Page 85 of Colton
My hands grip the arms of the chair, knuckles white. The wooden box sits on the desk beside me, containing a small lock of her hair. A memento, a reminder. My eyes flick back to the screen. She’s safe. For now. But the world is full of predators, and she’s a beacon, drawing them in. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.
I’ll protect her.
The voices in my head whisper, a chorus of conflicting orders. One urges me to go to her, to claim what’s mine. Another reminds me of the darkness, the monster I’m fighting to keep at bay. I clench my jaw, pushing them aside. I’m in control; I choose when and how.
Xavier’s old contacts are stirring, sniffing around like hungry wolves. They won’t get to her. Not while I’m watching. I lean back in the chair, my eyes never leaving the screen. She’s mine to protect. Mine to keep safe. And when the time is right, mine to reclaim.
LUELLA
I finish my coffee; the warmth spreading through me. But it’s fleeting, replaced by a chill. A sense of being watched, of not being alone. I shake my head again, more forcefully this time. It’s just the wind. Just my imagination. I’m alone. I’m free.
But as I turn to wash the mug, I can’t shake the feeling. The faint echo of a connection, a thread that refuses to be severed. It’s as if, no matter how far I run, no matter how quiet the town, there’s always something there, a memory that never truly leaves. I pause, looking out the window, half expecting to see a figure standing there. But there’s nothing. Just the empty street, the quiet of a peaceful town.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This is my life now. This is what I chose. Peace, quiet, normality. I won’t let the ghosts of the past haunt me. I won’t let them control me.
But even as I think it, I know it’s not entirely true. The past is always there, lurking at the edges. The memories, the faces, the voices. They’re part of me, woven into the fabric of who I am. And I’m not stupid. I know Xavier had many, many sick friends who may want to hunt me down, but they may not. It’s a risk I had to take. My breath sucks in when a handsome scowling face fills my mind. Because hidden in my past is Colton...he’s there too. A constant reminder, a lingering presence. A shadow that won’t fade.
I close my eyes, the mug still in my hand. I can almost feel him, almost hear his voice. And for a moment, just a moment, I allow myself to remember. The way he looked at me, the way he touched me. The way he made me feel both protected and possessed. A dangerous dance, a delicate balance.
And how much he frightened me. I can’t forget that. I know the way rose-tinted glasses work; they hide the reality by what went well. And God, some of the things between me and Colton went well.
Fuck.
Then I open my eyes, and the moment is gone. Just a memory, a ghost from the past. I put the mug down, turning away from the window. This is my life now. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way.
COLTON
The screens flicker. I watch her move through her kitchen, her hands steady, her face composed. But I see the slight tremble in her shoulders, the way her eyes dart to the window. She feels it. The connection, the unseen bond. It’s as if a cord stretches between us, invisible but unbreakable.
I reach out, my fingers brushing the cool surface of the screen. As if I could touch her, as if I could bridge the distance between us. But it’s just an illusion, a desperate attempt to feel close to her. I clench my fist, pulling my hand back.
Control. I need to maintain control.
The voices whisper again, a constant undercurrent in my mind. They urge me to act, to take, to claim. But I push them aside, focusing on the screen. I’m giving her space, letting her live her life, like she wanted. But I’m also watching, waiting.Protecting her from the shadows, ensuring no one can hurt her again.
But there’s more to it than that. I know it, even if I can’t admit it to myself. It’s not just about protection. It’s about possession, about the need to know she’s mine. Even if she’s not with me, even if she’s living her own life, she’s still mine. The thought is a comfort, a reassurance. But it’s also a weight, a burden. A constant battle between what I want and what I know is right.
I lean back in the chair, my eyes never leaving the screen. She’s safe. For now. But the world is a dangerous place, and I can’t trust anyone else to protect her. I can’t trust anyone else to understand what she means to me.
So I watch. I wait. I protect. And I try not to think about the day when I’ll have to make a choice. The day when I’ll have to decide whether to let her go or pull her back into my world. Into my life. Into my darkness.
Until then, I’ll stay here. In the shadows, watching, waiting. A silent guardian, a hidden protector. A man caught between love and obsession, between light and dark. A man who will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. No matter the cost. No matter the consequences.
Chapter 1
LUELLA
The morning light filters through the curtains of my small apartment in Meadowgrove. I stretch, enjoying the coolness of the sheets against my skin, unable to help but compare it to the warmth of the make-shift bed I once shared with Colton. I shake off the thought, swinging my legs over the side of the mattress and planting my feet firmly on the wooden floor. This is my reality now—simple, quiet, and free from the chaotic intensity of the Blackwood’s.
I pad into the kitchen, the tiles cold beneath my bare feet. The smell of fresh coffee fills the air as I brew a pot, the routine comforting me. As I pour a cup, I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the toaster. The dark circles under my eyes have faded, and there’s a hint of color in my cheeks that wasn’t there before. I look...peaceful. Yet, there’s a restlessness in my gaze, a lingering emptiness that gnaws at me.
Freedom tastes bittersweet. I thought that escaping Colton’s grasp would feel like a victory, and in many ways, it does. But there’s an ache, a hollow space that I can’t seem to fill. I sip my coffee, leaning against the counter, and let my mind wander. It’s a dangerous thing, letting my thoughts drift. They always seemto find their way back to him—his intense stare, the feel of his hand on the small of my back, the possessive way he’d wrap me in his arms.
“Fuck,” I murmur, shaking my head as if that could dislodge the memories. I’m supposed to be moving on, not dwelling on the past. But Colton isn’t just a memory; he’s a ghost that haunts me.
I dress quickly, pulling on jeans and a T-shirt, my uniform for the simple life I’ve built here. I work at a small cafe downtown; a job that pays enough to cover my bills and offers the sense of normalcy I crave. As I brush my hair, I catch myself pausing, remembering the way Colton would watch me, his eyes following every move I made. I swear I can feel his gaze even now, like a ghostly touch against my skin.
The sensation of being watched follows me as I step out of my apartment and into the crisp morning air. I glance over my shoulder, scanning the quiet street. Nothing seems out of place, yet the feeling persists. I chalk it up to paranoia, a remnant of my time with Colton, when every moment felt charged with danger and intensity.
