Page 86 of Lovers Fate

The ride stops to let us off and we head to the food trucks to get a corndog. We pay for our food and when I turn around to find a seat at one of the benches, he’s there in all his glory waiting like a statue seated alone. Draco.

If I didn’t know who he was, I would have thought he was a statue.

His ringmaster costume is magnificent. People pause and stare. His makeup is so flawlessly applied giving him a deathly feel, that no one approaches him. Kids walk by wearily whispering to their parents clutching their hands.

“I’m going to go get us some drinks,“ Rose says behind me when she notices what has snagged my attention.

I nod, not breaking my gaze from his tall form. He doesn’t move an inch. I know he’s waiting for me. As I walk up, I notice his gloved hand is holding a ticket. Black and red with the haunted carnival’s logo on it.

I’m tempted to walk away but then he will think I’m scared of him or worse, he’ll kill me if he thought I would rat him out to the cops. I wouldn’t, though. I couldn’t. Because every person he killed deserved it.

I sit in front him and his dark eyes land on me. His face white with black diamonds for eyes. Black lips dramatically applied.

“What do you want,” I ask sharply.

His eyes lift and he slides the ticket to the Circus of Freaks show toward me.

His show.

I place my plate on the wooden table. The memory of his rejection sitting heavily on my chest as I pick up the ticket, I should feel excited about it but I don’t.

“I can’t accept this.”

If he was disappointed that I’m turning the invitation down, he doesn’t show it. His face is hard like stone. His eyes go dark like a demon. Dark and deadly.

He slides the ticket forward closer this time. The only indication of his persistence.

He thinks all it takes is a ticket to his show for me to forget what he said. How he made me feel when he cast me aside. I grab the ticket knowing its worth. How people would kill for a chance to see his show and tear it into pieces. He watches and I swear I could see a tiny twitch under his eyes or maybe I imagined it.

“If you’re worried, I’ll tell anyone, I won’t.” I lean in and look him directly in the eye. “You don’t need to bribe me with a ticket to your show.”

I see a flash of red from the corner of my eye. “There you are?” The redhead says pausing when she sees me, her eyes turning cold trying to hide the anxiety crossing her face.

I straighten in my seat right when Rose appears by my side. “Ready,” she says quickly holding two drinks. She notices the torn ticket on the table and then glances between Draco and the redhead.

“Yeah,” I reply staring at the redhead, my appetite diminishing by the second. The corndog forgotten.

She walks up to Draco and he stiffens but I could tell they have something going on. More than two people sleeping with each other. It’s evident they have history and, I’m in the way.

Jealousy takes root imagining them in bed with him doing more than what he did with me. The fact that he considers her worthy to be in his life stings, reminding me of everyone in mine that doesn’t. How stupid I was to think he could possibly want me.

“He’s all yours,” I say coldly.

“It’s Dahlia and yes, he is.” Her tone drips with venom crushing me when he doesn’t deny it and honestly, they both can go fuck themselves.

“Come on,” Rose says tersely. “Let’s go home.”

After Rose drops me off at the motel, there is more people hanging around than usual on a Saturday night but I ignore it. I pack my bag so that when I get back from the club I can check out.

If one thing I can say I have going for myself is that I have an apartment. I send Dr. Foster my new address feeling good about myself for the first time. It’s not much by any means but it’s mine.

When I’ve showered and done packing, I head down to the front office to catch Simon before I leave to tell him the news. I don’t have a bed in my apartment but it doesn’t make sense renting the room when I could spend it on things I need.

“Where ya going baby?” a guy says, drinking a beer right before I ascend the stairs.

I ignore him and keep walking not in the mood. It’s bad enough where I work. I have to deal with lewd remarks and offers for sex.

He blocks my path. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

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