Page 59 of Shattered Heir
“How are you here right now?” I asked
“That note inside of you.” He cupped my face in his hands, “No matter what I have done or what I do, please remember that I love you and only you, forever,” he whispered, and then the next second his lips were on mine, and I was melting. Bliss was the only word that could describe being pushed up against that girls’ bathroom stall door, having my Shad drench me in kisses. Okay, maybe it wasn't the most romantic and perfect location, but it was him at that moment. I was sure of it. How long had it been since he had called me that? Called me his darling? Too long.
My melody swirled around us, and my melody was enough for us both, and his note played rapidly within my melody. His kisses molded me into something else. They reshaped me entirely. He was an artist, sculpting me from clay, takingme from an unrecognizable thing, and changing me into a masterpiece, a work of art that would stand out in a museum and have people gaze at it in awe– turning me into something that could stand the test of time and age and the elements. I was no longer afraid. I became brave. I could do it; I could save him. He kissed my upper lip, then the bottom lip, the corners of my mouth, my jaw, and then he kissed down my neck. I gasped as he kissed my throat, trailing back up until his mouth devoured mine once more. His hands were holding my hips, and he held me close and secure against himself. I felt precious and loved like we, together, wereit—we wereit all–every love story ever written, every tale had nothing on us—absolutely nothing. I was weak in his arms, my knees giving out, but he held me up: my anchor, my sails, my ship and my sea–my everything. I was safe in his embrace. All was right; no storms on the horizon.
Then all of a sudden, the kisses grew hard, demanding. I pulled away as he bit my bottom lip. I looked into his eyes in confusion to see that the one speck of gold was gone.
“I knew you wanted me,” he smirked,
No! No! No! It couldn’t be. No, Shad, please come back. I silently pleaded as I pulled his face into my hands. “Shad, please—Shad, don't go. Please, oh please.” I kissed his mouth once more, looked into his eyes, blasting my melody over and over again, but he was gone.Did that really just happen? Or am I making it up?I didn't understand how I could know for certain? But something inside of me understood that itwasreal—that part of Shad did live inside of me, inside of that note, and he had just been there with me. I touched my lips with my finger tips, trying to memorize the feeling of being kissed while there in Shad's arms.
“We should have been doing that all this time.”
I stood there, frozen, as soulless Shad winked and left the bathroom. He had just thrown me overboard, waves crashed allabout me, and I was sinking into the water. The sky was grey, and I was certain as I leaned there against that wall, already feeling breathless and irritated and angry, that I would continue to sink.
I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around my shoulders. Sob after sob wracked my body, and I couldn't contain the monster nor the pain. The wind was too biting, the storm too raging, too ferocious. Maybe my body could withstand it,but do I want it to? I was no longer floating upon the sea; I was under the waves of the ocean.
I was a statue lost under the fathoms of the sea. Still, I would stand the test of time. I was a beautiful, unbroken piece of art which Shad had sculpted, but what did that matter? What did beauty, bravery, and strength matter when I was all alone? When no one could hold me? When no one could see who I was? When I had lost the one I loved?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Iwalked from the bathroom with tears still streaming down my face. I didn’t care who saw me. I didn’t care about anything, except getting home. I needed to be home. I left my heavy books in my backpack and walked to the gate. I slipped through and avoided the parking lot in an attempt to avoid getting caught ditching. I didn't need more trouble. I would ask Mary to write me an excuse note. Right then, I just needed to get out of there. As I walked down the sidewalk, I felt a little better, knowing that I was free, and that I was away from everyone, and that I would not have to see Shad kiss Karen again; it brought a small vestige of peace. However, as soon as I pictured Karen and Shad together, I felt sick, just thinking about her touching him, kissing him. I brushed my fingers against my lips, and I cried out for a moment, nearly tumbling down to the sidewalk.
