Chapter 153: Two Knights In Shining Armors
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘❦✾❦∘∙⊱⋅•-
3rd Person Pov
Patrick bolted off the mattress so quickly that he nearly tripped over his own jeans, which were still halfway down his legs. The cocky grin that had been plastered on his face for the last twenty minutes vanished as soon as he recognized the two figures standing in the broken doorway.
Adrien and Ethan were there, side by side, the light behind them casting sharp shadows that seemed to engulf half the room. Adrien’s fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white; Ethan’s jaw muscle twitched like he was grinding rocks, a sign that he was ready for a fight.
Liam and Jace froze at the foot of the bed. Liam opened his mouth, then shut it again, struggling to find words. Jace, always the quickest to recover, forced a crooked grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes and took a casual step toward the newcomers.
"Ayyy, man," he drawled, his voice cracking just a bit on the second syllable as he nodded over to Adrien. "You guys here to catch the show or what? Plenty of room, fellas. And Ethan, don’t be shy, man."
The words floated in the air, thick and uncomfortable.
Adrien didn’t respond. His eyes were locked on Noah, who lay across the wrinkled comforter in nothing but his underwear that Patrick had started to pull down. Tears streamed down his flushed cheeks, and his chest heaved with silent, panicked breaths. Something fierce and primal flickered in Adrien’s hazel eyes, a rage so intense it felt like it was charging the air around him.
Ethan took a slow step forward, then another, the floorboards creaking under his weight. The usual easygoing humor that usually marked his expression was gone, replaced by a cold, murderous calm. He quickly scanned Patrick who recoiled against the crates like a kicked puppy, then Liam, and finally Jace, sizing them up like a butcher evaluating meat.
Jace’s grin faltered. "Come on, guys, it’s not—"