Page 7 of Twisted Gift

“Just tired,” I answer, then say goodnight to the rest of the group before I force my legs to carry me out the door to catch a cab.

Once I get home, I don’t bother changing before I crawl under the sheets and try to get comfortable. I toss and turn, wrapping the sheets around myself to warm up, but it doesn’t work. I’m bundled up tight, and shivers still course across my skin. My fingertips ache no matter how much I rub my hands together. I clamp my teeth together to keep them from chattering. This is ridiculous.

I get up and rifle through the closet until I find my heated blanket. Plugging it in and turning it to the highest setting, I wrap it around me and burrow back under the covers. Slowly, I stop shivering and get comfortable.

When my eyes open, the bedroom is dark. I lean over to check the time on the clock, but it’s flashing twelve o’clock. The power must’ve flickered out at some point after I fell asleep. Remembering I left my phone in the other room, I push the blankets away and pad across the dark wood floor into the living room.

I freeze in the doorway the same moment a scream tears its way up my throat and past my trembling lips.

Standing behind the counter in the kitchen under the dim pot lighting is Jules.

I blink hard, but he’s still there. “N-no...”

He shoots me an easy grin as if the fact he’s standing in my kitchen two months after I killed him is amusing.

“You’re dead,” I force out, my voice raspy.

He nods.

My head shakes. “Why—how—are you here?”

He blinks once. Twice. Doesn’t say a word.

I narrow my eyes, closing my hands into fists at my sides. “What, you’re not going to talk?” A bitter burst of laughter escapes my lips. “You ruined my life, and now you’ve got nothing to say?” The anger in my voice echoes through the room as if it’s empty, and when I glance back to the kitchen, I find it is. Jules is no longer standing behind the counter. No, now we’re in the basement of the pub where I...

Jules slams into me, knocking us both to the hard floor. I gasp, forcing air back into my lungs as he hangs over me, baring his teeth. Reaching back, he pulls out an iron stake. My eyes widen at the sight.Why isn’t it burning him?Before I can fight back or roll away, he drives the stake into my chest, stealing the breath from my lungs. Searing pain explodes in my body, but when I scream, no sound comes out. I try to push him away as he pulls the stake out, but I can’t move. He lifts his arm, and then brings the stake down again. The stone cold, unforgiving iron pierces my heart—

My eyes fly open, and a high-pitched, earsplitting scream fills my bedroom. I shoot upright and reach around until I find the lamp on the table beside me, flicking it on, still gasping for air. My hair is damp and sticking to my forehead. The rest of my body is in a cold sweat.

I jump at the sudden pounding at my door. Scrambling out of bed, I hurry into the other room and hesitate a few feet away.

“Aurora!” Nikolai’s voice startles me, but I step forward and unlock the door, opening it a few inches.

“What the hell are you doing here?” My voice is broken, quiet and cracking.

The green in his eyes is too bright, wild. “I was coming over to see you.” His brows tug closer. “I heard you scream.”

My bottom lip trembles. I’m not fully awake yet. “I...”Fucking hell.I shouldnotbe showing this guy weakness, but even if I wanted to put on a brave face of indifference, I can’t right now.

His expression shifts into one more thoughtful, and he pushes the door open a bit more. “Why are you shaking?” When I step back, he takes it as an invitation and enters the apartment, closing the door behind him. “What happened?”

I press my lips together until my teeth bite into them, and it becomes uncomfortable. “He was here,” I mumble, casting my gaze to the floor.

“Who?” he asks in a calm voice.

“J-Jules.” Saying his name brings hot tears to my eyes, and I wipe them away. “Nothere,” I explain. “In my dream.”

He frowns, pushing the hair back from his face. “You had a nightmare about Jules.” It isn’t a question, but I nod anyway.

“It was like the day I killed him except this time...” My voice trails off.

“This time he killed you?” he offers.

“Yeah,” I manage to say, sniffling.

He nods as if he understands, then leans forward and tweaks my chin. “Head up, gorgeous. You survived him. Don’t ever forget that.”

The smile that touches my lips surprises me. I wipe away the wetness on my cheeks and meet his gaze. “Thanks, Nikolai.”

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