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Chapter One: Welcome Home Princess

NOVA NYX 🌙

"Cheers!" I clanked my glass against my two best friends drinks, their dopey alcohol fueled smiles and tear filled gazes locking onto my face as we cheers for the final time tonight, each of us waking up tomorrow and heading to the new places we would call home for four years.

With Samara heading to New York for culinary school and Lili headed to Harvard, it was a bittersweet goodbye as we knew we wouldn't see each other in person until summer break.

While I was nervous to be starting my new life tomorrow, I knew that my decision to pick a college closer to home was the right one, considering I'd be only an hour away from my Mom and younger brothers in case they needed me or vice versa.

College was always something I looked forward too as long as I could remember, whether it be from the earliest memories of visiting my Uncle at his College Campus and seeing the pure joy on his face, or the dozens of stories my parents used to recount to me at bedtime during their college days and how they met, I just knew that whatever happened tomorrow would be life changing for me.

Excitement tingled under my skin because I finally found a purpose in what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I wanted to Help Heal People, just like my Dad did.

Samara gripped my hand tightly in hers, bring me back to the present .

"You won't even have one drink with us Nyxie?" she pouted at me, pushing her too long blonde bangs off of her slightly glazed eyes "It's our last night and you're being a party pooper."

I drummed my nails against the circular table top, shooting her my best cheeky grin.

"You know I don't drink Sammie" I said "Besides, I don't want to show up to my first lectures absolutely hammered and hungover."

"I can't believe you start so soon" Lili said, her tone infinitely softer and definitely harder to hear in the packed bar "We don't start until another two weeks."

"It sucks for sure" I sighed, running a hand through my dark hair "But at least I get out earlier than you guys. Who knows? Maybe I could use those two weeks to come visit you two on the East Coast."

Samara squealed, clapping excitedly at my proposed idea.

Lili smiled softly at my words, tracing the condensation of her glass with the tip of her finger.

Her eyes drifted past me for a second and then widened as she inhaled in a breath so quickly, she started coughing as a spasm wracked her throat.

Samara, the best friend any girl could ask for, looked over at Lili in bewilderment before slapping her hand against our friends back as hard as tiny hand could.

"Holy Crap" Lili rasped, still looking at something behind me "I think those are the sexiest men I've ever seen in my entire life."

Samara's nose wrinkled at Lili's words "Don't you have a girlfriend? I thought you didn't like men?"

"I do have a girlfriend" Lili shot her a fierce look "And just because I'm dating a woman doesn't mean I can't appreciate the sexiness of the opposite gender. And let me tell you, if I wasn't dating Holly, I'd definitely switch teams and ask one of those two out. Damn are they F-I-N-E."

Samara's eyes widened at her words, weaving her head around as she tried to find the "FINE MEN" that Lili was talking about.

I choked on a laugh at my best friends antics, wishing I could see what the big deal with these men were if it had my, very in-love with her girlfriend, friend wanting to switch teams.

Samara must have finally found who Lili was talking about because her jaw suddenly dropped down to the small table we were occupying.

"HOT DAMN!" She nearly shouted in my ear "LILI DIDN'T DO THEM JUSTICE! THOSE MEN ARE DELICIOUS!"

"Oh God" Samara groaned "He has dimples. The Blonde one just smirked and has dimples. Kill me now!"

"You two are idiots" I pushed her face away from mine, laughing at them both "No man can be that good looking."

"You're wrong there sister" Lili murmured "They're gorgeous."

"I've never been so jealous of you staying behind than I am right" Sam said half-jokingly "Because if those hotties are going to the same college you are, I might just have to transfer back."

A prickled of awareness sparked at the back of my neck as I felt three sets of eyes watching me.

I turned my head from side to side, scanning as much of the room as I could.

I saw nothing or no-one staring at me, everyone too busy either drinking or engaging in conversations that would probably lead to a night of regret.

I startled when both Sam and Lili gripped each of my hands, sucking in sharp breaths.

"He's coming over here!" Samara breathed, fixing her hair and low cut top.

"Oh shit!" Lili hissed at the same time "So is his friend."

Suddenly, two large presences at my back had my hackles rising.

"Ladies..." A smooth, rich, and cheery voice said from the left of me "What a wonderful night to celebrate, isn't it?"

The only thing my two friends could do was gape and blink owlishly at the newcomer, something that has never, in the history of knowing these two since I was five, happened before.

I shot them a quizzical look.

"I'm sorry" I intervened, still giving my friends weird looks "But apparently they forgot their manners tonight..."

The words died on my lips as my eyes locked with vibrant green ones.

A zing shot threw me.

His brilliant smile faltered a little as he took me in, his shoulders stiffening ever so slightly in surprise.

To saw he was handsome was an understatement. This guy...man...was absolutely drop dead gorgeous.

His blonde medium wavy length hair was cut neatly and in a way where it wasn't too polished but at the same time didn't make him look frumpy.

He was tall, super tall even for my 5'10 frame, and you could tell from the way the stylish clothes hugged his frame that he was fit and played some type of sport that required a lot of running.

While he was scrutinizing me with the same look of intensity I used on him, I took my time to look at his friend.

This time, I was the one to suck in a sharp breath as I found his amber eyes already observing me.

This guy was as equally stunning as his friend, just as tall and broad shouldered.

While his friend was all light and laughter, this guy was all seriousness, the complete opposite.

He was dark and brooding and mysterious.

His dark hair was tousled and disheveled in a way that made me think it wasn't for fashion purposes, more like he ran his hand through his hair as an afterthought.

When he shifted his body to lean against the table my friends and I were occupying, I peaked some of his tanned, and tattooed colored skin from underneath his long sleeve shirt.

He stared at me with the same intense look that overcame blondie's face when our eyes met, his face remaining expressionless the whole time.

