Page 20 of Hell House
“Yes, I’m desperate. She absolutely hates me.”
“She hates her own shadow. There’s no getting out of that one, sorry to break the bad news.”
I feel my shoulders droop.
“Don’t let her get to you.” He chucks his hand under my chin, and I’m immediately filled with a riot of butterflies again. Damn this man’s magic touch.
“I wish I didn’t care so much, but my scholarship depends on her approval.”
“Yikes, that’s quiet the pickle.” He scratches at his chin. “I might be able to help. Maybe you could show me some of your work?”
My mind panics thinking of the last thing I was just working on… Lukas’ naked chest and I feel my face heat.
“Um… yeah, sure.” I pull out my sketchbook from my bag. He takes the book, flipping through my art, a scowl similar to the Professor’s crosses his face as he scans the pages. My stomach clenches, wondering what he could be thinking.
“You’ve got a unique style, Skye.” He clears his throat.
“But?”
He lets out a sigh, “Well knowing Whitelsbee as I do… I’m thinking she’s far more traditional than you or I could ever be. I mean look here at this sketch you did.” He flips to one of a man sitting on a park bench that I’d done over the summer when we were passing through Venice Beach. “These harsh lines bring out a darkness in an otherwise serene picture. It’s like you’re capturing something beneath the surface.” I remembered that day, why I’d chosen that man over the countless others. There was something broken about him that called to me, that made my hands itch with the need to sketch him.
“And this one?” He flips to the next page when I’d done a portrait of a little girl and her dad. She had fat tears staining her cheeks after skinning her knee, but it was the Dad’s face that looked almost angry that made me sit there and draw what I’d seen. I remember hoping that the little girl was alright as they walked away. “This is captivating, but not necessarily Whitelsbee style. She loves flowers and bright colors if you haven’t noticed from her wardrobe.”
“I’m not really that kind of girl.”
“I can see that.”
We stand there for a moment looking at each other. The way he looks at me and my work makes me feel almost naked. I feel seen in a way that no one else has ever come close. When they see me, they see my blonde hair and big boobs, my long legs and bright smile- but they never look closer. Most never bother to see past my exterior. I’ve done my fair share of playing to those expectations, being the good girl I knew everyone wanted me to be. But something about the way Lukas looks at me, makes me want to shed that exterior and embrace the darkness I’m so obviously drawn to.
“I better head to my next class.” I say taking my sketch book back. I catch a hint of disappointment from Lukas, or maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see. As I put my book back into my bag, my hair comes loose from behind my ear. I stand straight up to see Lukas has taken a step closer. He reaches his tattooed hand up around my stray hair, tucking it behind my ear as he searches my face. My heart feels like it gets lodged in my throat. I swallow thickly, my body erupting in nerves at that small touch. He steps away opening and closing his hand that just touched me. His face contorts for a moment becoming serious like he’s seconds away from devouring me. I feel a wave of lust shoot through me. I gasp, which makes Lukas’s green eyes dilate. His eyes look almost pitch black from how large his pupil has become.
“I- I‘ll see you around.” I manage to say, forcing my feet to carry me away to my next class.
Really Skye? Gasping from how turned on you felt in front of him? Ugh. I feel the embarrassment clinging to me as I sink into my Chemistry seat. Why was I even entertaining ideas of Lukas Ledger? I didn’t have time to be distracted by his royal hotness. That guy was a walking red flag, but then I think about how easily we were able to talk. I mean I could always be his friend? I mulled the idea around, wondering if I could be friends with someone like Lukas. He’d really seen me, and that alone makes me wonder if I’d been too quick to judge him. Seeing his exterior like people saw mine. I bit down on my lower lip as I got lost in my thoughts. Friends with Lukas Ledger? Crazier things had happened.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Emmet
It’d been one week. One week of me pouring through Salem’s phone, learning everything I could. It was surprising how much of ourselves we left on our phones. Her mother still hadn’t fixed her credit card issues, she played it off to her friends like she’d rather stay on campus, but I knew the truth. She couldn’t afford to buy even one book, which after getting to know her through her digital trail, I knew must have bothered her. The girl loved to read.
I’d memorized her school schedule. She usually spent time with Skye and Javelynn, and though she was friendly with people in her classes, she didn’t establish anything deeper.
I’d contemplated texting her but needed to wait until our plan was in motion. The headmaster wanted full control of her, and it was proving difficult to keep eyes on her while she lived off in the dorm. I could feel our demons becoming stronger the closer we drew to Samhain, when the veil would be the thinnest. I knew that the headmaster had demanded that Pierce take point and had instructed him not to tell anyone other than me. Little did Pierce know the headmaster and I had our own deal should he fail.
“It needs to be tonight.” Headmaster Hayden instructed us in his office.
“But I thought we were making good progress, I mean we got information off of her phone and know where she’s at most days.”
“That’s not good enough.” The headmaster’s voice boomed, echoing off his high ceilings.
“We need her, Pierce. This is not up for debate. You know what will happen if you don’t follow through. Do it tonight. End of discussion.”
“But-“
“Do I need to remind you of what I am capable of?” His eyes flash as he lifts his hand. A choking sound fills the room. Pierce claws at his neck as a thick black liquid escapes his mouth, staining his shirt as it slides down his face and neck. He tries to breathe but instead a gurgling sound from the ink wretches out of his mouth. The headmaster has cut off Pierces oxygen completely as I stood idly by examining my cuticles, bored of the theatrics. I really needed to go into town and have Regina take care of my nails, they were becoming unseemly.
Pierce comes crashing to his knees as he continues clawing at his neck. I let out an exasperated sigh, “I think he understands your point Headmaster.”
