Page 19 of King of the Unsightly

“You will lose it all.”

I snapped my head back at Tara. “Excuse me?” I asked, unsure I heard her correctly.

“I like your shirt.” Tara pointed at me; her voice was barely audible over the pulsating music.

It was only paranoia.

No way she said that.

I glanced at the sign and back at her, smiling. “You’re teasing me, huh.”

“Never. It’s edgy. I like it.” Tara gave me an innocent wave.

The bartender placed the two drinks down in front of us, both with a deep crimson color and a cherry on top.

I chugged the whole drink and asked for another. After the second one, I would slip away.

“Oh!” Tara cleared her throat and set her drink down. “My aunt has an apothecary shop in Samsville about an hour away, and she recently lost her full-time employee. It’s not much but if you’re interested, I can put in a few good words for you. I know Tyler probably slandered your reputation here.” Tara trailed off, hitting her manicured nails on the rim of her glass.

I hadn’t thought about getting a new job but if my life was going to go back to normal soon, I needed to take all the help I could get.

My face softened. “Sounds great.” Money was money, and I was in desperate need of it.

“Okay cool! I’ll text you all the details when I visit her.”

I gave her a smile and watched the bartender drop our second round in front of us.

If only I could sit here and enjoy some girl talk, but that was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

So I chugged my drink again as it slid through my throat like lead, and I shifted toward her. “I’ll be right back; I have to talk to someone in the VIP room.” I pointed at the door behind her.

“Oh, sounds fun! I’ll come with you,” Tara insisted.

“No!” I launched up from the barstool. A couple glared in my direction, but I ignored them and wriggled out the tension in my hands. “It’s private. I’ll come find you when I’m done. I swear.”

Tara pouted but nodded and went back to eye-fucking the bartender.

Tara didn’t seem bothered by my abrupt response, but I should still make it up to her later.

I weaved through the crowd, bumping into a few sweaty shoulders before I stared at the door in front of me.

If I assessed the man’s vibe right in the short amount of time we talked, then he was the pretentious prick who owned this club and lounged behind this door without a care in the world.

The Deal

Igripped the door handle, and my life flashed before me. Memories came in tiny bursts and fluttered around in my mind like a butterfly evolving through time.

Some held importance, like my first impression of Lucien—a scrawny and tall prepubescent boy with rich gold eyes dripping like honey every time he had a mischievous idea. Even then, he was incredibly easy to read. That’s probably when I knew I found someone I could trust.

Some were much darker than I remembered. Where I was trapped in a basement for days on end, clawing at a door until my nails grew brittle and blistered with blood. Until my voice went hoarse, and my eyes dried out from my frantic cries for help that had always gone unanswered.

The Kelleys never liked how Isawthings. My sheer existence became the embodiment of evil to them, and no matter how hard they tried, my soul couldn’t be saved. It seemed almost laughable now because, in the end, I was seeing more things than ever before.

But I hated mulling over the past. It did nothing for me except bring out the scared little girl I desperately wanted to hide.

Now, I had to walk through that door with these memories seared into my brain—relentlessly corrupting my consciousness and spreading their seeds of doubt like a flame to a drought-ridden forest bound to eradicate the inhabitants.

It made me wonder, how many times would I have to suck up my emotions and push them down until a gaping hole replaced my heart?

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