Page 14 of Hell House
“Yeah! Absolutely. Let me give you my number.” Oh my god this is so embarrassing, I feel like I’m falling all over myself, but his voice does something to my insides that makes me feel all mushy.
I give him my digits and he texts me from his phone so I can save his number.
When he turns to leave, I lean into Skye for support.
“Oh. My. God.” She whispers. “There’s no way that it’s legal for someone to be THAT pretty. I mean, did you see his eyelashes? I would kill for those eyelashes. Are you going to text him?”
“I don’t know! I wouldn’t even know what to say. Besides, he has my number. He can text me.”
Skye bumps me on the shoulder with hers, “I love it. Make him work for it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Skye
All week, Professor Whitelsbee has been breathing down my neck about my work. She stands over my shoulder, her free hand on her hip and a scowl permanently etched on her face as she looks at me as I paint. I came to the art room tonight on her suggestion that I rework my piece. I’ve slowly become acclimated to classes and found it ironic that the one class I came to Kildale for was the one giving me the most trouble.
I splatter paint across my canvas as my earbuds pulse loudly against my eardrums. The wicked vibes are driving my inspiration. I grab black paint going darker- edgier- layered. I’d evoke emotions from this piece and prove my art teacher wrong. Professor Whitelsbee was ‘deeply unhappy’ with my piece I’d produced and was making me redo it, hence the violent paint strokes and pulsing mood music I found myself swaying to as I worked. I wasn’t about to let this one Professor’s taste ruin everything I’d worked for. My very position at this school could be in jeopardy and I refused to be sent packing already.
Paint flecks and flicks, spraying me as I push the colors around. It clings to my blonde space-buns and splatters my cheeks. I’d recently dyed the tips of my hair lilac, which made my space buns look like they were surrounded by tiny purple halos- or so Salem said when I revealed my new do last night. I tended to change up my hair whenever I was feeling extra stressed, and with this new school, being separated from my dad, and Professor Whitelsbee's constant scrutiny, my stress was palpable. I notice a few globs of paint splattered across my favorite AC/DC oversized t-shirt. It’s one I usually wear when painting, and no stranger to a rogue paint fleck. It hits me mid thigh, covering my shorts underneath. Though it was cold outside, I usually got overheated when painting, so I opted for breathability figuring that when it came time to go back to the dorms, I would walk as fast as I could.
A shuffling sound fills the room as I stand there examining my work. I remove an earbud with my paint-stained hand, looking around for the source of the noise. It was late and I was pretty sure I had the art room all to myself. The noise starts again, this time closer. It sounds like the shuffling of shoes against a canvas drop cloth. I step around the piece I’m working on and come face to chest with a tall dark-haired student. I let out a squeak of surprise as I crane my neck to see who just interrupted my paint session. I’m met with the sight of tattoos peeking up his black shirt collar and an eyebrow piercing which was currently raised in surprise. As my eyes lock onto his I feel my chest tighten.
“Sorry.” He grunts out and adjusts his skintight jeans. My cheeks heat as he notices me following his movement down his body. This guy oozes sex and danger. He lifts a tattooed finger to my chin, closing my opened mouth, the contact sending a shiver down my spine. I look up into his green eyes, forcing myself to take a breath. He lets out a dark chuckle, perfectly aware of how he was affecting me, and wholly unsurprised like this kind of reaction was normal for him. I yank my head back and straighten my spine. His eyebrows shoot up as he regards me for a moment, both of us standing there without saying a word before he turns back in the direction he had come from. My stomach clenches in a riot of butterflies. That one small touch had ignited in me a clawing desperate desire for more.
Once he’s gone from the room, I shake myself out of the stupor I found myself in. I had no idea what had just happened, and I was left wondering who the hell that was. He easily was the hottest guy I’d ever seen in my life, and made me feel as if my insides had turned to jell-o.
I walk back around to my canvas more determined than ever to just finish this so I can get the heck out of here and back to my dorm. I can’t afford to be distracted by a walking sex-god.
“You ran into Lukas Ledger?” My roommate, Salem screeches at me when I tell her of my bizarre run in at the art room. I almost trip over my white and teal roller skates that I’d forgotten to put away while walking over to our small closet. I snatch them up before anyone breaks an ankle and toss them in. My paint-stained hands start rummaging through my side of the closet we shared, and I grab out some clothes to change into.
“Who?” I ask distractedly as I pull on my pajama shorts. They’re my favorites, white with tiny cherries printed all over them, hugging my bottom comfortably if not a tad tight.
Salem rolls her eyes and throws a pillow at me.
“How have you been here a week already and not know of Lukas Ledger from Hell House?” I just stare at her blankly. I have no idea what she’s talking about.
She gives me an exasperated sigh. “The guys who live at the Tartarus Fraternity? It’s literally the first thing I heard about when I got on campus. I went to their ‘Welcome back to school’ party my first night here. His twin brother is an asshole though.”
“Why do they call it Hell House?” I crinkle up my nose. And dear God, that man has a TWIN? I can’t imagine that much hotness walking around campus.
She gets a gleam in her eyes, “Because, legend says that when this place was first built, the settlers discovered that it served as a portal into purgatory. That all of these souls would find a way through the veil on a full moon, and they would possess the settlers, but a clan of witches were able to cast a spell trapping them behind the veil. But rumor has it that they missed some- and those missing souls were said to be the inhabitants of the Tartarus Mansion. One day the owner of the mansion murdered his whole family and servants before killing himself. Now the Mansion is the site of our schools only fraternity and they’re said to act out the sins those lost souls left behind.” She wiggles her fingers to emphasize the spookiness.
“That sounds like the most elaborate way to excuse their bad behavior.” I toss the pillow back at her.
“You have to admit, it makes for a pretty cool story though.” She props herself up on her bed with the pillow and props her book back up that she’d been reading when I came back to the room and interrupted her.
I was lucky to be housed with Salem as my roommate. She gave all the witchy vibes but underneath her hard exterior, she was pretty chill, and we got along well. I’d never had many friends since my Dad and I moved around so much. When my mom died, my dad and I packed up our house, selling anything that was worth something, and we set off on the road in a mobile home my dad purchased off of one of his work buddies. We flitted from place to place, never staying for an extended amount of time. As long as they had working Wi-Fi, we were set. Dad worked remotely, and I took classes and worked on my art. We’d seen most of the US and Canada over the last few years of our nomadic existence, which made for an amazing Instagram feed, but also had left me lonely. This time away at college would be the first time in years that I would be putting down some real roots, and hopefully I’d be making some new friends during my time here.
We fall into an easy silence as Salem reads her book. I type in ‘Hell House’ into my search bar on my phone, my curiosity peaked.
As I scroll, I’m met with pictures of some of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen, until I find one of the man I’d run into tonight. His picture is just as breathtaking as he was when I saw him in person. I swallow hard remembering his intense stare and the heat his touch left on my skin. I find myself touching my chin where his finger had been then shake myself mentally. The last thing I needed right now was to become distracted by some bad boy wannabe. I’d promised the school when they’d issued my hard-earned scholarship that I would be worth the investment. That I’d make the most of the opportunity they were giving me. And those dangerous green eyes that belonged to Lukas Ledger with his tattoos and dark hair, looked like a one-way ticket to expulsion. No matter how much he’d make my skin tingle with desire. I switched off my phone, determined to ignore all things Lukas and the sinful boys of Hell House.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lukas
I’d been looking forward to using the art room all day. My fraternity was throwing yet another party, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Hiding up in my room wasn’t an option, and I had zero interest in going to town. The halls were devoid of any human life, knowing most of the student population were probably at the two places I was actively avoiding.
