I bet he did that on purpose to confuse and distract me. Dammit. It’s working. My eyes zero in on his mouth and I can’t look away. I should not be looking at his lips, thinking about his lips, or imagining what they would feel like moving against mine. Jeez, I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that. What the hell is happening to me? What is this boy doing to my self-control? And why has my self-respect decided now is a good time to take a hike?
He graces me with a sneaky smile. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Which begs the question—Why did you think I did?”
“You don’t?” I’m sure my face betrays the confusion I feel.
“No, Angel. I don’t. But that’s good to know. That explains a lot.”
“I don’t understand,” I stutter. “Neve said you were already spoken for and that you weren’t good for me.”
His eyes flare up. “She said what?!” Tendons bunch in his arms and his jaw clenches painfully. I’ve never witnessed a person go from flirtatious teasing to full-on rage so fast.
“It’s not true?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t have a girlfriend, and Neve is dead.”
He stalks off like a man on a mission. Lost in a hazy cloud of desire, it takes me a couple of seconds to restart my heart and kick-start my brain. As he re-enters the theater, I jolt back to life and race after him.
CHAPTER 16
Angry, raised voices are clearly audible the minute I step foot in the room. Neve is standing in her seat arguing furiously with Logan. Annoyed murmurs give rise to full-blown shouts and yelling as other moviegoers object to the solid mass obscuring their view of the screen. I run to them. “Take it outside. Now. Before you get us all thrown out.”
I drag Logan out through the double doors, Neve hot on our heels. The argument resumes instantaneously. “You’d no right to lie to her like that,” Logan says. “I can’t believe you let her think that!”
“I did what I had to do. And none of this would’ve happened if you’d stayed away from her like I told you to.” Neve prods a finger in his chest.
She what?
“I didn’t know! And now I can’t. I’ve tried.” Logan links his hands behind his head and blows air out of his mouth. “It’s no good. I can’t do this anymore.”
“So, that’s it? You’ll take your chances, the hell with the risk? Is that it, Logan?” Neve shoves him hard and he stumbles.
I finally find my voice. “You told him to stay away from me? Why would you do that if it’s true that he doesn’t have a girlfriend?” I hope my face betrays the hurt in my heart.
“Now look what you’ve made me do, you jerk.” Neve shoves Logan more forcefully this time. “I’ve hurt her and it’s all your fault.”
“I never wanted to hurt her,” Logan says, putting his face right up in Neve’s. “I would never intentionally hurt her.”
“I’m right here.” I feel the need to point that out because they’re both speaking as if I’m not even in the room.
The door swings outward and Jarod, Fern, and Amy stumble into the corridor, swiftly followed by at least twenty nosey bystanders. Flipping my attention back to Neve and Logan, I shake my head in consternation. Neve is repeatedly pushing Logan, and while he isn’t pushing her back, one look at his face tells me that simmering rage bubbles under the surface. I wonder how long she’ll get away with shoving him like that. The weird thing is they’ve stopped talking though their faces are inclined toward each other, with bare millimeters to spare.
Logan’s back slams into the wall and Neve growls at him. Things are about to go downhill pretty fast. The gossipmongers are salivating, and I can only imagine how embellished this story will become by the time it hits campus. Not wishing to be fodder for further gossip, I stomp toward the two numb-nuts determined to halt this until we can find somewhere private to discuss it. I’m dying to know what’s going on, and I haven’t even begun to contemplate the fact that Logan is apparently single.
“You have an audience,” I say quietly. “Let’s take this back to my apartment.” They both ignore me as they continue to face-off. Logan looks about ready to rip her head off. “Logan! You’re both making a scene!” I pry his hand off Neve’s shoulder. A blistering burning sensation starts in my fingertips and quickly steals up my arm and all over my body. Flames devour me internally, and I claw at my clothes, desperate to cool off. The pain intensifies and I scream.
Then the world turns dark.
