Page 36 of Snow White

“What about you?” I whisper hoarsely, trying not to pull her closer.

Run away, Snow, before I hurt you. See the monster that lies beneath.

She tilts her head to the side, sable curls falling over one shoulder. Her voice is a whisper that makes me lean forward, seeking more of her. “Do I have a hole too?”

I should move my hand away. I will. Any second now.

“Do you feel empty inside?” I ask, already knowing the answer. She feels lonely and lost, unaccepted and outcast. But it’s not the same as emptiness, and she’ll learn the difference, eventually.

She frowns, closing her eyes, and focusing on her emotions. “I… a little.”

I laugh softly, kissing her hand. “Do you try to fill it with useless relationships? Drugs? Alcohol?”Black Magic? Power?

She shakes her head. “N-No.”

I feel the rapid beat of her heart beneath my palm. “Because you’re not empty inside.”

You’re nothing like me. I fill the void with hatred and darkness, and still, nothing helps.

Yet, with my hand still on her, I can’t help but feel achinglypresent.I am more in touch with this moment, with myself, than I can ever remember being.

She moves closer to me, going on her tiptoes before pulling back. “Thank you.”

It takes me a moment to realize she has backed away. “Thank you?”

She nods, giving me a small smile. “You always make me feel better.”

“You’re welcome,” I say, though my stomach twists. If my plans are successful, I’m going to end up as her worst nightmare.

Wicked bitch. Evil sorceress.

“I will see you at dinner?” Snow asks.

Build walls. Push her away now before it’s too late.

It hurts me to do so, but I have no choice. I have made my bed, and now I must lie in it. There is no path forward for me other than the one I chose.

“I might not come down.”

She pauses at the door. “Why not?”

I move back to my vanity, resuming lotioning my legs. “I’m not feeling up to company.”

She looks down at her hands. “Oh… I shall leave you then?”

Don’t say it. Don’t say it.

“If you want to come back with your dinner, I wouldn’t mind,” I blurt.

Damn it.

“Just me? Or Belle as well?”

Just you.

“Whichever you would like,” I say, burying myself deeper and deeper into Snow’s life. The more time I spend with her, the closer we become, and the more betrayed she will be. But I can’t seem to stop myself from craving more of her and her refreshing innocence.

She smiles, and I hate that I feel a rush of joy from having brought her that tiny measure of happiness. “I would. We will come back for dinner.”

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