Page 46 of Sinister
Me: You’re getting me all hot and bothered
Rome: Good. I’ll love edging you all day until I see you
Me: you tease
Rome: only for you, baby.
Rome: Gotta go.
I’m all hot and flustered and fucking happy for once. Maybe moving here isn’t going to be so bad after all. Climbing out of bed, I throw on a t-shirt and some sweats and head downstairs to make a coffee. The kitchen is overcrowded with all the guys. “Morning,” I say extra loud so they all can hear me.
“Here she is. How’s the head feeling?” Connor winks at me and raises his eyebrows so only I can see his expression.
I catch on quickly. “Still sore. Anyone have some coffee?”
“Here you go, I think we’re all going to have to help you learn to hold your drinks better.” Baron chuckles as he pours me a fresh cup of coffee and hands it to me.
“Thanks.” I take it graciously and lean my elbows on the counter.
“Jolly good idea there, Roger.” Quinn taps Baron on the shoulder and grins at me. “Drinks this afternoon before the formal dinner.” He nods at me.
“I shouldn’t.”
Henry and Dalton come stand beside me and drape their arms around my shoulders, caging me in.
“We can’t have a Spades member be such a lightweight in the drinking department.” Alistair joins in.
“I’m feeling ambushed here.” I laugh as I look around at each of them and see the pure determination on their faces .
“Ten against one, you aren’t winning this fight, my Lady.” Quinn clinks his coffee mug to mine.
“What fight?” Charlotte enters the kitchen and the playfulness in the air suddenly changes to something cold and dismissive.
“The guys were just playing.” I smile at her, hoping her hostility toward me has eased since we’ve been living in the same house for a while.
She ignores me and pushes past me to make herself a coffee. Her perfect hair and clothes make me feel like such a slob. I grab my coffee and retreat up to my room to get ready for class. I don’t need to be around her if she’s going to continue to be a bitch.
My classes have finished for the day and the setting sun blisters the horizon as it sets and casts an orange glow over the college grounds. I haven’t seen Rome or Chaser all day, they must have been held up with Papa V. doing who knows what. I’m anxious to see Sin and find out if he knows about Rome and me and if he had words with Rome about it.
Ignoring the fact that it’s getting dark, I decide to walk to the place the guys told me to meet them for pre formal dinner drinks. Luckily, I wore a nice dress and packed some heels and my robe for the dinner tonight. The streets outside of campus grounds remind me of the streets around Oxford, they’re old and charming with dark architecture giving off a gloomy feel. The students are scarce this far out and I’m starting to worry I’ve taken a wrong turn.
The wind picks up and it’s bone chilling cold. I regret not bringing a long coat to wear, my skin is covered in goosebumps. The sun has set beyond the buildings and took with it any ray of warmth it provided throughout the day.
Turning down a narrow lane, where only one car can fit at a time, I leave the stores and main road behind. I’m starting to think the guys have led me astray and are plotting my murder. My intrusive thoughts play out different scenarios as I hurry along the cobblestone road leading to nowhere it seems.
The wind howls and swirls around me, it carries with it the sounds of footsteps, causing my heart to kick up a notch. With all these scenarios in my head, I force myself to turn swiftly to see who is behind me, but the darkened narrow road is empty. Only the entry is aglow thanks to the streetlight on the corner of the two roads. I’ll admit, it’s eerie as fuck, and giving off Jekyll and Hyde vibes.
Continuing on my original path, I head deeper into the narrow road, hoping to get out the other end unscathed. Again, the wind swirls and something falls onto the road up ahead, making my heart jump into my throat. As I near it in the middle of the road, I see it’s a sign from one of the buildings. The sign is old and rusted, and I can just make out the faded lettering in the dark. It reads The Book Store est. 1889. Glancing up at the building, with its boarded up windows, it makes me sad that such a store has gone into disarray and closed its doors.
Stepping around the sign, I see a charred paper flower with a note tied to it. Thinking nothing of it, I take a few steps when my brain catches up to me. “Fuck.” I pause and turn back around.
The paper flower lays there in the middle of the road like a dead carcass. Tingles race up my spine as I glance around to see if anyone is nearby. Nothing but the howling wind to keep me company and my heart thudding in my chest reminding me I’m still alive and this isn’t some stalker movie. Sucking in cold air, I pull my big girl panties up, ignore my imagination and pick up the damned flower. It’s made of playing cards and when I look closer and rub some of the soot off, I notice all the cards have the Spades symbol printed on them. My heart drops into my stomach.
With shaking hands, I open the folded paper with torn edges. The writing is messy, like the writer was in a state of panic when scrawling their words.
Did you really think you could get away from me.
I can’t breathe and the feeling of my throat constricting causes me to panic. My skin crawls with the methodical march of fire ants, burning and tingling me from the inside out. I want to scratch at my brain, eradicate this feeling. Dropping the flower, I start running farther into the dark, hyperventilating along the way. Hysteria seizes my lungs and as much as I try to suck in air, I physically can’t. The howling wind is muted from the heavy beat of my heart pounding in my head as I rush toward the end of the road. Turning the corner, I grip the edge of the building, holding on for balance when I see a group of guys mingling outside the bar. Relief washes over me knowing I’m fairly safe now.