Another zing zapped through my body at the look.

Blondie recovered from his stupor quickly and plastered on the charm rather thickly.

"What are you three fine ladies doing at a dive like this?" he asked, winking pointedly at Samara "Surely you three have a runway to be on."

I snorted at his words as Sam and, surprisingly, Lili let out giggles instead.

He turned his attention on me, his eyebrows raised.

"That's the best line you got?" I snorted again, and this time, I could have sworn I saw Mr. Dark and Broody's lips twitch at the sound "My brothers have better pick up lines than that. And they're six and eight."

Instead of getting flustered or angry at my snarky words, like most guys his age would have done, blondie just smiled at me.

Freaking...smiled.

And dammit, even his smile was perfect.

"Your brothers must hit it off with the ladies all the time then."

I laughed at that, nodding my head "If you count their sixty year old babysitter and her friends as  hitting it off, then sure. They do fantastic in the ladies department."

Blondie's chuckle made me squirm in my seat.

"The name's Kassian or Kass or Ian for short. I don't really care what you call me" He held a hand out to me.

"How about I call you mine?" Samara murmured low but apparently not low enough for me or the two men next to me to hear.

Kassian's lips twitched at my friend's words.

His friend smirked at him.

I kicked Sam in the shin just as I shook Kassian's calloused hand.

"OW!" she howled, grasping the damaged limb "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!"

"Ignore her Ian" Lili said, shaking his outstretched hand next, and redirecting the conversation away from me "She's an idiot when she has tequila in her."

"That's her pick of poison?" he whistled low, shaking my friends hand "She's a small thing as it is. What does it take, like two shots, before she's gone to the wind?"

"Three and a half" Sam giggled "Plus some of those drinks that taste like fruit punch."

He turned his eyes towards me, moving just a tad bit closer.

"How about you Princess?" he murmured, his green eyes blazing "How many shots does it take for you to start giggling for me?"

My eyes narrowed at the nickname.

"I need more than shots for me to giggle like a schoolgirl" I deadpanned "Especially for someone  like you."

Kassian's mouth dropped open "What's that supposed to mean?"

I startled at the deep rumble of laughter from behind me, my eyes flickering to Kassian's friend as he snickered at his friends epic failure.

"You better get your friend and leave us alone with those cheesy one-liners" I motioned to a still speechless Kassian who was drilling holes into my head with his eyes "Or else I won't be responsible for what comes next."

He smirked down at my, his muscles bunching underneath his shirt as he shifted closer.

"What comes next?" his voice was like silk, deep and rumbly and a little scratchy, like he didn't really use it a lot unless it was absolutely necessary "I'd like to be fully prepare to know what I'm getting into in the face of danger."

"He gets a drink in the face"  I threatened "Twice. Once for annoying me and the other for calling me Princess."

Kassian's friend weighed out his options for a minute mulling over the possibility if I would seriously embarrass his friend in public.

The Answer is that I totally would.

He must have saw the resolve on my face because in the next minute, he was swiping both my drink and his protesting friend away from us.

"That's mine!" I reached for my lemonade to no avail.

Kassian's friend smirked down at me before raising my glass to his lips, and locking eyes with me, drinking it all down in one gulp.

When he was finished, he licked full lips.

"Lemonade," he said in barely concealed surprise "Plain old lemonade."

With those final words, they disappeared as quickly as they came, ignoring my snarling and curses.

A throat clearing snapped my attention back to my friends.

Lili was looking at me with a barely concealed grin while Samara was straight up gawking.

"Did you know those guys?"

"Obviously I didn't" I grumbled "If they had to come over and introduce themselves to us."

"They sure acted like they knew you."

I scoffed at them "They were douches."

But even as I said that, something deep down inside of me disagreed.

"They came over for you, you know that right?" Sam said.

I snorted "Yeah right."

"It's kind of true Nyxie" Lili added "They only had eyes for you. They basically ignored the two of us."

"It didn't help that you couldn't form words" I reminded them.

Lili shook her head, motioning for the waitress "That didn't matter. Their eyes never strayed from you for long."

"So which one do you like?" Sam squirmed in her seat "Because I think me and Ian were really vibing."

I shot her a look but she just raised her brow "What? You like him instead?"

I said nothing and she pouted.

"Can I at least call dibs on the one you don't want!?"

I shot her an annoyed look "I'm not calling dibs on anyone."

The waitress whirled over to us, dropping down three new fresh drinks and the check that had "PAID" stamped over it in red.

I frowned "Ma'am, I think you gave us the wrong bill."

"And we didn't want anymore drinks" Lili chimed in, reaching for her purse.

The waitress shook her head "The bill's already been taken care off."

My eyes slid to Samara who was happily sipping on her seventh drink of the night.

She paused her sipping "Don't look at me, I'm broke right now."

I narrowed my eyes at Lili who narrowed them right back at me "Why would I reach for my purse to pay for something I already 'Paid' for?"

"You're sneaky like that" I shrugged "Plus, you hate when I pay for stuff."

She rolled her eyes "I only hate it because of how little you actually have left of your savings."

I winced at her statement, reminding myself that all the books and resources I needed to pay out of pocket for school would be worth it in the end.

Saving lives would be worth it.

"Then who paid?" We asked the waitress.

"Some tall preppy blonde guy" she shrugged "Pulled out a wad of cash and asked me to send you another drink and pay off your tab. I wasn't going to question it. Money is money."

"Cool!" Samara reached for Lili's Cosmo when I slapped her hand away and handed her my lemonade.

"Drink that before you puke over Lili's car like you did last time."

She groaned at me but then dutifully drank the refreshing drink.

I glanced at my watch, grimacing at the time.

"We better get going" I said "Early start to my new beginning."