Incipient A Dark Paranormal Romance - Bianca Scardoni Page 0,12
two evils. “For like homework and stuff.”
He nodded, though mostly to himself as he continued to walk around my room and examine everything. “It feels…familiar.”
My heart ached for him just then. For us. For what had been stolen away from us.
Not wanting for him to see the emotion rampaging through me, I turned on my heel and rushed inside the walk-in closet. Grabbing my spare school uniforms hanging in the closet and then my duffle bag off the floor, I quickly stuffed every item of clothing I was holding into the bag while simultaneously also stuffing my emotions back into the pit of my stomach. The whole thing was very therapeutic.
“When was this taken?” I heard Trace ask from across the room.
I picked up my duffle bag by the handle and straightened before walking out of the closet. He was standing by the night table beside my bed, holding a picture of us in his hand, and I all but fell over.
It was a picture that Taylor had taken last year.
A picture of me and Trace.
His arm around my shoulder.
My hand on his chest.
The rush of emotions was more than I could stand. I dropped the duffle bag and leaned back against the wall, trying to gather my bearings and not pass out from the sudden rush of way too much shit coming at me at once.
Trace’s head turned at the commotion and then he was rushing over to me, his eyebrows knitted together in concern, the picture now a forgotten relic of the life we once had.
“I’m fine,” I said, holding my hand out to stop him from getting any closer.
“You don’t look fine.” His jaw muscle ticked under his skin like a drumbeat.
“Thanks,” I said and made a face at him. “I’m just a little dizzy. Probably because I haven’t eaten all day.”
He squeezed his eyes shut as regret poured over his features like rain. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I laughed, because none of this was his fault. Not a single thing in our messed-up lives was his fault.
“You wanted to pick up some burgers before and I—”
“Stop. You didn’t do anything. I just forgot to eat, that’s all. It’s been a long day.” Something moved in my peripheral as though a shadow had just rushed past my bedroom door. My heart kicked into high gear as my head whipped toward the hallway, but by the time I looked, there was nothing there. “Did you see that?” I asked, my anxiety rising unnaturally.
He followed my gaze. “See what?”
“I don’t know. I thought I saw a shadow or something.”
“A shadow?” Trace stalked to the door and then peered his head into the hallway, looking both ways. “I don’t see anything. Looks clear to me.”
My racing heart settled down as confirmation came that we were still alone and not being stalked by Evil-Dominic.
“We should probably go. I really should get some food in me.” Because apparently, I was seeing things now.
Trace nodded before marching back over to me and then picking up my duffle bag from the floor. I followed him downstairs, paying close attention to any other shadows or misplaced noises. Even though I was fairly certain my eyes were just throwing spots around from lack of food, it wouldn’t hurt to be extra cautious.
“Keys?” asked Trace as he opened the front door.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said and then handed him the keys to the house and car.
“Alright. Just wait for me,” he instructed, his eyebrows still knitted with concern.
This time, I didn’t argue with him since I was a quite a bit more on edge than when we’d first arrived here.
Leaning against the front door, I watched as he opened the truck and tossed my duffle bag inside and then made his way back up the front steps. “After you,” he said and then followed me to the washroom down the hall.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I said and then closed the door behind myself before flicking on the bathroom light.
The minute the lights came on, a hand came down over my mouth as another hand gripped my waist and lifted me off the ground and away from the door. Panic fired through my body as my attacker set me down in front of the sink and allowed me a glimpse of his face through the mirror.
It was Dominic Huntington, and he was smiling like a madman.
6. POISON AND WINE
With his icy fingers still pressed firmly against my mouth, Dominic turned on the faucet and