Page 1 of A Love Like Venom

Prologue

The stars glisten against the black sky. A soft breeze passes through the air, cooling our heated skin. Our pinkies are entwined with one another’s. They hang on tightly to each other, scared that at any moment something might rip us apart.

Even Heaven and Hell must know that nothing will tear us apart.

You can’t take away something that is the air to your lungs. Not the one thing that brings you peace.

Surely, the world couldn’t be so cruel.

Tearing my eyes away from the stars that shine so bright I stare at the one thing that just might burn even brighter.

Reed Carter.

The only person in the world that makes the reality better than a dream.

Magical hazel eyes meet my ordinary brown. With no exposure from the sun his eyes now appear dark. So dark, in fact, that they almost appear black. As intimidating as they may look to the outsider they soften when they look at me.

Reed’s eyes are always soft when he looks at me.

His mother is the only other person he softens towards.

It makes me feel special.

It makes me feel like family.

I wish I was a part of Reed’s family instead of my own.

My older sister is always making me do things for her. And she constantly picks on me.

My mommy doesn’t even care about me. I think she might hate me. She says I’m the reason daddy left us. And every time she looks at me, she’s reminded of him.

I never met my dad, but apparently, I look like him. We both have light brown hair that can be mistaken for a dirty blonde. Both of us share the same ordinary brown eyes. And there is the same pale complexion with freckles sprinkling across our nose and cheeks.

My mother and sister are complete opposites from me. They look so much alike. My sister shares the same perfect bleach blonde hair as our mother. Both have blue eyes that rival the oceans in beauty. They’re both visually striking. Too beautiful, in fact.

It makes me wonder how we are even related. My beauty doesn’t even compare to theirs. They remind me of the models and actresses I see on my small TV.

And they love to remind me of the fact.

But I heard once that the most beautiful creatures are also the deadliest.

Truer words couldn’t be said about my mommy and sister.

Once they lure you in, they spread like poison in your veins. By the time the fire begins to consume you you’re too late. The poison has spread to your arteries. Blocking blood flow to stream to your heart. And once the heart stops beating, once they’ve poisoned your soul, it’s only then they offer you an antidote.

By then the damage is already done. You’re dead in their eyes. A despicable thing that’s scum beneath their shoes.

That’s what they did to me.

They tried to inject me with their poison.

What they don’t know is that Reed Carter is the antidote.

“Can you promise me something?” I ask of Reed in a whisper. This is the first time I have ever asked him of anything. I never like to take from people. Mommy takes from people. She takes from the men she’s with. She takes from the stores she visits. She takes anything her greedy hands can.

I don’t ever want to become like mommy. I never want to take what someone is unwilling to give.

But I need Reed more than I need my next breath.

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