His jade eyes gaze into mine, and the coldness of them wraps around me like ice. “Are they neglectful parents?”
I don’t want to talk about my parents or my personal life with him. I need to get to know him more, but first, I still have to put up this front that I’m trying to escape.
I shrug. “Did you know the first owners of this house killed themselves in this very room?”
He nods. “Yes, I did. This mansion has a lot of character.”
He stares at me as if trying to figure out my angle. I need to cool my jets, not move too fast. Irvin watches my every move, and he’s the only one who can read my emotions. If he finds out that I’m manipulating him, I don’t know what he’ll do. He doesn’t strike me as the type who takes too lightly to having his feelings played with. What would happen when I really become a threat to him? Would he hurt me? Try to kill me? Or simply walk away? I’ll find out when the time arrives.
“They weren’t the only ones who were killed here. This mansion is known to attract darkness—which is why I kept it.”
I tilt my head to the side. “You like violence.”
“Violence is all I know. I saw someone die at the age of twelve.” His tone is sharp.
“Who?”
He swallows thickly. “My uncle Ronald. He stole something from my father, and my father shot him in the forehead. My father told me that in life, we’ll be killed if we’re not doing the killing.”
I sense that he had a hard life growing up. He believes it’s normal—but it’s not. For a second, I feel sorry for him. Whywould I feel sorry for him? He’s the one who locked me up in this mansion for almost a week and a half. He’s the one who took my freedom away. He’s the one who tricked me into marriage—and yet, I feel sorry for him.
I bring my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them. “I witnessed something awful at a young age, too.” I’m not going to tell him exactly what. “I watched my foster brother get beat up by this drug dealer.”
“You had a foster brother?”
I need to be careful about how much I tell him. If I reveal too much, I could give him enough information to look up what happened. All it takes is one Google search.
“He died at a young age.”
Why did I allow that to slip out? What the hell happened? I can’t keep telling him my secrets—my truths. If he finds out… no one needs to know.
Tears sting my eyes, and I don’t know why I feel the need to cry.
“Anyways. So yeah. My father ended up paying off his loan when he adopted him.”
I stretch my legs out. I place my hand on his thigh, and his eyes follow the movement. My weakened legs turn to lead. I remove my hand quickly. Is he on to me?
“I know how it feels for the darkness to consume you. It’s the only thing you know.”
Irvin doesn’t respond, and his eyes bore into me. I bite the inside of my cheek. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Inside, I splash my face with icy water and stare at myself in the mirror. My pulse rings in my ears. This isn’t how this is supposed to go. I’m not supposed to feel things for Irvin, and I’m not supposed to share my past with him. Why does he have this hold on me? Why do I feel the need to be close to him? He’s myenemy. If I’m not careful, I’ll fall into his charm—and I’ll dig a hole I can’t get myself out of.
“Stick to the plan, Lilac,” I say to myself in the mirror.
I breathe in deeply, exhale sharply, then step out of the bathroom and into the living room, forcing a smile at Irvin.
Let the games begin.
Lilac
“Ineed help with my abnormal psych paper.” I grit my teeth, smiling.
Irvin lifts an eyebrow, and I place my hand on his warm palm. His eyes follow the movement. He knows I’m up to something. He has to. Maybe I’m way over my head if I think I can manipulate him. He’s the king of manipulating people.
I withdraw my hand and bite into my cinnamon muffin. We’re at home. Classes got canceled today because of the storm.
He sips his cup of coffee, not taking his eyes off me.
