Correction(morning, sleepyheads)*** Taide *hadn’t* been speaking out loud!!
CHARLOTTE The day finally came to an end, and I was getting ready for bed. After brushing my teeth, I walked into my room just in time to hear a knock on the door. I lifted a brow, curious to know who’d come knocking at this time of night. I opened the door, catching a glimpse of Reigh and Made
CHARLOTTE “Cara,” my father whispered, as he caressed my face. “Damn, Anton, you bagged us a perfect one today.” “And there was blood everywhere, and you were n-naked,” Madeline sobbed. Tap. Tap. Tap. The click of a gun going off. BANG. A scream ripped out of my throat as I sat up
CHARLOTTE The next time my eyes opened, it was morning. And I was alone. I lay still for a moment, trying my best to center myself after suddenly waking up. My eyes were on the ceiling, but after a long minute, I glanced over to the side of the bed Taide was on, only to stiffen a little when I f
My face went beet red. He was still staring at me, so I looked away to avoid his probing gaze. It was obvious he was referring to me not being there when he woke up. And after a minute of searching for an explanation or justification for my actions, I just gave up. “Where’s Madeline?” I asked inste
CHARLOTTE The sound of water running roused me from sleep. I went still at first, taking in the unfamiliar ceiling and sheets, but it didn’t take long for me to remember where I was and why I was there. I instantly relaxed and let out a small yawn. I lifted my hand to rub the sleep from my eyes,
A small part of me dared to believe that it hadn’t been a dream—that the soft look I’d blearily seen and the hand that had tucked my hair aside had been real. But looking into his unempathetic eyes right then, those thoughts were stolen from my mind at once. His eyes trailed over my face as we stoo
CHARLOTTE I had a million things to say, but the words stayed stuck in my throat when someone else entered the kitchen. Both Taide and I looked away from each other as Madeline walked in. Her eyes were red and unfocused, and a heavy cloud of sadness hung over her. I could see the distress on he
I hesitated before continuing, deciding that maybe it was time to be honest. “To be truthful, I don’t even know what’s going on with me.” I pulled my hand from hers, feeling exposed. “Ever since everything happened, I’ve felt this weird attachment to Taide. It’s like he’s the only thing keeping me
CHARLOTTE I watched as Taide stepped away from Sean, smoothly sidestepping him without another glance. Sean looked after him for a moment, but Taide didn’t seem to care. I caught Madeline’s eyes, and she grinned before doing a subtle little happy dance. Her excitement was almost contagious. Taid
CHARLOTTE The seamstress stepped back, letting out a satisfied hum. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing my hands over the soft fabric of the dress I was wearing. It fit perfectly, hugging my body in all the right places. The sweetheart neckline and shoulder-less design gave it an elegance
The hell?I blinked, trying to understand. Then it hit.He was talking about yesterday, when I’d abruptly questioned him and then walked away without waiting for an answer.“You wouldn’t have participated anyway,” I said, using his analogy as I crossed my arms.“You don’t know that,” he replied.I
CHARLOTTEThe morning light streamed through the tall windows of the dining room, illuminating the grand breakfast spread that covered the long table.I could hardly believe how much food there was—it seemed like enough to feed ten people, if not more. The table was piled high with plates of fresh f
CHARLOTTEThe palace was something out of a dream.No, more than that—something out of a world I didn’t belong to.The long driveway was lined with perfectly manicured gardens, each bush and flowerbed so precise it looked as though someone had sculpted them by hand. Towering trees stood around, thei
CHARLOTTE We had our things packed and ready for the trip. Madeline’s birthday ball was this Sunday and now it was Friday already, the day of our departure. By the time we returned home it would be about a week before our junior year finals. And then, graduation. Which meant that we would be
I gave her my thanks and followed her instructions, up the stairs and down the calm, clean hallways of the care home. And like every time I came here, I couldn’t help but be struck by the difference between this care house and her old one. I was just about to walk in through the open threshold but
CHARLOTTE The silence didn’t dissipate for a long while after Caeson left. I used those moments of quiet to try to piece together what I had heard from their conversation into something that made sense. Taking a few seconds of thought, I looked up and my eyes darted between Reigh and Taide. Th
CHARLOTTE A loud, booming “No!” echoed through the house, shaking the air and making my heart jump.The sound of Caeson’s voice was unmistakable, filled with anger that could probably make the walls tremble if it got any louder. I glanced at Madeline, who was standing as still as a statue beside