Page 104 of The Invite
I know the school pays well but she won’t get her salary until the end of the month. Exiting the tiny room, I go downstairs into the kitchen. Opening her fridge, my suspicions are proven correct.
Nessa is struggling to get by because there are barely any groceries inside. Just a loaf of bread, milk, peanut butter, and some fruit. If that’s all she eats, she’ll be thin as a stick within a couple of weeks.
The need to take care of her arises and it tastes weird on my tongue. Is it plain sympathy or something more?
First, she calls to my protective instinct.
Now, it’s my nurturing side.
I’ve never felt these absurd emotions, not even for my sister, who is my flesh and blood. Yet I despise the thought of Nessa living like this.
All the progress I made till this morning goes out the window in a matter of hours.
I should leave before it escalates.
Instead, my feet carry me back to her bedroom. After turning off the lamp, I slide in behind her and pull her prone form into my side. Tucking the blanket under her chin so she stays warm, I bury my face against her neck and breathe her in.
Her pheromones both drive me wild and soothe my soul.
Lifting my head, I stare at her cute-as-a-button nose and the freckles sprinkling over it. A new thing I learned about her. They add to her innocent beauty. I wish they were darker while wondering if she loves them or not.
Most people usually hate having freckles.
I hope she doesn’t.
It’s too dark for me to count them and I know I’ll never get the chance to do that during the day. We can only be together at night. It’s why I call myself her shadow.
An hour flies by as I study her like I have all the time in the world. But I don’t.
Staying over wasn’t part of the plan.
Since when did I become a cuddler? With a girl whom I’m scaring daily, no less. After tonight, I’m curious to see what she’ll do next.
I didn’t give her a high dose, just enough to knock her out till morning. She’ll still feel some residual effect tomorrow. But after seeing the lack of nutritious food, I’m concerned. What if she falls asleep while driving to work?
This is exactly why I should’ve left immediately.
My thoughts are traipsing into dangerous territory.
Pulling away from her, I slide off the bed and run a frustrated hand through my hair. Sitting on the chair in the corner, I quickly finish the next part. Afterward, I collect my things and exit the room.
Instead of going out the main entrance, I bolt the lock which she forgot to do. Then I leave through the door I’ve been using all this time, which I’m shocked she’s still clueless about.
Too bad I’m not going to tell her.
She has her secrets.
I have mine.
CHAPTER – 26
Nessa
I wake up woozy like I had one too many glasses of wine. Yet there’s no pounding in my head indicating I drank a drop. I know it’s true because I stay away from alcohol, let alone drink it. The bottle of wine that Ace gifted me is sitting untouched in my cupboard.
So why does my head feel so heavy? My throat parched?
Rubbing my eyes, I slowly open them and blink away the blurriness. My brain is sluggish and the memories are foggy. I shift under the sheets and a sharp soreness between my legs takes me by surprise. In fact, every inch of me is deliciously tender and aching.
