CHARLOTTEWhen I finally had enough energy to open my eyes, I was met with darkness and a violent headache.Bile climbed up my throat quickly, hurried on by the odours that irritated my senses the moment I sucked in a breath.I’d gag, but I felt like I was underwater, my reflexes weren’t mine and I
I was rolled onto my side just in time for the vomit to shoot out of my mouth. I was rolled at a poor angle so most of the vomit stuck to my face, my eyes drifted shut again and my body shook a little from the way my body retched.Anton’s hand was still on my breast.“So we gotta move to the couch n
CHARLOTTE I was crashing, and I was crashing and I was crashing. I felt myself going under again. “We need a blanket! Someone get me a fucking blanket. A sheet, something, fuck.” And then I was swallowed whole. I didn’t feel myself being lifted up. I couldn’t tell what was happening around
CHARLOTTE The car ride back to the mansion is purposefully silent, other than the hum of the air conditioner and my shaky, unsteady breaths. I don’t think, I don’t move, I don’t speak, and I don’t let go of Taide the entire car ride. Not when we get out of the car, and not when he carries me up t
CHARLOTTE I felt warm. And soft. My breathing was light, so light that it was sometimes worrying whether or not I was still alive. I was deep asleep, and that’s good. I needed to rest. After what happened to me… The thought trailed off, tunneling into a pool of darkness. A sudden wave of an
“Morning, sleepyheads,” Reigh greeted. I offered him a weak smile, both as an acknowledgement of his greeting and as thanks for the food. I looked over the spread, pancakes, bacon, toast, eggs and as much as I appreciated it and looked forward to digging in, I couldn’t help but think that it would
CHARLOTTE I pulled down the lever and gave the toilet a minute to flush. Slowly, I moved towards the mirror and lifted my plain white T-shirt to lace up my sweatpants, and in the process, I caught sight of the dainty white line at the side of my stomach. My heart clenched, and a rush of anxiet
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
CHARLOTTEI glanced up at Caeson, catching the steady, unreadable expression he always wore. His gaze held mine, cool and unwavering, and for just a moment, something fluttered in my chest.I quickly shoved it aside, clearing my throat.“She’s staying then?” I asked, looking around the room. “We all
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I pulled my curls into a bun as I walked down the stairs, my feet moving slowly against the wooden steps. The house was quiet, too quiet, but that was normal these days. My thoughts were scattered until a flicker of movement caught my eye. A flash of black streaked across the foyer. I st
CHARLOTTE Taide was growing out his hair. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching him lean over the mirror on my dresser. His hands combed through his dark hair, smoothing it back and letting it fall forward again. It was longer than I’d ever seen it, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. S
A childish part of me felt like defending that Emma had started it, but why did it matter? It shouldn’t matter and I tried to make myself believe that. Taide’s attention shifted away from the menu to me, and I cleared my throat before turning my gaze from Caeson and down to the menu like I had
CHARLOTTE After a short drive, Taide pulled up in the parking lot of the small restaurant that was a hotspot amongst students in the area. The main area was rowdy and full of students eating and talking loudly, but Taide led me past there and into a quieter, more ambient area. It was still c
CHARLOTTE Taide held the door open and shot me a knowing look. But I didn’t move, I remained in one spot, crossed my arms and pouted. “But Taide—” “I don’t want to hear it,” he cut me off, his expression deep and serious. My lips snapped shut, I sensed that there was no point in arguing. So, wi
I pulled them both back into the house and then to the kitchen. With a small exhale, I let go of their hands, immediately missing the comfort and warmth their touches gave me. “I need to find Madeline,” I told them. “Do you know if she’s back?” Just like Taide, she’d been gone almost all day. Rei