I step inside, all intentions on picking her up and devouring her, but her hand stops me. Her head motioning behind her to my sister sat on the edge of her bed, red eyed and runny nose.
Shit, I forgot about my sister.
Like I said, everything vanishes when I am in Ruella’s presence.
I kneel before Piper and hold her hands within mine.
“Hey, how are you feeling,” I stop myself. “Actually, stupid question. Don’t even answer that,”
Her teary stare meets mine. “I feel numb Asher,” A tear rolls down her cheek, but I wipe it away before it drops from her chin. “I don’t know how I feel because it’s like I am in a void. Just floating around barely existing. I don’t know how to do life without him,” Her voice shakes.
“You don’t have to do life without him Pip. It was a huge drunken mistake, you know he doesn’t want Stacey, he never has, he has and always will only wantyou,”
She nods. “I know that, but this is too much. Rue told me what happened. How could he ever think I would ghost him, after everything. Then instead of giving me time, he went and fucked her to get back at me. Drunk or not, that is what he chose to do. It doesn’t even matter that I was drugged in a dirty cell, he didn’t even wait twenty-four hours,” Her tears stop and all I see if anger. “He didn’t even wait twenty-four hours,” She whispers, repeating it to herself like she only just realised the truth.
“I’m sorry Piper,” I hug her because I have nothing else to give, no words or actions to help in this situation. Her heart has been ripped out of her chest in front of everyone and now she has to put the pieces back together. If that does or doesn’t include Jacob, that’s not up to me.
“Can you call Daylan to come and get me. I just want to go to sleep,” She sniffles as she grabs her things from the floor. Ruella stands at the door still, observing.
“Sure,” I call Daylan who comes and collects her.
“Stay with her until Max gets there,”
“Of course. Come on beautiful,” He puts his arm around her and pulls her tight as he guides them down the spiralling stone staircase.
I close the door and drop my head to the wood with a deep sigh. Warm hands trail down my spine, then wrap around my stomach asRuella’s forehead rests on my back. We stand there in comfortable silence until I turn around and place a thankful kiss on her mouth.
“Want to take it out on my body?” She asks and I chuckle.
“What did you have in mind?”
One brow lifts and my stomach flutters like a teenage girl as she lowers to her knees before me, she takes the hair tie from my wrist I always keep there for her, and I watch mesmerised at the sight of her giving herself over to me.
Yep. I fucking love her.
***
I toss and turn for what feels like an eternity while Ruella sleeps deeply beside me. I have noticed that the more time we spend together, the deeper she sleeps. Like she can finally rest soundly, and I give myself an imaginary pat on the back for being the one to make her feel that way.
I huff out an aggravated breath before turning over to check the time. 3am.
Great.
As exhausted as I was when I turned up here, and the energy I just expelled getting Ruella to scream my name twice, should have me sleeping like a baby. But here I am, wide awake and my dick isn’t even hard.
I glance over at my sleeping vixen, lifting my hand I softly trace a line down the skin of her arm, and enjoy the shiver that rolls through her. Even when she is dead to the world, my touch affects her. I place a light kiss on her lips before sitting up, reach over for the packet of cigarettes I left on her nightstand. I light one and head over to her window, cracking it open slightly and resting my elbows on the stone sill taking in the night around us. If I didn’t already know how batshit crazy this whole academywas, I would think it a beautiful sight. A sky clear of clouds, the silver moonlight shimmering over the tops of the trees as they slowly sway in the chilly breeze. The gothic building with grand spires reaching for the stars that are visible.
I take a final drag before stubbing out the end and flicking it out the window. It doesn’t matter how beautiful it looks on the outside, this place is a cesspit for the worst of civilisation.
As I make my way back to bed, I notice a book laying on top of the bedside table. Ruella has mentioned the fantasy and romance books she like to read to pass the time.
“Time to see what all the fuss is about,” I whisper to myself as I get back into the covers and get comfy against the headboard. I switch on the lamp that barely gives enough light to even see the front cover of the book. I pick it up and read the blurb. Something about a half-siren, half-human. It doesn’t sound too bad to pass the time, or it will be so boring it will send me to sleep. A win-win.
I open the front and the bookmark falls out onto the covers, the photobooth style images catching my eye due to the white-haired stunner I have come to know extremely well. I pick it up to admire when I notice her face is smushed up against another girls.
My heart stops.
A million things rushing through my mind at once as I try to piece together what I am seeing. I look down at a still sleeping Ruella, but this time through a new lens.
