“Emma,” Jase said then, stepping in the room as I lay down on his bed.
I glanced up at him suspiciously.
He shuffled on his jacket. “How’s the gunshot wound?”
“Better,” I said then, sitting up. “It’s only a graze… I think’s it’s fine. I’ll treat it like a scratch.”
“Well, I’m going to the store anyway to get you some med supplies,” Jase told me, slipping on his shoes that rested right next to the bedroom door. “I’ll be back soon, okay? You stay here and rest.”
I nodded slowly. “Uhm… why?”
“Because you got a gunshot wound,” he stated as if it was obvious.
“Can’t the killer get in…?” I suggested.
Jase just pulled on the bedroom door, pushing it and revealing a long, circular like rune on it. “He can’t get in with this.”
“Why?”
He just smiled. “Reasons. Now I’ll be back soon, okay?”
He just started out the door and to the main room.
Runes would prevent other… creatures from coming in? But fallen and other angels had runes all over them! And I was human, so it didn’t bother me. So… so what paranormal creature was this keeping out?
Almost as my thought process came to a close, the front door shut, and I distantly heard Jase’s car turn on.
Silencing my thoughts to repeat my previous question, I waited patiently until his car drove off (and I would know because I would hear gravel on the tires and then distant noises, and then silence).
After his car sped off, I immediately pushed the covers off myself and walked over to the bathroom.
I did my things quickly.
Shuffling on my skirt (that was covered in blood, but I didn’t care), I finally had my bottom half covered, so I pulled on my socks and rushed out to the main room, slipping on my shoes seconds later.
I then pulled on one of Jase’s jackets and zipped it up, knowing very well the bottom of it covered the blood on my skirt.
I then stopped for a moment.
This… this smelled like him.
I started feeling all tingly.
But I shook it off, trying to recuperate my thoughts before I started out the door.
I was originally planning on snooping on him, but… but no. I needed to see my sister. I needed to see her and make sure she was alright.
After rushing out the door, I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted her.
Liz?
She responded within seconds:
Hey, have fun at Jase’s?
I paused immediately and slowed my run to a walk.
How did you know?
You’re horrible at keeping your boyfriend secrets, Emma. I know very well when my sister sneaks off… it isn’t to do some partying and secretly drinking alcohol. It’s to snuggle with her hot boyfriend.
Another text popped up:
So tell me. Did you do the big deed? Did you see him naked? Was he all steamy? Was he a good one? Oh, and more importantly… did he comment on YOU? Tell me. I need the juicy details.
I was more annoyed now than anything.
Where are you? I need to talk to you.
You can’t just dodge the question like that.
It’s urgent, I responded.
I could almost hear her sigh.
Arcade. Our favorite one. With Pierce right now.
What about Twilight?
Mysteriously disappeared. Even Pierce doesn’t know where he went. He’s been radio silent for a couple days now.
Probably because he was a serial killer!
Alright. I’m on my way.
Is Jase with you? I could hear her smug tone.
No. I escaped him temporarily.
Escaped him? she repeated. Man, was he really that bad? Damn. I thought he’d at least show you a good time.
I ignored her, once more. Lizzy, I’m almost there.
Aight. See you.
And a minute later, I entered the arcade.
After circling around machine after machine, I finally found her and Pierce circling one of those baseball arcade games, waiting patiently for some kid to finish.
I stopped beside her, tapping her on the shoulder.
Her face brightened at the sight of me. “Hey, sis! Long time no see!”
She pulled me into a hug, and I winced.
She drew back immediately. “What?”
I just pulled up my shirt, showing her the bandage covering the gunshot wound.
“Jesus Christ!” she exclaimed immediately, catching Pierce’s attention. “What the hell happened to you?” She then gaped. “Is that blood on your skirt? All that blood?”
“Yes,” I said somberly. “As I said… I need to talk to you.”
She looked more nervous now… as if she didn’t know how to talk to me suddenly.
“Uhm… alright,” she said then, nodding at Pierce. “Can… can he be a second pair of ears?”
I just looked at him suspiciously.
I didn’t rule him out as a killer yet.
“Emma…” she whispered then, making me focus on her now. “I actually talked to him about Twilight being a possible harm to us and all that. Pierce has confirmed that Twilight’s been acting weird lately.”
“Weird?” I echoed. “Weird how?”
“He’s been closed off… distant,” Pierce responded. “And then vanished.”
“For how long?” I said then.
I bet it’s been since I found out his little secret.
“A couple days now,” Pierce responded. “After we met up with him when you and your sister went to that restaurant, he started acting close off suddenly.”
Yup.
“Fine,” I said then, looking over at Lizzy and nodding in agreement, “we can talk together.”
