Page 87 of King of Clubs

A narrow escape.

Torrential rain.

A small suitcase with the bare necessities.

A pocket full of cash ready for the bus driver.

One other passenger. A woman with dark hair and mint green headphones. Memorable because of the sticker of a mint leaf on the side. The exact same headphones now sitting on Sebastian’s kitchen bench. It was Eva.Evawas the woman sitting on the bus the day I found the strength to leave. And the memory, now, was stifling.

“Babe?” Sebastian’s steady voice settled over me and I rested my head against his chest.

The near impossibility of it being Eva that very same day was too much to even comprehend. The idea of my worlds mixing was not something I wanted to consider.

“Sorry,” I said, with a small shrug. “I’m just feeling a little off. Maybe a headache,” I lied.

“You sure you’re okay? You went as white as a ghost,” Eva chimed, grabbing the headphones from the bench. She looked genuinely concerned and I knew if I glanced up to Seb, he too would have a scrunched brow, his scowl in place as he assessed whether I really was okay. Shaking my head and doing my absolute best to collect myself, I tapped his firm chest twice before taking a step back.

“Yeah, it was sudden. I’m going to head to bed if you guys don’t mind.” I needed to be alone. To process my thoughts and remind myself this didn’t mean anything. This wasn’t a bad omen. It wasn’t some ridiculous sign that Lucas was never going to be out of my life. It was a coincidence. One I would laugh about some time in the future. Possibly.

“You sure you’re good, babe?” Seb asked, brushing the hair from my face.

“Yeah, nothing sleep won’t fix. Stay and enjoy some drinks.”

“You’re absolutely sure?” His face held a quizzical look and I knew he wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Positive. I think I’m getting my period,” I mumbled, putting as much effort as I could into remaining self-assured. If I appeared genuine, he would have no reason to doubt me.

When he nodded, I raced to the bedroom as quickly as I could, flicking the lock to the ensuite. Unlocking my phone, I opened messages ready to give Arna a rundown. She wasn’t going to believe the coincidence but would be the perfect person to remind me that was exactly what it was – a fluke. Nothing more, nothing less.

But before I could find our text thread, an unopened message from an unknown number flashed on my screen, shattering any of my remaining composure.

Unknown

Im starting to think u dont love me anymor Marlee.

U thought u could join HIS family and forget about mine

End things or I will b forced to take care of him

I grabbed hold of the wall, a cold tingle racing over my skin as bile pushed up my throat. It’d been a few weeks since I last heard from him and I hoped he’d taken the hint. And now, as if the night’s shadows were destined to get worse, he decided now was the time to message. Not even five minutes after realising Evangeline was there that very same day I left him.

He was never going to let me go. And worse, he was threatening Sebastian. The incoherence of the message made me think he wasn’t in a good place which was even more terrifying. Erratic behaviour was fuelled when people felt out of control and the idea he was spiralling made me feel instantly claustrophobic.

My hands shook as I dialled Arna’s number. My voice trembled as I gave her the sporadic rundown of the end of my night. I was marginally distracted with the amount of time it took to reassure her I didn’t need her to come over, however, eventually she settled for bringing Felicity into a three-way conversation while they bounced around advice.

Once I was in bed, even with the soft mumblings of Seb and Eva filtering through the walls, I couldn’t switch off the relentless fear which floated in the air around me.

I would tell Seb in the morning, just as the girls suggested. Confide in him as I promised I would after the last time because he couldn’t support me if he didn’t know. But tonight, while his sister was here, it wasn’t the time and that was what I told myself as I slept restlessly until my alarm eventually went off signalling it was time to head into work.

Sebastian

Chapter Thirty-Six

Marleewasn’twinningaGolden Globe anytime soon. Her attempt to comfort Eva and I by stating she had a headache was ridiculously over-performed. My skin crawled with the need to follow her to bed and ask her more questions. Press her for answers on what exactly had happened in the five minutes I was gone. But after going behind her back last time, I was trying to follow her lead and that meant trusting her when she said she was fine. Even when I knew she wasn’t.

Her breathing was steady when I came to bed last night so I’d pulled her to me and cocooned her in my arms as I did every other night she was here, wondering what the hell happened. Eva said the transformation was instantaneous. One second she was washing the dishes, the next her face lost all colour and it was as though she saw a ghost.

And now, despite trying to busy myself at the club, I couldn’t concentrate for shit because this morning she said shestill had a headache.

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