Page 339 of Dark Love

“Oh, I should probably get you some water first. Barb said it will help you flush the drug out of your system. Are you hungry? I don’t keep much in the house, but I can microwave some popcorn.”

My stomach feels completely hollow, but I’ve been hit with gently lapping waves of queasiness since I woke up. “Popcorn sounds good.”

I zone out the pregame show.

How could this happen?

Is any of this real? I have a vivid imagination. This could be a dream. In what world would I ever dream about being roofied? Though I could totally imagine Vex living in a place like this. Everything about this room screams luxury with an edge. These are the softest sheets I’ve ever felt, but who has inky black sheets. They’ve got to be a nightmare to keep pristine. A cat would cover it in hair. To be fair, I’m probably doing the same.

Would I ever dream of a man that has black sheets?

I haven’t dreamed about a real man in…too long to think about.

Everything about this feels so real.

But if it’s real that means… I was drugged… Someone wanted to hurt me badly enough to drug me.

“Dahlia, are you okay?”

No. I’m not okay. If this is real, I’m not sure I ever will be. “Fine.”

“But you’re shaking. I’m going to call Barb.”

“Shaking?” It’s only then that the tremors going through me register. “Don’t call Barb.”

“Why? Something is obviously wrong.”

With my head, not my body. “It’s fear. While you were gone all I could think about was…”

“Oh.” Vex slides the phone back into his pocket. He hands over a small bottle of water and sets a glass down on the end table. “Would you like me to crack that open for you?”

“Yeah, thanks.” I hold it out for him to open. He could have just brought me a gla—Vex gave me a sealed bottle on purpose.

Some of the fear in me abates.

It was such a small gesture, but it had such a significant impact on me. I take the now-open bottle from him and enjoy a sip of it before setting it on the nightstand.

He pulls the chair he was sitting in closer to the bed and sets the bowl of popcorn between us. In one smooth motion, he pops a handful into his mouth.

If I had tried that, half of it would have ended up on his bed.

The trembling fades away to a flutter in my stomach that combines with the slight nausea still lingering.

Food. Though there’s no clock in this room, it’s got to be well in the afternoon. What was the last meal I ate? A single brownie at lunch was all I was able to nab before the hungry masses descended on them.

Why didn’t I go to dinner with Adonis’ group? Next time… Will there be a next time? Maybe I shouldn’t have even moved to Urbium. My hometown was safe. Things like this don’t happen there.

Why did I decide to expand my horizons and see more of the world?

Because you can’t imagine life, you need to live it.

My stomach growls.

Eat first. Worry about the rest of your life later… like when you aren’t in the bed of a man you barely know.

Cautiously, I take a single kernel of popcorn to make sure my stomach won’t rebel. “What is this? There’s no butter flavor. You eat the healthy stuff!”

“You make that sound like it’s a sin.” The corner of his lips gets decidedly higher.

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