Incipient A Dark Paranormal Romance - Bianca Scardoni Page 0,10
barely just set. I doubt he’s even left his house yet,” I quickly defended even though I knew the whole lie sounded ludicrous and made me look like that idiot girl from horror movies who always runs directly into the killer’s path. And I was so not that girl. Well, not usually anyway.
“Jemma, you know it’s safer if we go together.”
I blew out a breath of frustration. “Can we not do that please?”
“Do what?” he asked, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
“This,” I said, motioning to the two of us. “I’m not your responsibility, Trace.”
“No, you’re not,” he agreed and then opened the passenger door before climbing into the seat next to me. “But you are my friend, right? And friends look out for their friends.” He flashed a charming smile that set off both his dimples in tandem, and damn me if I could ever resist those dimples. “Besides, we need to get some grub. I think that Famine dude rotted every piece of food I had in my house.”
I spluttered a laugh. “I’m sure he has better things to do than go around destroying your food,” I said as I backed out of the driveway and started up his street. No point in arguing with him now since he was already buckled in and ready to go.
“I don’t think he did it on purpose,” he said, giving me a sideways glance.
I looked over at him and held his stare. He was totally serious. “What do you mean he didn’t do it on purpose?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “All I know is everything was fine when I made supper last night then dude comes to my house for twenty minutes and suddenly everything is rotten. I’m talking curdled milk, molded bread, apples that look like they’ve been sitting there for over a year.” He rolled down the window and threw his piece of gum outside. “It was nasty.”
“Hm.” I let that sink in for a moment. “I guess that’s why they call him Famine. I can’t imagine getting much to eat with him around being that he rots everything in sight.”
“Exactly.” He grimaced. “I don’t even want to know what Death and War can make happen.”
Yikes. I hadn’t considered that at all. “We should probably be thankful we got rid of Pestilence in that case.”
“Silver lining,” he said and we both laughed at the inappropriate comment.
“You want to grab something to eat first? There’s a drive thru open over there,” I said and pointed to a burger place just off the main highway.
“Nah,” said Trace and then looked over at me, his gaze discretely taking me in. “Let’s pick up your clothes first and then we’ll eat. There’s this restaurant I’ve been wanting to take you to.”
I immediately started shaking my head at the idea.
“It’s not a date if that’s what you’re worried about,” he continued before I could object. “Just two friends and some good food.” Something about his smirk made me think there was a lot more behind it than just a meal between friends, but that dimple made another appearance and I’d pretty much stuck a fork in myself.
Like I said before, bad idea.
I knew no good would come of this. I knew every moment I spent with Trace was a dangerous moment and only increased the chances of triggering his memories. I knew every night we spent together only made it harder for me to leave him in the morning. I knew all of that and yet I couldn’t seem to stay away from him even when our lives depended on it.
It was the way it had always been, and something told me it was the way it was always going to be. z
5. BLANK SPACE
The Blackburn Estate stood tall and looming, draped in shadows that spoke of its defeat. I couldn’t help but feel a pull of sadness as I drove up the winding, fog-kissed driveway and stopped atop the hill. The life that had once lived inside those walls was now gone. There wasn’t a single light glowing or even a vagrant soul roaming. Just a pile of bricks and mortar, sitting against the backdrop of dusk, looking wholly and pitifully abandoned.
I unlocked the front door and walked inside, taking in a lungful of that familiar sage scent as Trace trailed behind me. It really hadn’t gotten any easier coming here since my uncle passed away. I supposed I hadn’t been here nearly enough to get comfortable with it again. And now with Dominic’s