She smiled sweetly and caught Pierce’s hand, and we all walked outside together.
After we entered the parking lot, Pierce leaned against the wall and Lizzy started shuffling uncomfortably.
“What happened?” she demanded then. “You’re killing me here?”
I just went out and said it. “Twilight shot me.”
All three of us fell silent, and Lizzy’s eyes widened in horror.
Pierce’s lips parted in surprise.
And my gut started wrenching… as if I hadn’t accepted the fact that a previous friend attempted to kill me. One that was so kind such a short time ago.
“Let me see,” Lizzy said quickly, rushing over to me. “Did you get the bullet out?”
I winced when she pulled up my shirt. “It just grazed me. I was running when he did it, I think my running threw his aim off.”
“Did you go to the hospital?” Lizzy demanded as Pierce remained stunned, standing fully. “Did they do a checkup? File a police report?”
I felt a poison fill my veins. “No.”
“What did you do?!” she squealed almost angrily. “Tell me you didn’t patch it up yourself!”
“I didn’t,” I responded.
She fell silent then, and it spread among us for too long. “Jase.”
I silenced, giving her my answer.
“You called him before calling ME?” she yelled. “I THOUGHT YOU DIDN’T TRUST HIM! I COULD’VE TAKEN YOU TO THE HOSPITAL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”
I fell silent for too long, and then hesitantly gazed up. “I did call you.”
Her face immediately stilled, and she went pale. “What?”
“I called you…” I said then. “While hiding from him. You didn’t answer.”
She stammered a little. “No… what?”
She pulled her phone out then and gazed down at it, brows drawing together when she found my number on her missed calls list. “It didn’t notify me. And… when I checked it this morning, it wasn’t here.”
Probably another mind trick. It seemed the most understandable.
I was sure Jase wasn’t the only fallen angel here.
She then gazed up. “Why didn’t you call the police?”
I felt my own face pale. “It’s… it’s complicated.”
“You were running for your life, almost shot, and didn’t think to call the police because it’s complicated?!”
I just breathed slowly before responding. “I called Jase… and… and it was weird. As soon as he came, Twilight ran the other direction.”
Pierce’s brows drew together. “Why the hell would he be scared of Jase? Twilight doesn’t seem the type to… I don’t know. He’s strong physically and has the self-confidence to overturn him.”
Yeah, and Jase is a fallen angel. I don’t know anymore!
“I… I don’t know.” I then looked over at Lizzy. “Please, believe me! I’m not lying! I’m not trying to cut in between you!”
Her angry expression suddenly vanished as if my words hurt her. “Lying? Why would you think I’d automatically assume you’re lying?”
I just stared at her. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”
“I think Twilight is crazy,” she retorted with a humorless laugh. “Maybe Jase, too. I just think you’re paranoid and no, it’s not making you hallucinate. Because your gunshot wound is clear enough.”
What suddenly changed her mind?
But it reminded me of something. “Lizzy, there’s something about Jase, too.”
She glanced over, brows arching.
I opened my mouth to speak.
“There you are,” a voice said to my right, making me freeze.
I glanced over to find Jase walking over to us, a smile plastered on his face. “I was looking all over for you.”
He had that dark smile again… that dangerous one.
He wasn’t pleased with me. Not that I blamed him. I did run away, but… how did he keep finding me?
His voice suddenly echoed through my thoughts, sending chills through me:
Foooooooooound you.
There was a threatening, singy-song tone to it.
I just swallowed something hard.
He was pissed.
I just breathed out a quick breath. “Shit.”
Lizzy spared me a nervous glance, as if she could sense the panic brimming in me.
I stared at him helplessly.
Here’s what’s going to happen, Jase told my thoughts, tone dark and… menacing. You are going to go back inside, and I will follow. And then you wait, and I follow you to the back of the arcade where we can have a little chit-chat, okay?
I just shook my head again.
His smile darkened as he continued forward. You have no choice, Emma. I’m not giving you one.
As he advanced toward me, Lizzy then stepped forward then looked over at Jase sharply. “Hey! Stop there, dick-waffle!”
I stared at her, mouth agape.
WHAT?
He looked over at her and immediately stopped. “What?”
“You aren’t… abusing my sister, are you?” she questioned him, tone sharp in anger.
I wasn’t sure if I saw it correctly, but I swore his face went as white as a sheet.
“What?” he said then, dumbfounded.
I was confused, too. Where did she get that allegation?
“She came home one night with bruises on her cheekbone, claiming she fell,” Lizzy stated then. “Even then, she’s been wearing the same turtleneck for the last couple days, and I know my sister well, she hates those. And that jacket she’s wearing? Did you instruct her to wear it to cover her neck? She’s hiding bruises, isn’t she?”
