Page 17 of The Beast of Ashwood Manor

“The first one, not very long. The second, about five months.”

“Are they still here?”

“No.” Gil shook his head. “Don’t know where they are.”

“Oh.” A pause filtered through the air before I asked, “Did you love them?”

“Perhaps.”

I paused for a moment then asked, “Did they love you back?”

Gil raised his brows and looked at me. Leaning back, he rolled his shoulders. “This is becoming a bit too personal. More than I wanted it to.”

“Is that what it is, then?” I asked. “You loved one of them, but they didn’t love you?”

“I said enough, Cale.” Gil stood up and glared at me.

Standing from the chair, I met his piercing eyes, and I noticed for the first time how they were green and brown. “I figured it out, didn’t I? Is that all it is? Love? That’s all it’ll take to break the curse?”

Gil took a step forward and towered over me. “Things are not so simple. I can’t . . .” He tried to say the words, but his lips pursed and he looked away. “Shit.”

My shoulders fell. Suddenly seeing him in a new light, I said, “I don’t . . . have any problem being with men.”

His eyes cut to me.

“We could try and . . .” I suddenly found myself unable to speak the words. I looked down, confused. “I knew what I wanted to say, but I can’t now. But I just said it.”

“Because now you know. Once you figure it out, you can’t tell anyone else. That’s how it works.”

“All right. Well, you and me. We can, you know. Something. Hm.” I stopped, trying to think of the words to tell him we could try and fall in love while also trying to make sense of something otherworldly barring me from doing so. I looked down and rubbed my arm, feeling uneasy.

Gil sighed. “It doesn’t work that way, Cale. I just met you. No doubt I’ve frightened you, ruined your life for sure.”

“You don’t frighten me.”

“No?” Gil raised his brows.

“We have to try. I want out of here. So do all these other people. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help us all.”

“You’ve only been here for a couple days, and you care enough about these people to help them?”

“They’re people like you and me. We all deserve to leave. To find a way out.”

Running a hand down his face, Gil moved away. “The last man I . . . he tried to kill me.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. Looking at Gil, I couldn’t really believe someone would try to kill him. If they were in their right mind, anyone would take one look at him and decide against attacking him.

“I’m not going to do that,” I replied. “I would never do that to anyone. I don’t even like killing insects!”

Gil smiled but shook his head.

I wasn’t going to let this go. If love could break the binds of the curse, then I would try and make my way there, however possible. “It’s not hard for me to care for people. I find it very easy to hold compassion. I mean, yes, you were a bit intimidating at first, but so far, you’ve shown me nothing but kindness.”

But Gil wasn’t budging. He was stubborn. I could feel it from here. I had a feeling, deep inside, that most people found him too intimidating to approach.

“You’re very naive, Cale. I’m not as kind as you think I am. There are things about me that would have you running away. Trust me.”

“But I—”

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