C H A P T E R  S E V E N 

Caiden looks both ways before turning right at the intersection. 

  "Uh - where are we going?" 

Fairfield Hill was in the other direction. I.E. Caiden's house -- where we're supposed to practice today -- was in the other direction. 

Caiden glances sidelong at my face, a faint grin on his lips. "Dom's." 

"I thought we were practicing today? Are you planning on picking up food?"

Caiden slows to a stop at another intersection, the light above us a steady red. "No, I thought we could eat out." 

"Before we head back to yours? You should've told me. I don't have any cash on me, and Autumn has our card."

Caiden shakes his head. "Not before. Instead. And I just thought of this now, so don't worry about paying; I have it covered."

I freeze, my gaze piercing into Caiden's side profile, but he keeps his eyes on the road. "I don't - " 

"Stop overthinking it, Noah." His laugh is light. "I thought we could take a break from our sessions and just grab food for once. Maybe strategize. I mean, part of this is mental. . ." Caiden trails off, and I bite the inside of my lip. 

"I can pay you back tomorrow." I finally settle with that, but Caiden waves a noncommittal hand. 

"You don't have to pay me back. I have it covered." He glances at me once more. "Really," he adds, catching the look on my face.

We're in foreign territory. I don't know what this is; we've never done this before. A part of me wants to insist that Caiden and I just head back to his place and work through energy transfers like always. Honestly, even another power spar would be somewhat better than this. 

Yet, I also suppose that this is no different than the times Caiden has invited me for sandwiches in his kitchen after a practice or the times we've picked up fast food before heading to his estate. 

Grabbing dinner together is something that friends do. Paying for one another is something that friends do. . . 

I've always considered us bonded; the secrets Caiden and I share are like no other. Yet, the label of friends is one I've avoided, but maybe that was about to change. . . maybe this was Caiden's way of saying he wanted that to change. 

When we settle in at Dom's, the restaurant's namesake appears almost immediately. 

"Caiden! My boy!" Dominick claps Caiden on the back before turning to me with a bright smile. "And I certainly remember you, too!" 

"This is Noah Brandt, Dom. Pistatchio milkshake -" 

"- and a cheeseburger, hold the fries!" Dominick finishes. "Once I put a face to an order, I never forget it." He salutes before gliding away from our table. "They'll be right out!" 

"You never told me how your family knows him," I remark once Dom slips back into the kitchen. 

Caiden shrugs, his elbows digging into the table. "Believe it or not, my dad and him were best friends in college. It was before Dom dropped out, but even after, they kept in touch. He's my godfather." 

"Oh, wow." The look on my face has Caiden chuckling. 

"Yeah. One of the best decisions my parents ever made. The other was having a second child." 

I raise my brows. "Especially after the first turned out to be a little more special than they'd originally planned for." 

Caiden's expression turns thoughtful. "Actually, Mia's powers were barely emerging when I was born." 

"How old was she? My mom could tell something was kind of weird with me when I was around four." In contrast, Autumn started showing signs of her ability when we were three. Mom already had her hands full with Autumn leaving scorch marks wherever she went. By five, she was setting little fires while I was barely awakening.  

"Same for Mia; she was four too. But she was six when her powers fully awakened; I was five." 

"So you've always been gifted, huh? An early bloomer?" I tease. 

Caiden shoots me a withering look. "You think you've got jokes?" 

"I mean - " 

Caiden moves to cover my hand with his, laughing. "That was a rhetorical question, Noah." 

I freeze, startled by the sudden contact, but just as soon as Caiden has laid his fingers across mine, he pulls away.

"Here you go!" Dom has crept up to our booth with our orders while I've been overthinking and second-guessing. He takes a moment to set our food down while Caiden banters with him. I take the time to pull myself together. 

"Something strange happened last Saturday," Caiden says after Dom has disappeared again. He takes a bite of his burger as he watches me carefully. 

"Huh? What do you mean?" I manage to answer, reaching over to sip my milkshake. 