Jase’s brows drew together, and he looked over at me, panicked.
I honestly didn’t know what to do. What was I supposed to say? How could I patch this up in a perfect bow?
Jase never touched me, he never left a bruise, he never even tried once to physically hurt me! Thought about it? Yes… and that’s why I didn’t know what to say.
And these allegations… looked as if they pained him.
I’d never seen this look on his face. This look as if someone took something precious to him and shattered it to pieces.
“My sister is a very bad liar,” Lizzy growled, eyes narrowing. “I know very well when she’s lying. Especially when she came home late at night, and then claimed she fell. I knew in that moment she was lying to me.” She then glared sharply, enough to feel like daggers piercing his skin. “Have you been hitting her?”
His skin paled even more, the horror-stuck look on his face remaining.
I just went out and spoke then. “You’re wrong.”
Everyone looked over at me immediately, Jase’s gaze seeming more hopeful than amused right now.
“You’re wrong…” I said quietly. “As much as I don’t want to admit it, he’s… he’s been only a help to me.”
Lizzy studied me then, and her stance eased as she realized I was telling the truth now.
“These bruises,” I said then, lowering the collar of his jacket and exposing the bandages. “They were from the night I got that bruise on my cheek.” I released it. “I was walking to Jase’s work to talk to him more, and I was attacked on the street. I couldn’t remember his face,” I stated sadly, “but he wrapped his hands around me here…” I touched my throat, “he was… trying to kill me.”
Lizzy’s brows drew together.
“I ended up jabbing him in the eye with my thumb,” I explained. “He dropped me and I hit my head on the sidewalk. That’s how I got those two bruises.
“I clearly had a concussion,” I continued, “because I remember stumbling to his work, and I walked in. He drove me to the hospital himself.” I glanced over at Jase.
He was still pale, but was more eased now.
“I woke up, and he was at my bedside,” I stated then, breaths softening. “And… and yesterday, too. He came to my rescue and asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, I said no, and then he patched me up and made me soup… let me rest at his house.”
All of them remained silent.
I just let out another small breath. “He… he wouldn’t… he wouldn’t hurt me like that. He doesn’t have it in him to hurt me. He just wants to save me, and I resist him because I’m just so scared right now.”
Lizzy’s eyes softened a touch. “Emmy….”
I felt tears warming in my eyes, but tried to ignore it.
“Emma,” Jase said then, making me gaze up hazily. “Emma… do you want to go home now?”
And then his voice entered through my thoughts:
I’m sorry… I’m sorry for scaring you. I can leave you alone for a while and keep watch.
I felt my eyes gloss over.
But I didn’t want him to, and because of this, I thought I was going insane. I didn’t want him to leave, I didn’t want him to run away, I didn’t want him to ditch me like everyone else had… my friends… and now I felt my parents were being kept from me.
I was scared, and I didn’t know who to trust.
I wanted to trust him. I really wanted to trust him.
But I was scared.
His eyes softened as he read my thoughts, and I just looked away.
Lizzy just glanced between us before a small smile settled on her face. “Her curfew is at ten. Be home on the dot.”
And she walked off, Pierce following with her, leaving both me and Jase alone together.
I just remained silent.
He just stepped toward me, making me gaze up in a panic.
He just lightly tipped my chin up and ran his thumbs under my eyes, drying the leftover tears that I never knew existed.
“You’re too beautiful to cry…” he said gently.
And he pulled me against him, wrapping my arms around me.
I was shaking, and I knew he could tell because I was rattling him, too.
He just started lightly rubbing my back, setting his lips on my forehead as he murmured soft sounds into my ear.
After a moment of resistance—because of anxiousness, not uneasiness—I gave in.
And I melted into him, burying my face in his neck and tugging his shirt into my hands.
He just ran his hand over my head and kissed it again.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and kept myself pressed to him, snuggling into his hold and covering myself in his warmth.
He just smiled and let go, making my breaths shorten when he shuffled off his jacket and wrapped it around me, setting it over my head.
My cheeks shaded a light red and I looked up at him, eyes glistening in curiosity as my lips shaped in a soft “O”.
He just tucked some hair behind my ear, and he dipped down… and set his lips on mine.
I gave into him, pulling up and wrapping my arms around my neck.
I stood on my tippy-toes, trying to devour him more.
He just released me, making me lean forward.
But he pressed his finger to my lips.
I looked up at him then, finding a sly smile splitting his lips.
“Patience, Angel,” he said then, making me blink. “She’s still watching.”
I immediately looked to my right, and my eyes widened when I found Lizzy stopped at the corner of the street, covering her mouth to hide a smile as she watched us.
