sound of the school bell shattered the silence that she snapped back to reality, startled out of her reverie.
Dom was already on her feet, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over the trio.
“Sorry to cut this short, but it’s time for class,” she said curtly, her tone making it clear she wasn’t sorry at all. She gestured for Nile to follow. “Let’s go, Nile.”
Ash watched as Dom reached down to retrieve a small flash drive from the ground, something that must have fallen unnoticed during their conversation. There was a brief pause as Dom stood, clutching the drive tightly in her hand, her jaw set in an expression that spoke volumes.
Ash and Nile remained seated, the subtle warmth of their legs brushing against each other a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken tension between them. The contact lingered just a moment too long before Dom’s movements prompted them both to reluctantly pull apart. Slowly, they stood, their actions almost synchronized, as though neither wanted to fully sever the unintentional connection.
“You don’t mind if I tag along, do you?” Ash asked, her tone polite but lined with purpose. “I don’t know anyone else here, and it’s such a big campus, I wouldn’t want to get lost.”
She smiled, her tone light, but beneath her words, her thoughts ran far deeper. Now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you out of my sight.
The smile didn’t quite reach Dom’s eyes as she turned to face Ash. For a split second, Ash wondered if her request would be denied outright, but Nile, ever the eager peacekeeper, jumped in before Dom could respond.
“Don’t worry about it, Dom and I would love it if you tagged along, right Dom?” Nile said cheerfully, his goofy grin doing little to mask the brewing storm between the two women. He even offered his arm to Ash with a flourish, his open enthusiasm a sharp contrast to Dom’s simmering hostility.
Ash glanced at Dom, reading the hurt and resentment etched into her expression. For a brief moment, she felt a pang of regret -before Nile’s hopeful eyes met hers, and that regret melted away like morning frost under sunlight.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Sorry, Ash,” Dom said abruptly, her voice clipped and deliberate, “but I just remembered -I have somewhere else I need to be.”
Ash opened her mouth to respond, but Dom had already turned on her heel, her retreat swift and decisive. “But I’m sure Nile here will take good care of you…” Dom added over her shoulder, her words laced with thinly veiled sarcasm.
Ash watched her go, noting the stiffness in her posture, the barely restrained tension in her step. A flicker of guilt stirred in her chest, but it quickly gave way to determination. Oh well, Ash thought. I’ve got time to win her over.
Besides, this alone time with Nile was an unexpected gift, a perfect opportunity to learn more about him -and maybe even use him as a bridge to reach Dom.
“Don’t worry about her,” Nile said brightly, grabbing Ash’s books and tucking them under his arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “She gets like that sometimes. Trust me, she’ll come around.”
Ash couldn’t help but smile as they began walking, the easy rhythm of their steps matching as if they’d done this a hundred times before. Nile launched into a series of stories about the school, punctuated with the mischievous pranks he and Dom had pulled off together. Ash found herself laughing more than she had in ages, her genuine amusement bubbling to the surface.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, a gesture that felt so natural it surprised even her, as she held his arm tightly. His warmth was comforting, grounding, and she found herself wondering how someone could feel so familiar so quickly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. Dom.
Ash’s gaze followed her, catching the flicker of hesitation in Dom’s step as she saw them together. For a split second, Dom seemed to consider rejoining them, but then, as if deciding against it, she spun on her heel and headed in the opposite direction.
Ash’s chest tightened. So much for coming around.
She turned back to Nile, who was finishing one of his stories.
“-and that’s how we turned the high school gym into a temporary homeless shelter during senior prom,” he concluded with a grin.
Ash giggled, hugging his arm a little tighter. “I’m surprised they didn’t kick you out of the district entirely after that stunt.”
“They didn’t know it was us!” Nile said with a conspiratorial grin. “We weren’t even in high school yet -just two meddling middle schoolers with big ideas and too much free time. Dom was visiting from out of town then. I’m pretty sure they’ve upped security since, though. Not that it’d matter to me. I’ve moved on to bigger and better escapades.”
“Oh, really?” Ash arched an eyebrow, her smile playful. “Do tell.”
Nile launched into another tale, and Ash found herself enraptured by his infectious energy. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had made her laugh like this -or feel so at ease. Her thoughts tugged at the edges of her mind, whispering that this connection was dangerous, that she should refocus on her mission. But her heart rebelled, reveling in the moment.
When they reached the parking lot, Nile’s eyes widened at the sight of her silver BMW hybrid.
“Nice car,” he said appreciatively, his tone tinged with awe. “I didn’t even know those were on the market yet! How’d you get one?”
Ash grinned, clicking the remote to unlock it. “Come on, Nile,” she teased. “You can’t expect a girl to give away all her secrets.”
Nile laughed, loading her books into the trunk before closing it with a soft thud. As he turned to face her, his expression shifted, becoming unreadable, almost contemplative.
They stood there, inches apart, the pull between them stronger than gravity. Slowly, they drifted closer, the space between them narrowing until there was nothing left but the whisper of air.
Neither one moved to break the spell, the silence between them heavy and charged, a current that hummed with unspoken possibilities.
Finally, Nile broke the moment, stepping back with a reluctant smile. “I should get to class,” he said softly, as though the words pained him.
Ash nodded, her smile bittersweet. They exchanged numbers and social media handles, their hands lingering just a moment longer than necessary as they said goodbye.
The hug they shared felt simultaneously endless and far too short, and as Nile walked away, a slight bounce in his step, Ash leaned back against her car, watching until he disappeared from view.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. A friend request. She opened it with a smile, seeing Nile’s name on the screen.
Quickly accepting it, Ash slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. As she drove away, her thoughts turned back to Dom. She had a lot of work to do -there was so much to learn about her target and her family. But even as her mind strategized, her heart lingered on Nile, caught in the afterglow of a moment she wasn’t ready to let go of.
∞
After spending hours tracking down every scrap of information she could find on Dom, Ash felt like she’d have better luck panning for gold in the LA River. Frustration gnawed at her as she sifted through the pitifully meager results of her efforts.
She had hoped for more -needed more. Instead, all she had uncovered were the barest surface-level details, scraps that amounted to almost nothing. A straight-A student with no significant school records? Homeschooled for most of her life? It was maddening.
Dom’s life was a puzzle with too many missing pieces. Ash had learned that she was an only child, raised primarily by her father after her mother’s death. Her father, Jacque, was a retired military man who now taught at the local college, and their frequent travels explained why Dom seemed so adept at adapting to new environments.
But beyond that? A black hole. No records of Dom’s family history before her mother, Olivia, passed away. No grandparents. No ancestral traces. Nothing. It was as if Dom’s lineage had been meticulously scrubbed from existence, leaving Ash with no trail to follow.
Someone -and she had no doubt that it was someone with significant power and resources- had deliberately erased the roots of Dom’s family tree, planting a new one in its place while ensuring that the original branches were severed beyond recovery.
Ash clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. The absence of information was more telling than the information itself. Someone had gone through an awful lot of trouble to hide Dom’s heritage. That meant one thing: Dom’s lineage was important. Vital.
But that knowledge did little to ease Ash’s mounting frustration. Unwilling to give in, she began brainstorming alternate approaches.
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