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His face remains expressionless as he stares at me, the cold, detached look sends nervous sweat down my spine as I bar him from my room.
He could easily overpower me and do it anyways, yet for some surprising reason, he’s allowed this.
Sucking in a deep breath as if it were courage itself, I twist him around by his shoulders and firmly push him away from the bedroom. “You get the couch tonight. I need to be alone. I swear to god, Caspian, if I don’t have my own bed to myself tonight, the world will serve as witness to my wrath.”
I catch the sound of his scoff echoing down the hallway as he retreats.
Step into my bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind me and locking it, I take a moment to collect myself. I’m sure that won’t hold if he really wants to get in but, at least it’ll buy me some time if he tries to come in unannounced.
What could have changed in such a short amount of time that could have made him act this way?
It’s like he’s a different person altogether.
Part of me wonders if it had to do with the warehouse incident, but the nagging voice in my head screams at me that the amulets have more to do with it than anything.
That’s not even beginning to mention the lack of effort to find Tammy.
Mentally and physically exhausted, I collapse on the bed after tossing my bag to the floor with a deep sigh of relief. As I inhale, the comforting scent of a fresh forest rain invades my senses and I suck in deeply. My muscles begin to relax, as if they’re melting into the bed, releasing the tension from the past few days.
Remembering that I still need to shower, I groan before dragging myself from the bed.
I spend extra time showering, soaking up the heat and comfort of the familiarity of my own home. As the water sluices off my body, I glance down to my wrists, inspecting the scabs that havestarted to peel off, revealing bright red and pink shiny skin underneath.
Just another set of scars to add to the list.
My mind strays to Rose and May. I find myself wondering how they are settling in with Stacey and Dylan. Images of their smiling cake covered faces pop into my head and my chest feels light knowing that if any good came from this, it was getting those two girls out of there.
Trepidation still weighs heavy on me when I consider how or why Caspian was able to get caretakers for the girls as quickly as he did. Clinging to the hope that he is just having a bad week, I set my concerns aside knowing that I can reach out to Rose and May sometime soon to check in on them.
Caspian is such a complex individual that it is frustrating. On one hand he is profoundly observant and quick to act, understanding and nonjudgmental.
On the other, he is cold, callous, calculated and indifferent. I find myself forgiving the negatives to see more of the warmer side of him like getting a hit of some drug. I have to constantly reign my body in to align with my mind knowing that I cannot fully trust him.
I’m not fool enough to believe that I could change him, but I find that he almost seems like he’s in conflict with himself on some fundamental level.
In the small moments outside of our search for Tammy, I find his presence calming and enjoyable. The second we begin our hunt, it’s as if a switch flips, and he’s put walls up and takes on an entirely different demeanor.
I turn the faucet off, snagging a towel to dry myself, lost in my thoughts.
Memories of Dan in the shower when I assumed he was not a ‘he’ flick through my mind, and I laugh quietly under my breath as I wrap myself in a towel. Grabbing a set of pajamas from the dresser, Idry my hair off and flop dramatically into bed.
My mind continues to process the events of the past few weeks as I lay in bed for hours, unable to stop myself from overthinking. Slowly, as a fresh wave of forest rain scent washes over me, Isuccumb to sleep.
Chapter 25
I startle awake to a large hand firmly but gently covering my mouth.
A deep voice whispers into my ear from where I lay, warm breath cascading over my skin making me shiver, “Quiet, I don’t want to have to drug you this time. I want this to be your choice but you have to come with me.”
My vision adjusts to the dark as I turn my head, coming face to face with Darian’s mismatched gaze as he stares at me intensely, his features illuminated by the moonlight peering through my open window.
That doesn’t sound like much of a choice at all.
My heart pounds frantically in my chest, nearly stopping as he leans down to my ear again, “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth, but please do not scream. It won’t do you or your missing friend any good.”
My eyes narrow at him. Is he threatening me and Tammy or is he saying that exposing him right now will have ramifications?
Darian’s calloused hand slowly releases my mouth and I wet my lips before whispering, “Tell me where Tammy is. Where are you keeping her?”