I felt my face flush, and I looked down to his chest.
He just tipped my chin up. “Don’t be so shy. She knows we’re together.”
I just stared into his eyes.
He let go then and caught my hand. “Come with me.”
And he pulled me into the arcade, leaving Lizzy out in the cold.
After a moment, we finally made it to the back of the arcade, and we slowed to a stop beside a door.
Jase just pulled open the broom closet door and pulled me in.
He then closed the door behind him and locked it, looking at me fully with his famous wolf-smile.
What didn’t that feel as threatening as it should’ve?
He just stepped over to me, and I stepped backward, and then I was pressed to the wall.
He just set a hand behind me, tipping his weight toward me.
“Uhm…” I said shyly, “Lizzy’s waiting outside for us.”
“She can ride home with Pierce as always,” Jase responded.
“I have algebra homework,” I said then.
He just smirked. “Cancel.”
My cheeks shaded a lighter red.
He just lowered his face, breath fanning my cheeks. “Drop the act, Emma. I know you got it bad for me, and I got it bad for you.”
I looked up at him then, feeling more curious than threatened right now.
“This is love, Emma…” he said gently, lightly pulling a hand to my face and running his thumb along my cheek. “The way I’m drawn to you like… like you’re the goddess of my dreams. The way I just want to touch you and hold you, kiss you for hours. This is love, Emma. Chemical love.” He leaned closer, making my lashes flutter shut. “True love. You were made for me. And I was made for you.”
I breathed unevenly, trying desperately to think straight, but his presence was making it hard.
“Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same,” he whispered in a low tone, so only a mouse could hear. “Admit it.”
“You’re…” I said then, leaning my face up higher so I could feel him closer, “alluring… attracting… dangerous... and addicting. Like… like a sin.”
“Your sin,” he said then, tone dark. “Forever your sin.”
I just lightly gripped his shirt and stood on my tiptoes, feeling my legs wobble as heat flashed through me after every millimeter of space was eliminated.
Jase just ran his finger along my collarbone, gliding so very gently.
I tipped my head up, something hot swirling in my stomach and immediately shooting lower.
He just smiled. “Tell me you want me. Tell me you want to kiss me.”
“I want… to kiss you,” I said desperately. “Please… You’re my… addiction. I need you.”
He didn’t waste a second, just lower his lips to mine.
The moment our mouths touched, every sense of self around me shattered to oblivion.
I shot up, latching my hands onto his shoulders and trying to pull myself higher.
He devoured me whole, pressing me to the wall as his hands tangled in my hair, pulling my ponytail free and my hair draped down to the small of my back.
I entangled myself in him, moaning softly as he pulled my lips with his teeth, teasing me.
As I struggled, I decided to hoist myself up, wrapping my legs around his waist.
I immediately winced when my cuts folded, whimpering.
He just held me up with both of his arms, parting our lips only slightly as his hot breath burned my face and only made the coiling heat inside me worsen.
“Careful…” he whispered.
I felt like I caught a fever, because all of my restraint shot out the window, and I caught him by the back of his head and pulled him back to my lips.
He just chuckled against me, pressing me to the wall as he pulled from my mouth and trailed kisses down my neck… slowly… and slowly.
When he reached the nape, he gently nibbled the skin, making me whimper when I tipped my head back.
He continued down further to my collarbone, lightly nibbling the skin above the bone as I moaned gently.
And he moved down, further, going to my chest.
Until a knock sounded on the door of the broom closet, and the doorknob rattled.
“Hello?!” a man called, clearly one of the janitors. “Dammit, Charlie! You locked the door again!”
He stormed off.
Jase just looked back at me, watching my flushed and fever-kissed face with amusement. “Wanna go home?”
I nodded quickly.
He just smiled with his familiar, dangerous grin.
Well… I guess it was out the window now. All my resistance shattered, and I found myself craving him even though we only were kissing a minute ago.
I couldn’t help but stare at him as he helped me down onto my feet.
How was he so composed right now?
“I’m not,” he responded then, “just good at hiding it. The one time I get with you… damn.”
I smiled then, feeling my first amusement of the night. “Suckers suck.”
He spared me an amused look before adjusting my shirt back down in place.
When he caught my hand, opening the door to peek out, he looked back at me with a smirk. “We’re in the clear.”
And he pulled me along with him, and I willingly followed.
After staring at him for too long, I finally determined something.
I was in for it now.
There was no reason to resist because… because I trusted him now.
I already accepted the fact that he would never hurt me. I realized it when I was talking to my sister just twenty minutes ago.
I realized it immediately.
And now… the seal was broken.
I was craving him now.
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