Page 20 of Forbidden Knots

"...withmurder," she continued.

"Maybe I’m imagining it, maybe he was never there..." Thalia said, blushing. "I mean, could it be?"

Sophie was silent, her brow raised, her mouth open. I knew that look; she gave it to me every time she thought I was acting crazy. But I needed her not to encourage Thalia to go to the police. I couldn’t stand being apart from her. I needed her scent, her peace. So, just before Sophie could continue, I burst through the door, marching inside. They both stared at me like I was from another planet. I walked toward them and sat on the sofa across from them, my hands spread across the back of the sofa.

"What?" I asked, looking at them.

"Uh, excuse me?" Sophie said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"You are excused," I said, a smile spreading across my face.

"You good?" I nodded to Thalia, then looked at Sophie.

"No, some idiot is stalking her, and she can’t sleep for days," Sophie started, but then Thalia interrupted her.

"Sophie!" Thalia shook her head dismissively.

"Do you know him?" I asked, my eyes squinting.

"I think I do. I recognized his voice," she said, turning to Sophie.

Instantly, my throat tightened, and I started to cough like I was choking on her words. They both looked at me confused, but clearing my throat, I lowered my tone, saying, "Continue..."

"I mean, deep down I know him, but I don’t know who he is, you know what I mean?" Thalia said.

"No," Sophie said, shaking her head. "Maybe you should stay here for a night?"

As she said it, my throat tightened even more, making me cough. "Excuse me."

"Is he okay?" I heard Thalia whispering to Sophie, but she just shrugged her shoulders. I knew I had to get out of this situation, so I came back and said, "She should take my room. I’ll go to Chiara's tonight," I lied.

"Deal," Sophie shouted, "YAY!"

I forced a smile, masking the turmoil inside me.

"Great. I'll go pack a few things," I said, standing up and heading towards the stairs.

I never planned to go to Chiara's. I planned to stay here and be with Thalia all night. I envisioned a scene where I’d hold my palm over her mouth, touch her, and slip my fingers inside her as she gasped for air. I wanted to show her that she shouldn’t be afraid but rather enjoy my company as much as I enjoyed hers.

Soft knocks interrupted my thoughts, and Thalia entered slowly, saying, "Uh, shall I come back?"

"No," I said, my back still turned. "I was just leaving anyway."

"Okay," she said, coming inside and sitting at the edge of the bed, her eyes fixed on the floor.

I remained silent for a moment, fighting the urge to sit next to her. But I couldn't resist. I walked over and sat just an inch away from her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, lifting her chin with my hand.

"No, it’s okay. It’s a long story anyway," she said, avoiding my gaze.

"I have time," I said, trying to get her to open up. I wanted to help her, not just as the Shadow who always watched over her but as Tristan.

"Have you ever fallen for someone you don’t know?" she asked, her voice so quiet I almost missed it.

It made me chuckle. "Just once," I confessed.

"Is it a sick thing? I mean, wanting that person so much, but then you don’t know a thing about them," she asked.

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