Page 22 of Was I Ever Real

Isitrigidlyonone of Connor’s large gray couches in his sprawling living room. Everything about his place screams modern architecture, including the floor to ceiling windows facing the ocean. My feet are tucked underneath me, tugging on my skirt that’s ridden up my thigh. By the look of this place, he doesn’t entertain all too many people in this one room. It looks pristine, ripped right out of a home lifestyle magazine.

I stare at a lone beauty mark on my knee, trying to avoid Connor’s glare as he sits in front of me in a chair that doesn’t even look like it’s meant for sitting. It looks hard, uncomfortable and most importantly—expensive.

Finally, he clears his throat and I slowly focus my attention on his. “Speak,” he says.

My eyes narrow, a few choice words at the ready but swallow them back down. My fingers find my hair, and I twirl them around a strand trying to fight the nerves crawling all over me. What comes out of my mouth however, are half-truths.

“My ex-fiance has been stalking me.”

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“What?” I ask.

“You’ve been single the entire time I’ve known you.”

“Yeah, well we all have our origin stories don’t we? Our relationship didn’t end well. He became obsessed. He—he threatened me and… I’ve been running away from him ever since.” Oh how the lies taste sweet on my tongue. Connor doesn’t need to know who’s actually after me. Just that I need protection.

Connor fixes his gaze on me—studying, examining—and for a second I think he won’t believe me. Instead he says, “Why did he call you Penelope?”

“Lenix is my middle name.” Another lie.

“So I’ll just kill him,” he says flippantly.

“No. Jesus,” I huff out in exasperation. “That’s not the solution to every fucking problem.”

“Isn’t it?” he replies with a shrug, leaning back in the chair and rubbing his mustache contemplatively.

“I just need… protection.” I fight an internal cringe. I hate giving Connor this much power but I have no other real choice.

Connor quirks a smile as if I just gave him a compliment. I roll my eyes.

“What’s in it for me?” he finally says.

My nails bite into my thigh as I try not to hurl an insult straight at him. “I don’t know Connor, maybe just be decent for once?”

His grin grows even wider as he stares me down, leaning forward, his arms on his knees, hands loose in front of him. “I’m anything but decent, darling.”

Against my will, I feel my cheeks flush. I’m appalled by my own body’s reaction to him. A villain with a royal air that has always made my throat go dry.

“Can you be serious for once in your miserable life?”

“I am being serious.”

I jump to my feet.

“You know what? Never mind.” I’m way too stubborn to continue to begConnorof all people. I would rather place myself in direct danger than continue trying to convince him of something he clearly doesn’t want to do. But before I can storm out of the room, his hand wraps itself around my wrist and I freeze.

“Sit back down, Lenix. We’re not finished.” His voice is hard and flat, what I imagine he sounds like as the leader of the Sin Eaters.

I try to yank my arm out of his grip but he’s stronger. He tilts his head to the side and looks me up from the corner of his eyes.

“Sit. Down,” he says with the same tone, a small chill traveling down my spine at the sound.

I stifle a hard swallow, my knees buckling slightly under me, but I manage to stay perfectly still, my eyes never breaking eye contact.

“There’s more to this story, I can tell but…” he adds musingly, his hand sliding up my arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. “I’ll help you.”

I exhale, relief traveling quickly through my limbs, until the devil himself opens his mouth once more.

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