***
My eyelids are heavy and swollen, and while I want to open my eyes, they refuse to cooperate. Gradually, I feel more coherent, but my eyes stubbornly resist opening. My entire body aches and something dense weighs me down. A blanket? A straitjacket? I mentally snort at that last thought.
My fingertips crawl over the smooth, soft surface underneath me. I’m in a bed. I hope it’s mine.
Sounds of hushed discussion reach my ears, and I focus on identifying the speakers rather than panicking over my inability to fully wake up. “This is all the more reason for you to stay away from her.” That’s Neve.
“I disagree. This is the exact reason why I need to stay close to her. It’s the only way I can ensure she’s protected.” That’s Logan.
“That sounds remarkably like an insult,” Haydn says.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Logan replies. “I’m fed up of trying to stay away from her, and he’s not going to let it drop. You don’t know him like I do.”
“That’s definitely an insult,” Haydn replies, and I detect a note of frustration.
“You’ll hurt her,” Neve says.
“I won’t,” Logan snaps. “I’ll protect her.”
“Not intentionally,” Neve says, “but none of us know the exact side effects for the human. And you’re already doing … something to her.” Logan snarls and I wish I could open my eyes to see his expression. “It’s too risky, Logan,” Neve says. “She’s my friend and I don’t want anything to happen to her. Look elsewhere. I’m sure you’ll find someone else to fit the spec. Besides, that’s not the only threat. Your father doesn’t know about her yet, so there’s time. If not for me, do it for her.”
No one says anything for a few minutes, and I wonder if they’ve actually left the room and I just didn’t hear them leave.
“You’re killing me, Neve. But okay, you win. I’ll leave her alone,” Logan says with pained resignation.
“What?” I drag myself upright in the bed. My eyes flicker open, struggling to adjust to my surroundings. My vision is blurry but gradually my room comes into clearer view. The blind is drawn and my desktop lamp is on a low setting so the room is eerily dark and borderline spooky. I’ve no concept of time; no idea how long I’ve been out of it on this occasion.
Three pairs of alarmed eyes stare at me from the side of my bed.
“Don’t I get a say in this? Or have you all decided what’s best for me without my input?” I pose the question although I don’t actually understand a lot of what they said. “I could also use a proper explanation.”
The three of them exchange serious looks but no one speaks. My eyes flit to the door, and my mouth slackens as I detect the monstrous thick steel quadruple deadbolt that now adorns half the width of the door. “What the …?”
Haydn looks sheepish. “I installed that while you were, uh, asleep.”
“Good God. That’s … kinda creepy. Do any of you understand the concept of personal space?” I eyeball them one at a time. “And is that really necessary? I know Dante is well-built, but even Thor couldn’t breach that door.”
Haydn looks confused, as if this type of conduct is completely normal. Logan dips his head, hiding behind his fringe, not disguising the fact he’s deliberately avoiding me. Even Neve looks off to the side.
Rage like nothing I’ve felt before floors me and I hop up out of bed. Thankfully, I’m fully dressed. Swaying on my feet, I slam a hand on the bedside nightstand to steady myself. “Whoa.” Extreme pain whips through me but I ignore it. “Will someone p
lease tell me what’s going on?” I spit the words out of my mouth with barely contained frustration. They stare at me as if they’ve lost the ability to speak.
I totally flip. “Get out. All of you.”
“Sadie, I …” Neve extends a hand toward me.
I step back. “Unless you’re prepared to tell me the truth, that includes you too, Neve.”
Haydn and Logan are already inching toward the door. Neve looks forlorn but I’m too mad to care. Without hesitation, I whip the white shirt up over my head, not caring that I’m standing in front of them semi-naked. “Take this.” I ball the shirt up and throw it at Logan.
