Page 62 of Ethereally Tainted

I don’t stop. Cannot afford to stop.

Everything hurts, burns, soars, screams. The panic clogs my mind, yet I keep fighting. I cannot let him catch me. It’s him or the court, and I need to escape. The fear of what will happen next covers the fact that the blood is not mine, but still, the memories come to my head as if they were happening in this now. I have no one left, not after how my mother betrayed me one month ago. I’ve been on the run ever since.

My heart races a million beats per second as the footsteps behind me grow closer, and before I know it, I’m tackled to the ground with nowhere left to go. The scream that leaves my mouth is one hurdling inside me as I realize he has caught up to me.

The man I’ve been dreading for months.

Frederick Grimhill.

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I WAKE UP WITH a start, my eyes darting around the room, expecting to see the bed in the same spot it’s always been, with the desk in front of it and the chair beside it. Expecting to see the window slanted to the right of the bed, but I see no such things. Adrenaline immediately shoots up in my body, and the fear of the dream gradually takes over. A scream hurdles from my lips as I see a shadow moving closer, and I hunch backward.

So much for showing no weakness.

“Shh, little doll, it’s okay.”

The voice is dark, one I recognize all too well. I find myself jolting upright in bed, my heart racing and my senses trying to adjust to my unfamiliar surroundings, feeling disoriented and confused. I must be looking at him with a perplexed expression, since a small, humorous grin spreads across his lips before he settles down in a chair next to the bed. Even though the lamp is off, the sun’s rays still manage to find their way into the room, giving me a clear view of his disheveled raven-red hair, making him look both innocent and irresistible.

“I thought you were ignoring me,” I mumble under my breath, not even sure where that came from as I hadn’t thought about commenting on that.

He snorts. “Like you’re ignoring me?”

I cock my eyebrows, tilt my head in surrender, and offer him an uncomfortable smile, not knowing what the fuck I’m doing in his room but too drained of energy to care. I have been struggling all week, every day feeling like I’m running on empty, and my fatigue is obvious, judging by the dark circles under my eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be with Jaqueline?” The words escape my lips harsher than I intended, a feeling that has festered in my heart since that day in the cafeteria.

He looks at me quizzically, his forehead wrinkling with confusion until understanding dawns on his face. “I didn’t fuck her if that’s what you think.”

He smirks with an air of superiority, as if he wants me to know he knew I was worried. Why do I even care?

“I went to her room after spending time with you because I met Aubrey on the way to my room. They asked me if I could get a hold of Jaqueline because she was ignoring Aubrey for some stupid reason. You know how she is. She tried to get on your nerves. And clearly, it worked.”

As he flashes me another teasing grin, I can’t help but roll my eyes in response. But then it fades away into nothingness.

“I-I saw you falling, fainting in the corridor. I was passing by and saw you fall just as Mr. Ricci turned his back on you.” He scratches the back of his head. Never before have I seen him ramble like this. “I couldn’t just do nothing.”

His voice is so soothing and effortless when he speaks; it almost seems like he doesn’t care whether he helped me; still, I’m grateful.

Mr. Ricci’s imposing presence was overwhelming, and the lingering dizziness from before finally made me collapse.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice hoarse and shy.

The awkwardness settles in the room like a thick blanket, cloaking and surging through between us. I have no idea how to react now in this stranger’s room–not a stranger, I remind myself. We have been playing a cat-and-mouse game for months now.

I do everything to ignore his presence, where he sits leaning back in the chair, with his legs slightly spread in the most manly position. My gaze fixes on the huge window before me, which is much bigger than the one in my room, and probably opens farther than mine. Darkness has engulfed the world outside, leaving the moon glinting in my eyes as fat, heavy drops of water fall from the full clouds hovering above.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t ignore his presence, and these past few months here wash over me like a tsunami wave, all the emotions, all the anticipation, all the glances between the two of us. It has been emotionally exhausting, and I’ve had difficulty coming to terms with my feelings.

From a young age, I’ve had to focus on myself since I never had anyone else looking out for me other than my grandparents, who unfortunately passed away. The past few months here have given me something I never expected to have–friends. Despite my reluctance to accept it openly, I’ve grown to appreciate Aubrey and Rebecca as my friends. I still don’t like Jaqueline, and I haven’t had much conversation with Aubrey’s boyfriend, Calvin. The one sitting next to me right now, I have no idea what we are, and I hate the feelings that wake up inside me when he’s near. Those emotions overwhelm me, and fear is palpable in my chest, reminding me why I should stay away from him. I have to leave this room.

In a flurry of motions, I toss off the blanket, the fabric sliding against my skin as I stand up, and he stares at me with a puzzled look. I don’t pause to take in his expression before quickly rushing toward the door, my heart pounding with the need to escape from him as fast as possible. My heart is balancing on a thread ready to snap at any moment, which will surely leave me in an even more mess than I’m already in. When I reach for the handle and squeeze it, I hear his voice coming from behind me like a gentle murmur.

“It’s killing you, isn’t it?”

His low and rumbling voice makes me pause, his British accent stronger than mine will ever be, and something grumbles inside of me from pure bliss.

That is until his words settle in, and I slowly turn back, meeting his sapphire eyes sharpening in on me, making me feel like an insect in a spider’s web, entirely vulnerable. His eyes are dreary and full of shadows, but beneath the veil of darkness lies a flicker of warmth, so faint that I almost wonder if it is an illusion.

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