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Bile burns my stomach when he smiles at me beneath the shadow of his hood. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to send him soaring back through the door, a dent the size and shape of my fist in his face.
Instead, I paint on a timid smile and swipe my palms on my thighs, embracing the part I have to play.
“Hi.”
48
TINSLEY
Cole takes a staggered step forward,as if he can’t help but get closer. My skin crawls as my feet grow heavier, anchoring me in place. The haunting shade of blue in his eyes remains as unsettling now as it was the first time I saw him. He watches me with a heady sense of recognition and familiarity.
“Hello, Tiny,” he says. Disgust coils in my gut as I recognize the thick sense of desire in his voice.
I push that feeling deep down and lock it away. A mask slips over my face, transforming me into someone entirely new. A persona I can’t wait to set fire to once this is over.
“I was nervous you changed your mind and didn’t want to meet.” My bottom lip slips into a pout.
“No! No, no. I just wanted to make sure it was safe. For you,” he rushes out.
“That was really sweet of you. Thank you for doing that for me . . .” I trail off, raising my fingertips to my lips. “I still don’t know your name.”
He grins, and years ago, it might have been a handsome smile. But now, it’s nothing more than a glimpse of crooked, yellowing teeth hidden behind thick facial hair.
“Cole. My name is Cole. And it’s my job to protect you. Always.”
“It’s nice to officially meet you, Cole. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it?”
He rocks forward on the balls of his feet as he nods. “You look beautiful. I love that colour on you.”
“This?” I pinch the blue blouse between my fingertips and flutter my lashes. It’s a silky material, the colour as similar as possible to the panties he stole from me. “I knew you’d like it.”
He takes my words as an invitation to boldly check me out, his wide eyes roaming up and down my body. I hide my discomfort behind a sultry smile.
“I do. You’ve always looked best in blue.”
I take a risk and ask, “When was the first time you saw me in it?”
“You have questions,” he sighs.
“Can you blame me for that? You’ve hidden from me, and I’m curious as to why.”
He shakes his head, edging closer. When he stills, we’re less than three feet apart. I catch a whiff of him, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to gag. Up close, he’s even scarier than I anticipated. The heat radiating off him intensifies my discomfort, given my already alarming body temperature.
A dark voice murmurs in my mind, pleading with me to take advantage of the proximity and wrap my fingers around his throat. If this were a normal situation, I would have been terrified of myself for thinking this way. But this isn’t normal, and I’m not fully myself. Instead, I tell that voice to be patient.
“I couldn’t risk your parents seeing me. They would have kept us apart. And that friend of yours, he was always there when your family wasn’t, guarding you like a dog. Amutt,” he spits. As I keep my mouth shut, his expression lightens again. A switch flips in his mind. “But I was always there. I’ve been here, watching and waiting for you your entire life. You’ve grown into such a magnificent woman, Tinsley. So beautiful.”
He extends a long, bony finger toward my ear, tracing its curve. My mask remains firmly in place. His words have done far more than disgust me. They’ve confirmed that he never left Toronto. He’s been waiting for decades.
“Why would my parents have kept us apart? I’m sure they would have seen how perfect we are for each other,” I argue.
“Your father would never approve of me.”
“Why not? Because of our age difference?” I feign ignorance.
His frown is so deep that I half expect the lines of it to start to bleed. “I was reckless when I was your age. I knew your parents then. Thought your mother was meant for me. Your father wouldn’t allow that and attacked me for pursuing her. I lost everything because of it, but still, I couldn’t let her go, even then. She was pregnant with you. Once they brought you home, I knew I had to stick around. Watch over you. It was just this feeling in my gut. You believe me, right?” He thumps his fist into his chest.
“Of course I do.”