He catches it deftly in one hand. Taking an involuntary step toward me, he stares at me with unbridled interest, and blistering heat sears my skin. A burst of something powerful—Hunger? Desire?—blazes in his eyes as he takes another step toward me. I know I should do something—like cover myself up, or get really angry at his blatant ogling—but I’m magnetized by the intensity of his desire, and fury has been replaced by an emotion much more fiery and reckless. Incapable of controlling my movements, I move toward him. My chest rises and falls with my exaggerated breathing, and Logan’s eyes follow each motion.
Haydn fists a hand in Logan’s sweater and hauls him back. The need to feel Logan’s hands on me is all-consuming, and if it wasn’t for Haydn’s timely intervention, then I’m certain we would’ve both caved to our almost animal-like craving for one another.
He utters something in his ear, and Logan’s face crumples in pain. Casting one last look at me, he spins around and all but runs from the room. Haydn shrugs somewhat apologetically before following Logan’s lead. Only Neve remains in the room.
I’m motionless, a multitude of conflicting emotions swirling around me. I don’t understand any of this, and I’m fearful I’m genuinely losing my sanity.
“Sadie,” Neve says, gently taking my elbow. “Come sit down.”
I let her help me back in the bed. “You need to tell me what’s going on. Because I’m seriously worried that I’m going out of my mind.”
A quick burst of pain smears her features, but she hurriedly composes herself. “I’ll try my best to explain tomorrow. But right now you need some sleep.”
A lonely yawn escapes my mouth and I know I’m in no position to argue my case. I lay my head on the pillow. “Okay,” I mumble, fighting oncoming sleep, “But I want answers, Neve. I can be trusted, you know?”
“Oh, Sadie.” Neve sweeps my hair behind my ears. “Of course, I know that. If that’s all it was, then this would be easy.”
I open my mouth to speak but she shushes me. “Sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow. I promise.”
I’m out for the count within seconds.
***
The sound of gentle sobbing wakes me up some time later. Thin shafts of buttery yellow light slice through the room. There’s a timid knock on the door. “Sadie?”
Sitting up, I rub the sleep from my eyes. I swing my legs out of bed and unlatch the door. Jenna looks at me through a swollen red-rimmed lens. “Oh, Sadie. I’m so sorry that I didn’t believe you about what happened with Dante. And for the slap. Can you forgive me?” The words gush out of her mouth.
Yawning, I walk back to my bed. “How did you find out?”
“I didn’t,” she admits, following me into the room. “But I realized that I didn’t need proof. I know you wouldn’t do anything like that. It’s just so hard to think straight when I’m with Dante …” Plopping down on the bed beside me, she stares off into space.
“I wouldn’t do anything like that to any girl, ever. He was in my bed when I woke up, Jen, I swear it had nothing to do with me.”
“You don’t need to explain, Sadie. I get it. What … what does he want with you?”
“I think he wants to split us up so he can have you all to himself.” I verbalize my theory despite my fear that it’ll get back to him.
“He is quite possessive. I was worried it was because …” She stops mid-sentence and there’s no mistaking the anxious look on her face.
“Because what, Jen?” I pin her with an earnest look. “You can tell me.”
She peers at the ceiling for a few minutes. When she finally faces me again, there’s an embarrassed look on her face. A faint blush blooms in her cheeks. “I assumed he was coming onto you because I won’t sleep with him.”
I arch a brow in surprise. After all Jenna has implied to date, I would’ve expected that to be the least issue between them. She must notice my puzzled expression. “I haven’t been one hundred percent honest with you.” She looks at me sheepishly. “I’m a virgin too. And I agree with you; I don’t want to just do it with anyone. I want the whole shebang—a husband, kids, white picket fence, et cetera.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you say something?”
“It’s not something you admit to in my Sector. I’m so used to having to hide the truth that the lie almost feels real. I wanted to come clean, but I was afraid you’d think I’d been deliberately misleading you.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that. I, of all people, understand.”
Jenna tilts her head to the side, her look softening. “Is this something to do with your family?”
