Page 84 of Paper Thin Love

“I’m locking the door.”

She chuckles lightly.“I’ll kick it down.”

I raise a brow.“I’d love to see you try.” I love her fire.

Her chin tilts up.“I’m stronger than you think, Dash King.” She spits my last name.

“I’ve never underestimated your strength.” My lips curl up; she is no longer that sad little girl trying to make others believe she is happy.“You did, but it seems you have finally realized how strong you are.” I tilt my head, looking at how the rays of the setting sun are wrapping around her. I’m jealous of how close they cling to her.

“Tell me, do you still want to escape our world, Mila?” I ask.

Silence. A deep inhale,“I was never meant to be a part of this world, Dash. I’m not escaping it. I’m just going to find a place where I belong.”

She turns,“I’ll see you tonight.” She gloats as she walks into the cafeteria.

Oh Mila, you have no idea your father sold you to me. The problem is, I don’t want to let you go.

Good thing I owe you a favor.

I need to let you go. You need to get as far away from me as possible before I completely obliterate you.

Chapter 32

Mila

Stolen moments.

That’s what these past few weeks were.

It felt like Dash and I were robbing Father Time himself, trying to hide away any seconds, minutes, or hours we could steal for ourselves. Every hour in class felt like another piece of me was withering away. I wish I could spend all my waking moments with Dash, trying to make him realize he could love someone.

I know life can change in an instant. It happened when Dash King entered my life like a wrecking ball and everything I had spent years building was smashed to smithereens. I thought my walls were strong, but it turns out paper can’t withstand fire.

Dash King is fire, but can fire withstand ice?

This afternoon, everything in my life came to a frozen halt. I went back to my dorm to change before lunch. I broke out in a sweat when I heard a sound. Upon turning around and examining my door, I noticed a note had been discreetly slid under it. That note seemed to bring forth a snowstorm that extinguished all the warmth Dash had ignited within me.

I felt numb. A feeling of dread washed over me as I thought about what was to come in a few weeks.

One single note changed my life again.

Of course, I knew what the note was. I had witnessed them repeatedly before. Dash never had, and someone decided it was my job to deliver it to him.

I should have handed it to Dash at lunch.

I should do a lot of things.

It’s still tucked inside of my bag, like a glacier that is melting. Slowly its cold waters are inching up, trying to drown me.

I have to give it to him, eventually.

Just not yet. When I do, it will destroy everything.

I gaze at my open hands and study the lines etched into my palms, which are now covered in charcoal, as I focus on my sketch. One day that blacken soot will be blood.

Dash is right. I might be a princess in my father’s eyes, but even a princess has to learn to fight. She must pick up a sword in order to survive.

My skin ripples with the sixth sense that Dash’s eyes are on me. I have a feeling he’s sketching me again, but this time refuses to show me his drawings. Outside of his room, we’ve barely spoken. Instead, we each suffer the day in silence.

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