Page 42 of Traces of Her

“Go back inside, Rowena,” he says coolly as he positions himself in his seat, staring out the windshield. “Lock every door and open it for no one but me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I stare at him with a million questions running through my mind, but I know I won’t get any answers. Not from this Griffin. Reluctantly, I slowly climb out of the car, leaving the door open and stand awkwardly not wanting to let him go. Leaning over, his gaze meets mine with a brief stare down. His eyes are full of darkness, they’re empty black holes cold enough to freeze hell. “Rowena,” he warns, in a low voice. “You need to turn around and walk the fuck away.” He grabs the handle of the door with his knuckles turning white when I don’t move. “Stop fucking pushing me,” the dark side of Griffin growls.

Taking a step back, I cross my arms over my chest, giving him a curt nod. Tearing his gaze away from me, he slams the car door shut and is out of the driveway within a matter of seconds. Watching him drive away, I rub my arms in an effort to smooth my raised skin and will away the chill coursing through my body, sinking deep into my bones.

A chill with the ability to reach those depths has only one root.

Fear.

Fear is the air that fills my lungs, the blood that runs through my veins, it feeds the darkened parts of my soul.

I’m not scared of death. I’ve been there before, I’ve lived through death, I’ve been death.

I’m scared to live. He brought me back, he revived my heart and my soul, breathing life back into me.

Fear only exists in a life with purpose and meaning, when you have something to lose. And I have everything to lose.

But I’m not afraid for me, I’m afraid for him.

The darkness is slowly filling him and eating him alive, stealing the life from him. The Griffin that left me today is not my Griffin and I will follow him through the depths of hell, using our love to pull him out on the other side.

Love and fear, they need each other to exist.

But in the war between the two, love will always win.

And that is what will bring him back to me.

It has to.

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