AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It looks really old,” Steph says. “Maybe you should leave it where you found it.”
I look over at her, seeing something in her expression I don’t see very often. Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what consequences touching this thing might bring.
I drop the necklace back into the piece of cloth spread across my hand and fold the edges back over it. Something tugs in my gut as I lean forward to tuck it back into the cubby in which it rested. I pause, letting the feeling wash over me as I silently beg for some kind of divine guidance.
I pull the bundle back toward me, and a sense of rightness washes over me, making me feel whole in a way I’ve only felt in Jesse’s arms. I look over at Steph, who’s watching me with wide eyes.
“I can’t explain it, but I think…this necklace belongs to me.”
12
ABOMINATION
Light from the window glints off the large ruby, drawing my eye for the thousandth time. Jesse sits beside me on the bed in our hotel room, scrolling through his phone. He took a picture of the necklace and is attempting a reverse-image search, hoping to find some shred of information about where it came from.
“Still no luck?” I ask, my gaze still riveted on the necklace.
It’s stretched across the table by the window, several feet away, yet I can still feel its pull. Jesse voiced his concern over my sudden and absolute obsession with it, so I left it there to prove a point.
That I’m not obsessed.
But even though I’ve been able to resist the urge to go pick it up and slide it around my neck, I can’t stop staring at it. Even now, my foot is tapping against the floor as my body leans in that direction, eager to touch the damn thing again.
Fuck. Maybe he’s right.
“Nothing yet,” he says. “I’ve found some similar settings, but not an exact match.”
I hum in response, my foot still tapping and my eyes still glued to the sparkling pendant.
“Eden.”
“What?” I chirp, the deep, firmly spoken word breaking through the hypnotic allure of the necklace.
I look over to see Jesse frowning at me, concern etched across his features.
“What?” I repeat, this time softer.
Without saying a word, he drops his phone to the mattress and stands. With purposeful strides, he marches over to the table and pinches the chain between his fingers, holding the necklace aloft. Its gentle swaying mesmerizes me, and my thoughts blur as I watch it swing back and forth.
It disappears from sight as Jesse closes his other hand around it, and I snap out of the trance. He releases the chain, and it pools in his palm around the pendant.
“What are you doing?” I demand, leaping to my feet.
Without a word, he yanks open the small drawer on the front of the table and drops the necklace inside before slamming the drawer closed. He turns to me with a sigh, and leans back against the edge of the table. I slowly lift my gaze from the now-hidden necklace to meet Jesse’s eyes.
“Something isn’t right here,” he says slowly. “Ever since you found that thing, it’s had you under some kind of spell.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest.
Even as the words spill from my lips, I know he’s right. Not that I’ll admit it to him.
“You can’t stop staring at it, you’ve barely heard a word I’ve said, and don’t forget, I can sense your emotions.” He gives me a pointed look. “Your desire to hold it is even stronger than your desire to hold me.”
“Are you jealous of a necklace?” I snap before I can stop myself.
Again, he sighs. “Of course, not. I’m worried about you.”
I take a deep, cleansing, albeit unnecessary breath before murmuring, “I’m sorry.”
