Incipient A Dark Paranormal Romance - Bianca Scardoni Page 0,69
“I forgive you, okay? I just want to go to school. Will you let me go to school?”
He studied my face for a moment and then nodded. Straightening to his full height, he took several steps backward until his back was pressed against the wall.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I sidled away from the corner, though keeping my back to the furthest wall on the other side of the room. I wanted to keep as much space between us while carefully crossing the room—quickly enough to not give him time to change his mind, yet slow enough that he wouldn’t see me as prey again. It was a delicate balance that had me moving like an awkward crab with a weird limp.
When I made it to the front entrance, I peered at him standing directly across from me on the opposite wall. My heart sank for him—for the tortured expression I knew he would wear from this day forward, but I couldn’t do anything for him. Not now. Not until I got myself out of the lion’s den.
Just a few more steps until I was at his door, and then I would run like the wind.
“Jemma?”
I froze mid-step. With my back pressed firmly against the wall, I forced myself to meet his eyes.
“Will you ever be able to forgive me for this?” His voice was so small and broken, it made my throat thicken with sorrow.
“I already forgive you, Gabriel,” I said, and it was the truth. This whole thing was my fault. I knew that. I’d done this to him, and I brought myself here. The only thing that mattered to me now was making it out his front door with my head firmly attached. “I’m going to fix this, okay? I just need to go to school right now. Okay?”
“Okay,” he answered softly and then bowed his head.
The minute his eyes were off me, I took three giant steps and nearly ripped the front door off its hinges. With my heart in my throat, I ran down the corridor as fast as I could, never bothering once to look back until I was outside of his apartment complex and in the safety of my car.
And then I sobbed until my eyes burned from the tears.
I pulled into the parking lot of Weston Academy thirty minutes later, making it just in time for lunch break. While I’d only meant to pay Gabriel a quick visit, I’d wound up spending the better part of the morning unconscious at his place. As soon as I’d been able to stop crying and got myself together enough to drive, I headed straight for the Blackburn Estate to pick up another clean school uniform since the one I had been wearing was fit for nothing more than the trash.
While I’d meant to stop by Temple to speak with the Senior Magister after visiting Gabriel, I was in no condition to talk shop with the head of the Council. Normally, when I lost that amount of blood, Dominic was quick to replenish me with his own blood. And judging by how horrible I felt right then, Gabriel had regrettably missed that step.
It was just as well. The more bloodsharing we did, the more chances of developing a bloodbond and that was the absolute last thing I needed. One Huntington bloodbond was about all that I could handle at the moment.
My phone vibrated in my hand as I crossed the student parking lot. Turning the screen over, I quickly read Trace’s message and grimaced:
Alright, now I’m worried. Why aren’t you answering?
I’d meant to text him back after his fourth message, but I’d forgotten all about that as well. I pulled up the dialogue box and quickly typed:
About to walk into school. Meet you in the cafeteria.
I hit send and then slipped my phone into my jacket.
Once inside, I made a quick stop at my locker to drop off my schoolbag and then hurried down to the cafeteria. Trace was waiting by the entrance door for me, his eyebrows pulled together as he leaned his back against the wall. Relief relaxed his expression as soon as he spotted me—safe and in one piece.
“I’m so sorry,” I huffed out as I approached him. “I got a little tied up and lost track of time,” I added and then tried to continue forward toward the cafeteria entrance. I wanted to keep things fluid and moving and avoid having to lie straight to his face again.