While I’ve hinted at my situation, I’ve never explained it. I can’t expect her to be honest with me if I’m concealing things. Standing up, I pad to my desk and extract the tattered photo from the drawer. I sit back down and show it to her.
“Who is it?”
“That’s me and my mom when I was a little kid.”
“Get out!” Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate. “You look nothing like you do now. I wouldn’t have recognized you.”
Funny how I’ve never noticed that, but I’ve always been obsessed with this photo for another reason. But what Jenna says is true. The “me” in the picture has dark hair and blue eyes that contrast inexplicably with my current blonde-haired and gray-eyed look. I don’t remember ever looking like that because the first few years of my life are a total blank. “Lots of kids change as they get older,” I say dismissively, because it’s not that unusual.
“True. Does this photo hold some special significance for you?”
“Yeah.” I chew anxiously on the corner of my lip. What I’m about to tell Jenna has never before left my lips. “It’s the only evidence I have that my mom did love me one time.” Tears well in my eyes, but I brush them quickly away.
“Go on,” she encourages.
“My family don’t like me. All except for my sister, Ella. She’s my only ally, but all the rest of them do is shout and call me names. No matter what I do, how I act or behave, they always find something to fault. I say as little as possible around them so that I’m not antagonizing them. Coming to Thalassic City was the only bright spot in the darkness, my only chance to be me.”
After confessing, I didn’t expect to feel so … relieved. And more than that. Lighter. Like a barrier has been lifted, leaving the road clear ahead.
“Jeez, Sadie, that’s so sad.”
“It is what it is.” I shrug. “And I’m okay. The absolute last thing I want is pity or sympathy. For one, it’s made me stronger. There isn’t much that anyone can say to me now that I don’t know how to adequately deflect. And I’ve had to learn to stand on my own two feet. At least I have my parents to thank for that.”
“And your dad allows all this to happen?” She sits cross-legged in front of me on the bed.
I mirror her position. “He isn’t the worst of them, but he doesn’t stop the others. However, he did contact me the other day to apologize. I’m still in shock.” That reminds me to submit another Videocon request. For some unknown reason, he ignored my last attempts, but I’m not giving up that easily. I’m more than keen to explore this newly discovered peace between us.
She looks pensive. “Is that why you want the whole marriage and babies dream?”
“Partly. I have so much love to give and no one to give it to.” I actually shock m
yself with that heartfelt admission. “What I want more than anything is to find my ‘one and only,’ and vow to love him with everything I have for all eternity.”
“That’s really profound.”
“It’s how I feel.”
“Me too,” Jenna says eagerly.
We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, both of us lost in an impossible dream of a future that’s still beyond reach.
“What are you going to do about Dante?” I risk asking a couple of minutes later.
“That’s the million-dollar question.” Her forehead puckers, carving visible worry lines into her skin. “I want to be honest with you because you’ve been so open with me.”
I squeeze her hand in encouragement.
“There are times when I feel an innate connection with Dante and other times when instinct urges me to run away screaming. But when I’m with him, I’m irresistibly drawn to him, and he’s the center of my everything.”
An icy chill swoops in as her words strike a chord within me. “Do they know each other?” I ask as sudden realization dawns.
“What? Who?”
“Logan and Dante.”
She shrugs, and glances at her watch. “I’d better get ready for work. Are we good?”
I smile. “Definitely. Let’s put it behind us. How about I call around to the store after school and you can indulge your inner stylist to your heart’s content?”
“That’d be awesome. I’ve already got my eye on a few things for you. Maybe we can catch dinner and a movie after?”
“Sounds perfect.” I head for the bathroom as we quickly finalize our arrangements.
***
I emerge from the apartment a half hour later still feeling butt-sore despite my invigorating bath. My feet falter when I spot Haydn hugging the wall outside. “Why are you here?”
“I thought we could travel to campus together?” He pushes off the wall and reaches for my book bag.
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