Page 8 of A Twist of Poison

“What’s so funny?” I asked, irritated, narrowing my gaze at her.

“You.” She smiled, having stopped laughing, yet her eyes told of her amusement. “Just so you know,” she drawled, moving behind the kitchen island out of my immediate area. “It’s just gone... hmm, seven thirty.”

Then, she was laughing again at me and the face she must have got in response.Good job she moved from where I could slap her. A friendly slap, of course.

“Seven AM?” I asked calmly, keeping my temper in check. Not even my original alarm had been set for that early, at least I could turn it off now, seeing as I was sufficiently in the land of living.

“Uh huh,” she responded, filling the kettle up with water before flicking it on to boil, completely ignoring me now.Not cool, Lizzie, not cool.

“You better be making me a cup of tea,” I demanded, making my way back to my bedroom to get dressed.

I sat cross legged on the floor applying the last swipe of mascara to my lashes, the finishing touch after the usual foundation, blusher and eyebrow pencil. Makeup was self-confidence applied directly to the face. And the mask which kept the wolves at bay.

Because now, more than ever here at Coldharbour, they would circle and critically inspect each inch of me, wanting to find me lacking. They wouldn’t. Regardless of how I felt about myself, I’d never give power to random strangers for them to tear me down. I’d been torn and spat out too often. I doubted I had any flesh left to tear at.

Gathering up all the makeup I used and dumping it back into my makeup bag, I stood, plonking it on the chest of drawers. I grabbed some simple black flats, and slid them on before I strolled to the living area.

“You’re the best,” I moaned after taking a sip of the hot drink on the kitchen island that Lizzie brewed. Noticing the full fruit bowl for the first time since I arrived here yesterday, I grabbed a banana, peeling it open to eat.

My appetite wasn’t switched on first thing in the mornings, but knowing I’d need the energy to keep me going until lunch motivated me to finish it all. I drained the last of my tea, placing the mug on the side. No doubt it would magically disappear and reappear clean by the time I returned. I could one hundred percent guarantee a maid was employed for this place by him. That wouldn’t be left to chance.

Finding my handbag on the coffee table, I switched my essentials into my jeans pockets and crammed a few textbooks I’d need into a larger bag. I swung it over my shoulder, mentally preparing myself for today. We made our way out the door, locking it behind me on instinct before calling the elevator.

The same porter who drove me to the dorms yesterday was waiting outside, waving us over to the cart before settling behind the wheel. He watched until we sat comfortably in the row behind him before driving off. From a guess, I’d place him in his mid-twenties.

“Entrance, yeah?” he confirmed.

“Yes, please,” Lizzie answered with a smile on behalf of us both. She raised her eyebrow, slanting her eyes back to him then me in a ‘Jesus, he’s hot’kind of way. I smirked at her, I couldn’t agree more.

As we pulled round to the front entrance, I noticed it was a lot busier. Swarming, in fact. I liked that though, wanting to be forgotten within the hundreds of students here, just like another regular person blending in. There was comfort in numbers. In a large crowd of people, you are just one measly person in a world full of others. Insignificant. Unimportant.

Gathering my bag from the floor by my feet, with a ‘thanks’ to the porter, I moved towards the entryway with Lizzie by my side. I snickered at her frustration with the porter’s reluctance to share his name.

“Damn, is that you Milla?” a gravelly voice called out, making me seek the owner. I didn’t recognise that voice initially, but as I turned my gaze to find who it was, I was stunned. A big smile arched on my face as I dragged Lizzie with me like a second bag.

Standing before him as he now towered over me, I answered him. “Dammit Daniel, when did you grow the hell up?” I eyed him up and down.

Smiling at me, he encased me in his arms with a bark of laughter, forcing me to control the flinch from the sudden movement. Luckily, he didn’t notice my internal battle, and I mentally patted myself on the back for being able to lock it down, returning his embrace.

“Have you been lifting weights?” I joked, pulling away from his arms to look at him, wondering how in two years he literally looked like he’d grown twice the size. A once skinny runt of a boy was now a world apart from the man standing before me.

“You saying I’ve gotten buff?” he jested, knowing damn well he had. He deserved to have an inflated ego.

“Not at all,” I quipped sarcastically, gesturing at his body. I brought my hand to his bicep, giving it a good squeeze and feeling the bulge of muscles he’d gained. “Nope, no change at all.”

Saying more with a genuine smile than with words, he looked at me, cataloguing me. “I was told you were coming back to your roots. I’ve missed you being around,” he admitted, tugging at my heartstrings.

When I left, I cut all my friends off except Lizzie and that was me being selfish. Not that I think she’d have let me go easily. For whatever reason, she never questioned my need to shut the rest of my friendships off, assuming something warranted it, which wasn’t far from the truth.

Being back here painted a bigger target on my back with him hovering over me, watching too closely. These friendships would never be properly resurrected, not without a ton of pain and lies caught between the rifts. These werehisfriends too, much more his friends than mine, they always were.

“It’s good to see you,” I told him, letting my eyes show the truth in those words.

Daniel was always a quiet, nurturing boy, the one who listened and tried to take care of others. Kind and considerate, although his large body stature made him appear threatening; I bet he was still that same person deep down.

“I’ll see you soon,” I voiced, hoisting my bag higher up my shoulder. I grabbed Lizzie’s hand, turning us around to walk through the entrance to the university foyer.

I ignored the feel of Daniel’s gaze on me with my quick retreat. Questions would be asked, but I couldn’t answer them. It wouldn’t be enough for some people, so until I decided how to proceed I needed to keep my body distant, and my mouth sewn shut.

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