Was that really him for those short minutes? I could swear that it was him. Is this all in my mind? I thought on and on about it as I walked. But he had called me darling, hadn't he? I closed my eyes as I balanced myself. What is wrong with me? What is wrong with everything? As I asked myself, I knew the answer; Iknew that it was Cade. Cade is what is wrong with me. Cade did this to me; it is all Cade’s fault.
I pictured Cade’s face in my mind, and the sadness disappeared. Hatred took over, and my melody hid inside of me, transforming my heartache, using it to make me stronger. Is this becoming corrupt? Am I corrupt now? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care because feeling hate was so much more tolerable than the previous feelings of misery and sadness.
One year earlier, I lost my parents. They died right in front of me. At that time, I thought that I had known the most sorrow that I would ever feel in my life, but I was coming to realize that sorrow could grow; it could mutate and multiply, and I felt its sticky residue on my skin. Sorrow was like a spider, leaving its trails of grime all over me. It didn't stop there, because there was something else lurking inside. She used that sorrow; she let it fester and grow. Sorrow mutated to hate, into her: the monster. She growled within me, lying in wait, waiting just there, to remind me that, yes, I was in pain, but I would get revenge, even if it was bloody.
Those thoughts and feelings terrified me. I didn't want to be alone with them. I couldn't be left alone with them. I was afraid of myself, so sure that corruption had taken me completely. I didn't want to see Shad or Ryker, and I most definitely did not want to run into Cade again. Still, I knew that anyone, any living being that could help me and would not dwell on the corruption inside of me was welcome at that moment. I shuttered. Even Cade, if he could have distracted me from the horror inside of myself. I walked as fast as I could down the street. A car pulled up beside me. It was an expensive, silver car, some kind of sports model, and behind the driver’s wheel, of course, sat Cade. Grateful for a distraction, and yet knowing he was the least helpful distraction because he only flamed the fire within the me—
“Fancy meeting you here, sweetheart.”
I faced forward, ignoring him again. I didn’t really know what else to do.
“Come on, I will give you a ride home,” he coaxed, and I shuttered, just thinking about being in a closed car with him. That was way too close for comfort—and for my melody. I walked for a while and noticed that his car had gone. I smiled, happy to be rid of him, and then someone jogged up beside me, put a camera in my face, and flashed. I ducked my head away and stopped walking.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” I asked as I blinked, seeing spots of light in my vision, making me go temporarily blind.
“You know, I have a hunch that you didn’t make it so difficult for my brother to woo you or to get your attention,” Cade said, standing beside me. I knew it was him; I could sense Shad’s soul. I stopped, still blinking, looking in his direction.
“Yeah, well, Shad didn't stalk me, or try to make me go blind.”
He laughed, and he flashed, taking another picture in my face.
“You do that again, and I swear—” I said, reaching for his camera, barely able to contain the monster who wanted his blood.
“Want to wrestle for it?” He winked at me, and I realized that I was slightly pressed against his body, reaching my hand up next to his where he held his camera above our heads.
I pulled away, wondering why he had a camera at all.What a creep. He is taking pictures of me, now?“What do you want?” I snapped, stopping abruptly. He let his hand drop and wrapped the camera strap over his shoulder.
“You,” he smiled, his teeth looking like fangs. I wanted to throw up—only after I strangled the life out of him, though. You cannot kill him, Emma, or else Shad will never be able to get his melody back, I told myself, making sure my melody wasshielded. The monster was clawing and foaming at the mouth inside of me.
“Let me explain something to you.” I held up my fingers, counting for emphasis. “You killed my parents, you kidnapped and tortured my best friend, and you stole the melody from the boy I love. I do not like you; in fact, I hate you. You have done nothing good with respect to me, or to your brother, or to anyone. You are a bad person, and no melody inside of you, stolen or otherwise, will ever change that.” I was panting. Breathing hard, I was so upset. I hoped that I would not pass out from the intensity of my feelings and emotions.
“Are you done?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“Are you? Leave me alone.”
