Page 14 of Midnight Whispers
I turn to face Lillia, where she lies in the middle of the bed, the white linen sheets woven between her legs, exposing her torso to me. The brown waves of her hair are sprawled out around her face, which looks so peaceful as she sleeps. Her chest rises and falls with each effortless breath she takes.
Jasmine and peony fill the air, her scent beckoning me to come closer. As she stirs in her sleep the hem of her nightgown rises, rolling slightly to the side, and exposing the white lace of her panties. I fight against myself as venom fills my mouth, the desire to taste her consuming my thoughts.
I’m pulled closer to by her scent that lingers in the air, an unwavering desire builds in my gut. I’m unsure if the desire is for her blood, or just for her. Her long eyelashes begin to flutter, and sleepily her eyes begin to open. At full speed, I race out of the front door and turn to the side of the house.
Rows of raised garden beds with flowers and vegetables catch my attention. I run my fingers over the assorted floral types, and my eyes catch sight of the peonies that are toward the end. I inhale their aroma, recognizing the peony from her perfume. Unable to control myself, I pick the one with the lightest shade of pink. It’s the closest I can find to the color skirt she was wearing the first time I saw her. I walkback toward the front of the house and place the flower in the basket of her bike. Before going back to my own home, I walk the perimeter of her land, making sure that Cedar is nowhere near her home.
Is it unnecessary? Probably.
Her being safe from Cedar, however, is something I can’t take a chance on.
7
I wake up frantically,my nightgown clinging to me as cold sweat beads across my skin. I’m really going to have to give the true crime documentaries a rest because I could haveswornsomeone was just standing next to my bed. My eyes scan my empty room, revealing a light shining from beneath my door.
“Flo. Is that you?” I call, my voice full of hope that I’m not yelling at someone who’s broken into the house.
“Hmm?” she answers groggily from the next room.
“Oh. I’m so sorry, never mind.”
“You okay?” she mumbles.
“Just another bad dream, I guess. Tonight is obviously not the best night for me to sleep. I’m just going to make some tea.”
“You want some company?”
“If you don’t mind,” I respond, tossing the sheets off my leg and walking down the hall and into the kitchen.
The wood is cold as I walk through the house. It creaks beneath my weight as each step brings me closer to the kitchen. I fill the kettle up with water and place it on the stove, starting the fire beneath it so that it comes to a boil. Asit heats up, I reach into the cabinet to get a mug for both Flora and me. The designs of the mugs are a testament to us as individuals. Mine is a forest green covered with cartoonish mushrooms and cartoonish fairies, and hers is black with a skeleton hand holding up the middle finger.
I prepare the mugs by placing the tea bags full of chamomile and lavender inside and adding honey to sweeten it a little. My thoughts drift to the stranger in the coffee shop today. The only thing I saw was the back of his head, which revealed little except he had dark black hair that was well kept, but…
“Earth to Lil!” Flora waves her hand in front of me. “The kettle was screaming; you didn’t hear it?” She goes to turn off the burner.
“I must not be fully awake yet.” She raises an eyebrow to my response, and I answer with a soft smile.
Rolling her eyes, Flora quips, “Yeah, okay. It hasnothingto do with the portrait you have hidden in your panty drawer?”
“How did you…”
“We’ve been best friends for more than half of our lives, babe. I know way more about you than I should, including where you hide things you want to keep safe or secret. It’s honestly kind of terrifying how much I know about you.” She raises her brow and looks at me through the corner of her eye.
Flora pours water into our mugs; the water instantly swirls a light yellowish green. I rest my elbows on the counter and bob my tea bag up and down while my curiosity keeps my mind going in circles.
“You okay?” She furrows her brows.
I shrug. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired I guess.”
“Do you want me to stay up with you?”
“No. You worked until super late. I’ll be okay! Go to sleep.”
“Only if, you’re sure,” she answers with a raised eyebrow. Ican only nod. “Love you,” Flora says as she kisses my forehead. The sound of her bedroom door shutting echoes not long after she walks away.
I go into the living room and sit on our couch. The silence throughout the house is deafening. I go back and forth with myself about the potential of adopting a cat just for some companionship, but ultimately decide against it.
Falling backto sleep doesn’t happen, even with the chamomile tea. I decide to go into the coffee shop early, which is happening more and more lately, it seems. The sun is barely rising, the moon still high in the sky.