Page 54 of Ghoul Kisses

“You’ve been ignoring me.” Eric rubs the back of his neck.

“Are you going to execute me because I’m not speaking to you?” I ask sarcastically.

“We need to talk,” he says.

“Okay. Fine,” I say through tight lips.

“Meet me for dinner at six,” Eric says.

“Okay, see you then.” He brushes his lips against my forehead and every cell in my body comes to life. Damn you, Eric, for having this effect on me.

When I return to my room, I try to drown out the mental pictures of the servant’s execution. Placing the headphones over my ears, I hit the play button on my computer. Seether’s Waste blasts in my ears. If Eric asks me to cut Vanessa loose, I’m going to pack my stuff and leave him. I mean it. It would crush me, but I won’t let him control who I associate with. I need to be strong; expect the best but prepare for the worst. I can do this. I can do this.

The purple drapes are open in the dining room. The sky is inky blue and the moon shines bright. From this viewpoint, you can see tall trees surrounding the mansion. Eric stands in front of the window with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I didn’t think you would show up,” he says as he faces me.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I ask as I sit at the end of the table. Eric sits next to me, his face colored with sadness.

Oh no! He is about to break up with me. Why did I have to be stubborn? Why did I have to keep ignoring him? I can be so stupid sometimes. Worry tugs at me. A servant sets my plate of food on the table and pours me a glass of wine. My plate consists of grilled salmon, sweet peas, and candied yams. Even though my stomach grumbles, I am not in the mood to eat. He rubs the back of my hand as his red eyes pierce through me.

“I’m sorry for asking you to stop being friends with the human,” he says gently. I sigh in relief.

“Vanessa is like a sister to me,” I pause, trying to choose my words carefully.

“But, you are as important to me as her,” I say, reassuring him.

“I want both of you in my life, and I want you both to get along with each other. It bothers me that you don’t like her.” Eric nods his head. I needed to get that off my chest. Eric kisses the back of my hand.

“I’ll try to get along with her for you,” he murmurs. At least he is trying.

“Are we good?” I ask.

He nods. I begin eating the candied yams. Relief washes over me. I’m glad Eric didn’t break up with me, and he understands where I am coming from. Eric and Vanessa might not like each other right now, but there is hope for the future.

Eric plants soft kisses on my hip bones making me feel a bit aroused. I thrust my fingers through his rough, dark hair as I lie naked on the bed. We made love last night after dinner. My sex throbs with pain. It’s five in the morning, and I have three hours to sleep before my shift starts at the facility. Eric traces his finger over my scar and his warm mouth kisses it. I flinch.

“I’m getting a tattoo to cover up my scar.” If I cover it up, that could be a start in the process of me moving on and forgiving myself for what I did. I need to heal, live, and not be afraid to have a life. The healing process doesn’t happen overnight, but I can at least start.

“What kind of tattoo?” Eric asks.

“I don’t know yet.”

My phone dings with a notification and I grab it from the nightstand. An e-mail from Vanessa displays on the screen.

Hey

Meet me at my condo tonight at 8:30. Don’t bring your douchebag boyfriend with you. I need to talk to you. It’s very, very important!

Nessa.

I reply to her message.

See you there.

I set the phone back on the nightstand and straddle his lap.

“Who was that?” he asks, kissing my neck.

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