"I almost set the garden on fire." He explains. "Like, I was trying to fix this leaky pipe -- basic welding. A little messy but that's beside the point." He smiles absentmindedly. "Anyways, it was a way bigger blast than I'd expected. The grass caught on fire. I thought it was a fluke, but I've been feeling stronger since then too." 

"Really?" My voice is carefully controlled, and I'm actively working to hide the surprise in my expression as well as my voice. 

"Yeah. Maybe a power upgrade? I've been working on my own, and it's like I have to get re-accustomed to my own capabilities." 

I can't tell him about Autumn. Yet, I know that it was also this Saturday that we had the freak accident with the groceries. It was this Saturday that Autumn had reported a similar feeling. 

"What?" Caiden asks then. 

Apparently, I'm pretty shit at hiding my emotions. 

"Did something happen with you?" Caiden pushes. 

And when I take the time to actually think about it -- when I sit perfectly still and sense the frost swirling in my veins -- I know I feel stronger as well. I know that in this moment, I can do more than I've ever dreamed I was capable of. 

"No," I shake my head, going for casual yet firm. "Nothing." 

What I don't tell Caiden is that I'm scared. I'm afraid, because I know that with this power-upgrade comes a greater loss of control. The ice is wild, volatile and unstable. If I was struggling with the storm before, it's nothing compared to the fury I know is within me now. 

I'm more dangerous than ever. 

On Wednesday, Kaia transfers into my first period. 

It's a film education class I'm taking as a filler, which means it's open to sophomores and juniors as well as seniors. She grabs an empty seat across the room; she sits in the front, while I occupy a seat in the back with my classmates.

We're halfway through a documentary when I sense it. My eyes flicker to the right. 

Kaia's head is down, yet cocked at a strange angle. Her face lies in a shadow, making it difficult to confirm what she's staring at exactly. Yet, I have the strange feeling that she's looking at me. 

For a moment, our gazes seem to be locked. But then the documentary ends. The lights in the classroom come on. And Kaia stirs in her seat, her eyes leaving mine. 

"What's up?" It's a Friday night, and my phone is pressed between my ear and my shoulder. I'm typing away at an English report that I procrastinated the hell out of.

"Are you busy?" Caiden's voice is slow, almost unsteady. "I mean, like tonight. . ." 

"Uh -" I hesitate, glancing at the time and date on the bottom right of my laptop. Caiden and I don't have a practice session scheduled today; I'm not sure where he's going with this or what he's thinking. 

"The boys say they've had enough. That if we're not dating then. . .  I wouldn't mind sharing you?" Caiden pauses. "So. . . do you feel like hanging out with a bunch of crazy guys tonight?"

The silence that stretches between us is tense and awkward. Spending a night with Caiden's best friends isn't exactly my idea of a good time, but I know that the heat Caiden would get if I don't show up won't be pretty. It's also not comforting that my absence would confirm the dating rumors on one level or another. 

So, I put on my big girl pants and suck it up. "I'll be ready in an hour." 

"I'm really sorry about this," Caiden murmurs sheepishly when he meets me at his front door. "I tried to suggest something else, but Kade wouldn't let it go." 

Kade? 

I try for a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Caiden. I wasn't really doing much anyways." 

Caiden's answering grin is warm and bright, and we stand caught in the entry way for just a moment too long. 

"Noah!" Kade Kelley is quick to snap us out of it, clapping Caiden on the back as he appears over his shoulder. "What are you two waiting for? Let her in, Haas!" 

Caiden startles just slightly before he steps back and waves a hand, ushering me into the house. His grin has disappeared, replaced by a tight smile, and the look in his eyes makes me think he's nervous about this hangout -- having me here with his friends. 

Kade walks ahead of me as I drift through the foyer, past the twin staircases, and into the living room. "I'm a little surprised you showed, Noah." 

I arch an eyebrow. "Why?" 

Kade shrugs. "I was sure you and Haas were dating." He nods at Caiden, who has left the entryway to walk behind me. 

"And I'm still confused as to why that's your business." 

Caiden snorts at my retort, and Kade flips him off. He barely glances my way as he turns around to watch where he's going.

