I swallowed, hating how much I liked seeing our hands together, even if they weren’t really his. I wanted something more than borrowed faces and ghost hands. But for now, this would have to be enough.
???
Shadow was a terrible date. He refused to dance. In his usual fashion, he grumbled and complained about everyone and everything around us. The only time he wasn’t scowling was in those rare moments I caught him staring, only for him to turn away sighing the second we made eye contact.
It was worse when some of boys I went to school with snickered and approached us. Shadow’s entire demeanor changed. Instead of sitting sprawled out in his seat beside me, he’d sit up and slink his arm across my chair. The guys wereused to picking on Gregory, so they didn’t know what to do when Shadow cut them down with a mere glare. They didn’t even speak. They just left, which was bizarre. It seemed Shadow’s energy didn’t just affect me. Being close to him was what I craved, but not like he was doing, flaunting me as something they couldn’t have because that simply wasn’t true.
I was my own person, and I’d do what I wanted. Instead of waiting and being hopeful, I should remind him how good I was at verbally fighting with him. While I liked that he seemed annoyed by other men approaching me, he made it clear before that he didn’t want a physical relationship with me when we were in the janitor’s closet. I didn’t like how vulnerable Shadow made me feel. I stood and Shadow asked, “Where are you going?”
“Dancing,” I said. “I refuse to sit here all night. If you want to, you can rot in your seat.”
No longer would I be a placeholder. If Shadow didn’t want me, he couldn’t act like he owned me. I wasn’t something to display or hide—I was a person. One he clearly didn’t understand.
I strode away and into a sea of classmates dancing. Michelle called out to me as she ground her butt against Josh. “Kara!”
My hips swayed to the rhythm as I walked toward her, letting the bass pick up my spirit.
“I still can’t believe you came with Gregory,” Michelle said, eyeing the area where the tables were.
We couldn’t see where Gregory sat from how crowded it was, though. “Gregory seems different,” Josh piped in. “It’s kind of crazy.”
I opened my mouth to reply—
But the music shifted. No, not the music. The air. It turned dense, charged, like a storm had entered the room. And I didn’t need to look to know he was behind me.
“What’s crazy is my date thinking talking to either of you is enjoyable.” Shadow’s hand slipped around my waist. “Let’s get out of here.”
I should have shoved him off. I should have told him I wasn’t something to be claimed.
But when his hand slid across my waist, something in me melted. Damn him. Damn how easy it was to want what I swore I wouldn’t.
“I haven’t danced.” I jerked away from him.
“We will.” He sounded like the words physically hurt to say. “Just…not here.”
“Then why come at all if you hate this so much?”
His jaw clenched. Silence.
“Forget it,” I muttered, turning. “Just go.”
“You.”
I froze.
“You, Kara.”
I turned slowly. He wasn’t looking at me—he was pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes tilted to the ceiling like it was his only escape.
“I came for you.”
My lips parted, the faintest smile forming—
“My presence is surely a relief compared to the humans. I’m doing you a favor.”
And just like that, the warmth curdled.
“Unbelievable.”
