Page 45 of Ethereally Tainted

“I want you,” she whispers in my ear, fanning it with her breath.

Her hand moves slowly all the way to the hem of my pants, but even then, I still cannot look at her. My gaze falls upon the gorgeous girl walking inside the activity room with an auburn-haired girl beside her. She has never talked to anyone outside my friends, and I cannot help but be curious about what she is talking about. Rebecca, the girl with the auburn hair I’ve seen many times before, walks side-by-side with the new girl, not making a sound while the other talks. Rebecca is cool, but she has an air of mystery about her. Her eyes are distant and empty, making people avoid her.

I watch the newcomer’s shoulders hunched back while her eyes take in the room with a curiosity I’ve only seen in new patients. The atmosphere here is typically quite stale, but when someone new comes, it serves as a pleasant change that brings a breath of fresh air.

As she contemplates something, I note how her light blue t-shirt hugs her round breasts. My cock hardens as I stare at the sight of her nipples poking through the shirt and see how perfect they look. The realization that other men can admire her in this way fills me with jealousy, and there’s a primal need inside of me to claim her as my own. She makes me crazy with everything she does, and her sassiness makes me crave her. Since day one, she has never taken shit from anyone and stands up for herself.

But despite that, she will never be mine.

There is something about the way she walks toward an armchair in front of the TV, her gray sweatpants hugging her ass, that fills me with a kind of lust I’ve only experienced when she is in my presence. I cannot help but feel like a needy and pathetic teenage boy all over again, and I force my gaze away.

Jaqueline chuckles, and at that moment, I realize she believes she made me hard. She puts her hand above my crotch, squeezing, but the only thing that caught my attention is the girl who now sits by the TV, her hair perfectly hugging the features in her face. Rebecca sits beside her, eyes wide and unblinking as she stares at the wall before her, not even noticing the movie.

The newcomer is breathtaking in a way I have never seen before, beautiful in a way only the sea can be, stunning in a way that takes my breath away, like a hurricane that comes with all its force and blows me right out of my mind. But she is also intoxicating, with no antidote. A poison masquerading as a beauty, ready to devour one whole. She’s like the necks in Nordic folk tales that were malevolent water spirits who drowned people and tortured fishermen.

I know that if I let her close, she will be my downfall. This woman will be the hurricane that traps me inside a whirlwind, the tempest that lures me into the storm.

My eyes are fixed on the girl as I pull away from Jaqueline’s grip and her clammy fingers. I don’t know what’s wrong with me anymore because the only girl who seems to make me aroused is that one girl, that newcomer. It used to be Jaqueline, but whatever she’s doing now annoys me. I try, but I can’t shake Jaqueline off–her grip is ironclad, and she doesn’t notice my discomfort.

In that second, the girl’s eyes fall on mine. And just like that, I am drowning in the wildfire of her mismatched eyes, the golden one dragging me in, caressing my soul. It takes only three seconds before I am completely drowned in her beauty, and she stares at me with the same intensity as I’m staring at her, utterly mesmerized. Her lips part, and the need to taste them against mine becomes unbearable. I need to feel her, be close to her, and know her goddamn name. Her chest falls as she breathes, her breasts lightly bouncing, and I am filled with need. An insufferable lust for her.

Jaqueline continues to squeeze my cock outside of my sweatpants, as if that will cause me pleasure, and anger overtakes me. No longer is the calm I felt looking into the chestnut-haired girl’s eyes. As a pot of water is left on the burner for too long, the calmness replaces a fit of anger that boils beneath the surface.

“For fuck’s sake, Jaqueline!” I shout out, pushing away from the chair I was sitting in a second ago.

She looks at me with shock in her eyes, her brows slightly raised, as if she cannot grasp why I wouldn’t let her grope me like that.

“Seriously? Keep your fucking hands to yourself.”

“But you liked it!” she exclaims, desperation oozing from her veins.

“Youliked it, notme.”

Aubrey giggles across the table, Calvin shushing them as they stare at Jaqueline and me. She remains seated, seemingly trying to make her body as small as possible, fearful of my wrath. With my hands clenched into tight balls and my jaw set in determination, I do my utmost to maintain my composure and stay in control in the presence of one of the few people I call my friend. Taking a deep breath, I suddenly realize that one of the guards is getting closer to us, their presence looming in my peripheral vision. I lock eyes with Jaqueline and fill my gaze with as much contempt as possible. Deep-seated anger has risen to the surface, blurring my vision until all I see is a crimson hue. I want to fucking hurt her, and the flames in my chest are darkening.

I cast one last glance at the chestnut-haired girl by the TV, noticing her wide eyes stare at me with worry unlike anything I have seen. Her beautiful lips parts, inviting me to fuck her mouth, but I know I will only hurt her now when I’m in this horrible state of mind.

My fury boils within me, and I storm out of the activity room as fast as possible before I do anything stupid. A roar escapes my throat before I head for my room. And all the while, I can feelherforbidden gaze on me, trying to ensure I’m alright despite not talking to me.

Chapter 18

Naya

The outside world fillswith gloomy weather, and the sound of rain pouring down brings peace to the activity room. The days pass in a haze, and it’s hard to tell what day of the week it is. As my gaze drifts across the room, my eyes settle on the group of people sitting at one of the tables further away, occupied by four friends engaged in a card game. Aubrey practically sits on the blonde guy’s lap. A wave of disappointment washes over me as I seehimin the corner of the table with that ash-blonde girl’s hands all over him. I have no right to care, yet my heart betrays me.

Rebecca directs me to a row of chairs facing a television, and I quietly sit in the armchair beside her, pretending I didn’t notice Aubrey and their group. I’m not in the mood to be around too many people today except Rebecca. The movie in front of us is in black and white and appear quite dull.

As the movie plays, I struggle to focus on it, but I’m distracted by the overwhelming sensation of being watched from within. Instead of dread, my body fills with a strong desire that causes a delightful sensation to ripple through my skin. The feeling makes me feel all kinds of giddy because I know that the tattooed guy is staring at me, keeping his eyes on me.

“Why is that insanely hot guy staring at you?” Rebecca’s words bring me out of my daze, and I look at her with shock and admiration.

I slowly turn my head in the direction Rebecca is looking, knowing what I’m about to behold, and my mismatched eyes meet his mesmerizing sapphire blue ones.

“I don’t know,” I mumble under my breath, feeling a twinge of envy that she called him hot.

The ash-blonde girl is all over him, attempting to make him aroused or something along those lines, but all he can look at is me, ignoring her. I smirk mischievously, straightening my back, and crossing my arms as if squeezing my breasts to taunt him. His eyes flame with yearning.

“Oh my god! Are you two like a thing?”

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