Page 67 of Lovers Fate

I can tell in his gaze he isn’t sure if he should tell me.

I approach the armoire and trace the intricate designs on the paneled doors, which swirl up like vines reminding me of a something I can’t remember. Like I’ve done this before.

“You like this room?”

“I do,” I say truthfully.

“Then stay here as long as you need to.”

Kaden’s the only person who has offered me a place to stay. The only person who seems to care. I blink back tears. “Thank you.”

“The bathroom has towels, and I’m sure one of the drawers has something for you to wear. If you need anything else, let me know.” He pulls out his phone. “What’s your number so you can text me if you need anything?”

I smile and give him my number, watching as he enters it on his screen, grinning as if he’s won a prize from the fair.

“Got it.” He points behind him with his thumb. “If you need anything, I’ll be down the hall.”

After he shuts the door behind him, I walk around the room and stop in front of a dresser. I grab the drawer by its metal ring, flinching when it emits a loud, and swiftly close it to avoid creating unnecessary noise. The last thing I need is for him to think I’m going to take something.

After a warm shower in the vintage clawfoot tub, I opt for my dancer’s outfit I had in my bag to wear for my shift at the club. It’s not something I would wear prancing around in their house, but it’s better than sleeping naked. The black shorts are like underwear that match a schoolgirl outfit. I hated buying it, but Rachel said the men loved it and would tip me well. I detested the way men would watch me wearing it.But I needed the money; the worst part is it made me start taking the medication Dr. Foster gave me. Dancing in it triggered the past, and all I wanted to do was lure the men in the back and slice their throats when the lust would drip from their eyes because to them, I was a schoolgirl. A fantasy that sickened me.

In my eyes, they were all predators when I wore it. Their fantasies fed my revenge for those girls that were missing. How they could they overlook the reality of what those poor girls were facing while men were having illicit thoughts as music played in the background. Consensual sex was one thing. Tipping a girlto dance was one thing, but thinking of fucking an innocent underage girl was evil.

I peer out the bedroom window noticing the crescent moon reflecting off the roof of Kaden’s truck. The clouds like wisps in the sky.

The trees loom in the backdrop swaying in the wind. Peaceful but dark. I blink twice when I think I see a dark figure standing near the tree line. I lean closer my nose almost touching the window, trying to make out the shadows making out a man’s figure.

A chill snakes down my spine.I try not to blink, the cold air from the air conditioner vent above making my eyes dry out. It looks like a man watching me through the window.

The glow from the chandelier reflects off the window and I can see my eyes widen to keep them from blinking but it’s no use. He vanishes as soon as I blink.

“Shit,” I mutter.

It’s not the first time I thought someone was watching me. Countless times in my bedroom at Chris’s house, I would experience the unsettling sensation that someone was either watching me from the window or following me as I walked home during my first week of school.

I told my mother about it. She said I was seeing things and should talk to someone about it. She suggested that my hallucinations stemmed from my fear of acclimating to our new life in Stockbridge.

In my mother’s eyes, I was unstable. I was always an unwanted problem. Now I was a monster she had every reason to get rid of.

TWENTY-ONE

The soundof rain makes me take a deep breath. A woodsy, exotic scent fills my nose. It’s dark, and I sink into the mattress, not wanting to wake up from the peaceful sleep I’m in. It’s been so long since I’ve slept like this. The last time I can remember was in sixth grade, and my mother and I were still living in Boston.

The sound of rain stops, replaced by the sound of footsteps. My heart starts hammering away inside my chest. Not wanting to see what’s there, I keep my eyes closed. The sound of the drawer opening is unmistakable, followed by the metal handle hitting wood.

Someone’s inside the room, and it wasn’t rain that woke me but the shower running from the smell of soap I used earlier. Despite how warm I feel inside the bed, a cold chill rakes over my skin, hardening my nipples, reminding me I’m practically naked except for the tiny shorts that barely cover my ass.

Very carefully I peel my eyes open; the silhouette from the moonlight casts a shadow across Draco’s muscular back. His tattoos move under his hard, muscled physique, making mymouth dry and my clit throb. It scares me that I’ve never felt this way about a man before. This isn’t the boy next door. This is the man every parent warns their daughters about.

My eyes trail over the muscles down his back, noticing the towel wrapped around his waist as he rummages in the next drawer. His body is perfection. There isn’t an ounce of fat on him, probably from hours performing in the circus.

I should tell him to leave and kick him out. At least to give me time to get dressed, but words are clogged in my throat. My tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth, and I have to admit, there is nothing wrong with the view. But I know it’s just a matter of time for him to notice me watching him. I’m surprised he didn’t wake me up and tell me to leave.

I glance briefly out the window, and it’s still dark out. There is no sign that daylight is looming, and I’m afraid to move to check my phone for the time not sure how he will react.

Then I quickly remember that he didn’t want me here, and suddenly, my attraction vanishes, replaced by self-preservation.

“What are you doing here?” I ask in a tight voice, grateful it doesn’t waver despite the way my stomach twists when he stiffens.

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