Page 11 of The Reaper
I didn’t usually like looking into people’s eyes either, or even their faces, not unless I was threatening them, but something about this girl made me want to stand and stare. She had delicate features, alabaster skin, and as I studied her, I realised what it was she reminded me of… a china doll. Only her eyes weren’t lifeless glass beads; they shone with a desperation to be understood, a need to be accepted. Her eyes told me everything I needed to know about her. This girl was a caged animal, and she wanted to be set free.
She swallowed again, and I moved my gaze from her eyes to her slim neck as the muscles in her throat contracted. The urge to touch her, bite her and mark her flawless skin crept over me like the vines that clung to her house, and I clenched my fists, trying to contain the beast inside me that this girl seemed to call to.
“Is this your new… boyfriend?” Her voice cracked as she spoke. Was she disappointed?
But when Jodie replied, “God, no. He just brought me home,” Leah May let out a huge breath, and her shoulders dipped in relief.
“Well, in that case, thank you so much for bringing Jodie here. Did you know, in the bible, Jodie means praised? You’re the one we need to praise though.” Jodie groaned, but Leah May kept her fake smile in place and added, “You’re welcome to come in. I’ve just made a pot of tea…” She started rambling nervously again about the merits of drinking tea and how it boosted your immune system and helped ward off cancer and heart disease. Jodie huffed impatiently and stepped forward, pushing her way past Leah May to get into the hallway.
“He’s a busy man, Leah, no time for tea and chats. And tea’s tea. Nobody cares about your public health announcements. Just let him be on his way.” Jodie was condescending, and part of me wanted to go in and drink the tea just to piss her off, but I didn’t.
“Nice to meet you, Leah May,” I said and turned to walk away, but not before I heard the slight gasp that she gave. A gasp that seemed to drift through the air, penetrating right through me and placing a sting on my heart.
That was new.
But I couldn’t read into it.
She was the vicar’s daughter.
From what I’d seen in the two minutes since I’d been on her doorstep, I could tell she was awkward and clumsy with her words. She had an inane desperation to please others, especially her cousin, and a goodness that made her vulnerable, an easy target for manipulation. But she was also the most intriguing, puzzling, beautiful girl I’d ever seen.
But none of that mattered.
I was a killer.
She was as far away from my world as a fish was to a bird. Our lives were at opposite ends of the scale. And with that thought, I got into the car and drove off without looking back.
ChapterFive
LEAH MAY
He didn’t look back.
I stood on the doorstep, waiting, hoping he would, but he never did.
For fuck’s sake, Leah, you’ve made yourself look like a prize dick. Your one chance, and you blew it.
“Close the door, Leah, you’re letting all the hot air out,” Jodie shouted from the kitchen, and I huffed as I shut the door, feeling like I was closing it on a chapter of my life. Dramatic, I know, but I couldn’t help it. It felt painful closing that door, like my heart was splintering in my chest.
Moments ago, I’d heard the car engine as they pulled up outside, and I’d run to the window in excitement, desperate to see Jodie with her latest hook-up. What would this one be like? Tall, dark, and handsome, unlike the last one? But whenhegot out of the car to walk her down the path, Jodie swinging her shoes in her hands and him looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here, my heart dropped out of my chest onto the cold, hard floor.
Not him.
Anyone but him.
In the beginning, I’d tried to keep my head, play it cool as I fought hard to block out the images that were flickering through my brain of what might’ve happened last night between the two of them. Images that made me want to double over and wretch onto the soil. I cringed, remembering how I’d rambled on about names and their meanings. It was all my brain could come up with in the moment. A rabbit caught in the headlights had nothing on me.
I heard Jodie groaning in the kitchen, and I dragged my feet forward, even though I didn’t want to go in there. I didn’t want to know what she was about to tell me. Sometimes, it was hard to play all the different roles I had to play. Most of the time, it was hard to fake your real feelings and emotions. This morning, I had lied to my cousin and pretended I was as clueless as she thought I was. But I wasn’t stupid. I knew more than I’d ever let on.
When I saw her lying on the sofa in our kitchen, I went over to her and stroked her hair. She liked it when I pandered to her.
“I’m sorry I was snippy with you earlier,” she whined. “I just wanted him gone and to come inside and be with you. I’ve had the worst night ever.”
I decided to abandon the tea, and I slid onto the end of the sofa, lifting her legs to rest on my lap.
“What happened?” I asked, dreading the answer. Part of me couldn’t wait a moment longer, and the other half didn’t want to know what role he’d played in her night. Ignorance was bliss sometimes.
She rolled onto her back but covered her eyes with her arm and groaned. She looked like death, smelled like it too, but I’d never tell her that.
