Page 26 of Those That Don't Exist
“Why?”
“It puts me in danger. I don’t know if I can trust you.” It doesn’t feel like I’m the one threatening him, not with his hand still on my throat, his fingers flexing against my pulse point.
“Did you think I was going to do something other than kiss David?” Ty visibly tenses. Interesting. He also stays silent.
“Did you…” I pause. I'm going to sound insane, but I want answers. My hands drift from my sides to the edges of his coat, needing the fabric to fidget with. He doesn't seem to notice. I digdeep to find some courage. “Did you think I was about to harm him?”
“Define that.” Ty goes unnaturally still, even for a Fae. If he is Fae. He seems Fae with how quickly he can move and how beautiful his skin is.
I fear I'm about to land myself in a mental institution.Maybe I should be sectioned. It’s so crazy but my instincts are telling me to be honest. I can’t look at him as I say this,so I tilt my gaze down to the ground beside him.
“What if I wanted to taste his blood?” I barely get the words out loud enough, but I guess Ty has enhanced hearing too as his shoulders shift at my words.
“Then I was right to interrupt.” Ty’s hand, the one around my throat, moves up, his fingertips brush my skin until they’re gripping my chin. He raises my gaze back to his. “I’m familiar with the feeling, the consuming hunger.”
I swallow. Ty’s gaze flicks to my throat before he runs his fingers down the centre of it in a gentle caress, pausing as he reaches my necklace, the ring hanging on it. For a moment I think he is going to lift the band between his fingers but he raises both hands instead, placing them on the fence either side of my head. Leaning in closer, he still has me trapped but we are no longer touching. My anxiety returns.
“The hunger, it’s a type of thirst. One you’ll need to satisfy soon.” He chooses his words carefully. His face shifts through several incremental movements, thoughts flickering across his eyes, too fast to be readable.
We’re standing so close, we’re basically sharing breath, yet I'm still bereft of his touch. The air between us seems to grow hotter. He rolls his bottom lip between his teeth, I want to lean forward and take that lip between my own.
But the tension breaks as a far off noise seems to catch his attention.
“I need to go. Don’t touch anyone,” Ty says, stepping back. Releasing me from the cage of his body, leaving me cold.
“You need to damn well explain what you just told me!” I find my voice again, and grip his coat tighter.
“I will, but I’m on a time limit tonight and it’s almost up. I’ll speak to you back on campus.” Another step back, removing my hands from his coat.
“Please, tell me now.” I step forward.
“Sorry Red, we can’t be seen together. I need to go.” He tilts his head as if listening out for something I’m not aware of.
“Fine, but you better meet me after the weekend.” I try to sound threatening but it comes out like a whine. He chuckles.
“I promise I’ll explain everything. Now go back inside. And don’t do anything intimate with anyone, please.” He turns to go.
“Why shouldn’t I?” I make a last attempt to get him to give me more.
“You need to avoid feeling that hunger again until I can explain. It might be hard so don’t touch anybody, for a couple more days.”
“Ok,” I agree, I didn’t like feeling like a monster anyway. If avoiding people is how to do it, fine. Done.
“And Red?” My eyes find his as I tilt my head. It’s the second time he’s called me Red. “You look positively dangerous in that outfit tonight so do try hard.”
“Dangerous?”
“Indeed, to every straight male in that house, and some females too, I’m sure, you’re a walking goddess. I’m surprised they’ve not all fallen to their knees for you.”
A smile catches my lips. I glance down at my dress, my skin flushing once more. I search for the confidence I had when slipping into it earlier tonight. I glance back up intending to brave it and ask if Ty includes himself in that statement but he’s already gone. Nothing but shadows remain.
I stay outside for a while, replaying the whole conversation in my mind, feeling comfortable in the darkness. With the information overload I need a minute to process. I’d come away with so many more questions than answers but I finally had a name to put to the face.
Ty.
The mystery guy who appeared in my life, who has now all but admitted to being my stalker, and eluded to knowing the fucked up things going on in my head.
My stomach swoops with that feeling you get when standing at the edge of a cliff with a thousand foot drop and no chance of you surviving if you fell. One where you step to the edge anyway because you like the mixture of feeling alive, and in grave danger, all at once.
