Page 98 of Poison Aches

Immediately, I feel someone lifting Knight from me and then I quickly lean against the nearest wall and grab my head as images flash in my head.

Images that taste so real… and alive.

Green, haunted eyes.

Blood.

An angry boy.

Heavy snow.

Screaming underwater…

A pale, wide-eyed beautiful woman begging me to keep my mouth shut.

Tears well up in my eyes.

The pain is searing… who knew baby Knight was so fucking strong? But more than that, who knew a singlewhackover the head would bring back the very memories I’m trying to stay oblivious to?

“Ivy? What’s wrong?” someone asks.

“Nothing,” I pant. “Just an old injury.”

I quickly wipe away the tears and steady myself. When I look up, everyone is watching me.

But only one pair of eyes is scorching.

Emmett’s piercing gaze tracks to me, then he stares deeply at my fingers that are covering the scar.

He stares intently for five…eight… fifteen, thirty entire seconds before his cold eyes move and our gazes clash.

His nostrils flare just a little bit, then he grows so still, everything else falls away as we watch each other.

Fuck!

Look away, Ivy, look away right now or he’ll know!

But I can’t.

I’ve never really been able to look away from him, especially when he holds my entire soul captive like he’s doing right now.

It’s as if I’m frozen, trapped, stuck completely with no hope of escape.

Someone clears their throat loudly and I realize then that several pairs of greedy eyes are moving from Emmett to me, so I quickly break eye contact and turn away.

It’s only then that I notice the new arrival in the room… and he too just noticed the silent exchange between Emmett and me.

Double fuck.

Samuel is standing just behind Emmett. It’s obvious they were just talking before my little fender bender with baby Knight.

Whenever I see my brother interact with Emmett, my stomach knots up painfully and alarms ring at the back of my head.

Everything in me wants to separate them but common sense is telling me to stay in my lane.

Samuel shoots me a look, then he stares at Emmett who’s still watching me.

A cold chill goes down my spine.

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