When we arrive between Caiden's living room and kitchen, I notice two other hazily familiar faces lounging around. 

"Guys, this is Noah." Caiden walks out from behind me to call their attention. The boy sitting at Caiden's large marble island turns around first. He's holding a bag of chips, his phone abandoned on the table. 

"Hey." He uses the back of his free hand to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, carefully avoiding his yellow stained fingers. "I would shake your hand or something, but. . ." he waves his fingers by way of explanation. The chip bag rustles. 

Caiden steps in. "That's Philip, Noah. And this. . ." He turns to the other boy sitting on the couch. "is Joshua." 

Kade flops down next to the aforementioned. "Forgive Joshy if he doesn't speak much. He's shy around girls." He reaches out to pinch Joshua's cheek. 

The latter slaps his hand away. "Fuck off, Kelley." He murmurs before glancing at me. Joshua manages a faint wave. "Hi."

Caiden leans in close, looking rather pained. "Once again, I'm really sorry." 

This is going to be a long night. 

We spend the first two hours alternating between video games and a horror movie. This is mostly because of Kade, who gets bored rather easily, but the other guys have pretty short attention spans too. 

I learn that Philip is a manga and comic enthusiast, and you have to be wary about mentioning either of the sort if you don't want to get him started. Otherwise, he's content enough to eat Caiden out of house and home. His appetite is surprising, considering that with his slight frame, Philip is skinnier than any one of the others. 

He's also notorious for habitually spacing out. No one, least of all Philip, really knows what he's thinking about in those moments, and Kade suspects that Philip is honestly thinking about nothing at all. 

It also becomes clear that contrary to what Kade insists, Joshua isn't afraid of girls. Caiden promises he's actually one of the rowdiest in the group, but his wild side only truly appears once he's comfortable around you. 

For now, though, I have to be content with the faint smiles Joshua shoots me when he thinks I'm not paying attention; he seems to appreciate the fact that I can keep up with Kade's banter. 

Joshua's silence also evokes more protective qualities in me; whenever Kade tries to pick on him, I'm surprisingly more outspoken than I thought I ever could be.

"You think the lake's frozen, Haas?" Kade asks after the movie is over and the boys have tired of 2K and Mortal Combat. 

Caiden looks skeptical. "Maybe?" It's late November, one of the coldest nights of the season, but it's far from a snow day. 

Regardless, Caiden leads the boys to retrieve a haul of ice skates, and we head out past the garden. 

When I notice several four-wheelers parked against what I assume is a shed, it dawns on me that the Haas estate is perhaps larger than I thought. 

"The other quads are in the west-field grove." Caiden says once I realize that there are only four ATVs, yet five of us. 

"No problem," Kade calls. He and the other two boys have already staked a claim over their quads. "Noah can ride with me." He pats the back end of his seat, a smirk playing on his lips. 

Caiden swings a leg over the last ATV. "Shut up, Kelley," he quips instinctively, and then holds out a hand for me.

I glance at Kade. He's still gesturing at the extra space behind him, his lips quirked. I roll my eyes before accepting Caiden's offer. 

When I'm settled behind him, I wrap my fingers over his shoulders. The boys bring the ATVs to life, and we start off slowly until Kade cackles and revs his engine in challenge. "Who's up for a race?! I'm itching for another world title!" 

He takes off, and Philip and Joshua are quick to follow. Caiden's shoulders tense, and I take that as my cue to hold on tight. As he picks up speed, I have no choice but to wrap my arms around his waist. 

Yet, with my chest pressed firmly against his back and my head just barely peeking over his shoulder, I'm struck again by the effect Caiden has on me.

His calming sandalwood scent clings to his skin, and his body heat abounds in waves. We've never been this close before, but I'm still surprisingly comfortable. 

And so I push any hesitant thoughts aside and embrace the moment as we drive into the night. 

n o t e :

hi!

i'm still on my one-chapter-a-day streak (until school starts again), but i was a little blocked yesterday. sorry about that. anyways, hoped you enjoyed this update. 

pls vote & comment, and thank you for reading!

general comments/questions can go here >>

see you soon,

- gift.