Page 52 of Hell House
I feel my body tense, my Wrath gathering in my chest readying for whatever bullshit Pierce is going to pull. He’s a stupid drunk, and by the looks of him, he’s ready to tear off someone’s head.
“Hey, Pierce.” Salem says, trying to get past. He sneers at our entwined hands.
Salem grips my hand tighter at his assessment.
“So, this is how it is?” He spits out, his words sounding like they’re laced with pure venom.
Lukas sits back looking between his twin and us.
“It isn’t likeanything,Pierce. Why are you mad at me right now, Ledger?”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He stands with a slight sway.
“I’m not doing this with you when you’re clearly intoxicated.” She goes to move around him, her hand still digging into mine while I fight the urge to punch Pierce straight in the face for making her upset.
“Let me pass. I’m tired.”
“What so you can go to his bed, and let him fuck you the way I want to?” Rage claws up my throat. Fuck this guy. It’s then that she lets go of my hand and I feel like I’ve been punched in the chest. They clearly have something going on, something I don’t want to get in the middle of, despite how amazing I feel being around Salem. She deserves better than me anyways. I should have never indulged myself or fed the hope I’d felt blooming from her attention.
“I’ll see you later.” I say going up around the other side of Lukas. He lets me by still watching Pierce warily.
This is not how I pictured the evening going. I’d wanted her in my bed, screaming my name and marking up my back with those nails of hers. I let out a sigh of frustration, edging my body through the same crowd of people that keeps coming over for the frat’s parties.
When I’m finally tucked away downstairs, my roommate, Sloan, nowhere to be found as usual, I swipe open my phone and stare down at a picture Gary sent me. It’s Salem and I locked in an adoring stare off, singing together. I’d never experienced anything like that in all my years of making music. It was fucking magic. Her and I fit in a way that had me regretting my decision to leave her up there with Pierce. I didn’t do messy. I didn’t do people, period. I kept mostly to myself, and a few select people, but she’s somehow wormed her way in within the span of two days. There was chemistry there. A spark of something that had me giving her a glimpse of myself that I’d tucked away for a long time. And damn did I like her bringing it out in me. It felt like I could breathe again. But I’d walked away.
She let go of your hand.
I push the thought away. I wasn’t stupid. I saw the way Pierce was losing his mind over her, which is something he never does. He has a string of women at his disposal, and the fact that he’d shown up at the bar for her instead of partying like he usually would speaks volumes. But was it really even fair for Salem to get involved with any of us in the house while we were chained to these fucking sins?
I stare at the picture again, tracing Salems face with the pad of my finger. Pierce might want Salem, but there was no denying the way Salem had looked atme.
I throw down my phone, frustrated and pent up with desire. I decide to take a few swings at my punching bag, despite the soreness I feel from going so hard at it earlier. I’m afraid of what I’ll become if I don’t release some of this energy. I pound into the bag with my bruised-up knuckles until fatigue sets in.
I collapse into my bed and am asleep before I can even get under the covers.
A sudden scream wakes me from my dreamless sleep and has me falling out of my bed.What the fuck?
I blink my eyes trying to see, but the room around me is shrouded in darkness. The scream pierces my eardrums again and I’m scrambling off the floor, knees burning. I feel my Wrath whir to life, ready to attack. The scream sounded like it was coming from right outside my door. I yank open the door, my hand slipping with sweat and glance around the corridor. The lights flicker with a low buzzing. I rub my hand across my eyes as I stumble towards the stairs.
“I can’t. I won’t!” The voice yells from behind me. I whip myself around and head in the direction of the voice.
“Salem?” She doesn’t answer me. I see her outline near the entrance to the storage room that no one uses. She appears to be alone- her body shakes almost violently.
“Salem? Salem, are you okay?” I wrap my arms around her as her eyes flutter behind her lids. Her skin is ice cold, I tuck her against me caressing her hair. “Hey. It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
She lets out a loud gasp, then crumples against me with a shriek.
“Salem? Babe? I pull her back to look her in the eyes, her knees weak and wobbling as I hold her steady. ‘I’m right here, your okay.” Her jade green eyes latch onto mine just as the lights stop flickering.
“It was just a dream, you’re alright.”
She shakes her head back and forth, clinging to my black t-shirt. “I’ve got you.” I soothe, desperate to battle away her fears.
“They were everywhere. Walker-I… it felt so real.”
“Why don’t you come with me, you can tell me about it. Can you walk?”
She nods her head, finding her strength while she lets out a sharp breath. I take her hand in mine, noting her thin cami and boyfriend fit black underwear that she’s wearing. No wonder why she’s cold. She follows me into my room and curls up in the chair facing my bed.
