As if sensing me, the wolf looked over at me, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness, and looked away once more. The person on the other side of the door said something else, but this time no one answered. I held the comforter higher on my chest. For some reason, the wolf didn’t elicit fear in me the way you’d think an animal known to be vicious would. I wanted to stay up, wanted to keep my eyes open, but instead, I lay back down and closed them.
When I woke a second time, I sat up quickly, looking around. There were two lamps on now and no River in bed again, but I could hear the faint sound of the shower so I assumed he was in there. The bedroom door opened suddenly, and I gripped the comforter tightly. If I saw Esteban again I wasn’t sure what I’d do. Run? Scream? What could I do to a ghost that could touch me? It was Mayra.
“Breakfast is served.”
“Oh. Okay.” I felt myself frown. “Aren’t you supposed to knock?”
“I never knock on Master Caliban’s door.” She smiled a small, secretive smile that spoke volumes. He’d said they weren’t lovers. Had he lied? Did it matter? I was quick to gather my bearings. I’d had a hell of a night. If I could face a ghost from my past, surely I could flick off a little gnat like Mayra.
“Well, please knock next time. After all, I am staying here as well, and I don’t wear clothes to bed.” I smiled the same secretive smile right back. She glared and shut the door with a loud thump.
The bathroom door opened. I hadn’t even heard the water turn off, but River was standing there bare chested, wearing khaki pants as he towel dried his hair.
“That was Mayra. She wanted you to know breakfast is ready.” I stood from the bed and walked over to the bathroom, feeling inexplicable anger rise with each step I took. I brushed past him and walked into the bathroom, ignoring the pull, ignoring the sudden, insane urge to claim him as mine. Instead, I kept my voice steady. “I need the bathroom now.”
“She’s not my lover.” He dropped his hand, letting the towel in his hand hang.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to you.”
“Why would it matter to me?” I scowled, crossing my arms and glancing away, but my eyes got caught on our reflections in the mirror and on his golden flesh and ripped body.
“That’s a question you need to ask yourself.”
“No, I don’t.” I looked away from the mirror and up at his face. “What I need to do is get out of here.”
“You agreed to stay the week.”
“I know, and I will. That doesn’t mean I want to.”
He set his mouth into a thin line and nodded once before walking away from me. When he was gone, I shut the bathroom door and went about my business. I’d dragged the trunk of clothing in here yesterday and was grateful that it was still here. Today, I dressed in a dark green shift dress and black heels, hoping it would serve as the pick me up I needed to get through this. Two more days. I brushed out my hair from the braid I’d slept in and let it cascade over my shoulders. When I finished, I walked back into the bedroom, where I found River sitting on the daybed, reading the same book he was reading yesterday. He was wearing khaki pants, black loafers, and a white button-down shirt. He looked all the bit prep school graduate, the type that had a sailboat and an expensive vacation home somewhere along a coast. I couldn’t imagine that would be the case for River though.
“You done staring?” he asked, not looking up from his book.
“Yes.” I glanced toward the door. There was no use in denying that it was what I’d been doing.
“Good. Let’s go have some breakfast.” He shut the book with a loud thump and set it down.
“You’re not even going to mark your page?” I glanced at the book and back at him when he stood. Even with the three-inch heels I wore, he loomed over me. “Won’t you lose your place?”
“It won’t matter. I’ve read it before.” He started walking toward the door. I followed quickly, my heels clicking loudly against the marble.
“That huge book?” My eyes widened. “Why are you reading it again?”
“Why does anyone reread a book or rewatch a movie?” He looked over