Page 60 of When Darkness Calls

I shake my head. And of course, he catches that. Fucker catches everything. His head tilts a little to the right in thought, before a small smile causes his lip ring to twitch.

“Yeah, tacos would be perfect. Thank you, Cade!” Liz calls from behind and it breaks the moment.

“Awesome, now please, go shower, and quit dripping grossness all over my side of the house, thank you! Towels are in the bathroom closet!” I call out and slam the door shut.

“Chicken?” Cade calls back to me through the door.

“Yes, please!”

I take a deep breath and the peace of them leaving lasts a full five seconds before Liz speaks up.

“Wanna explain the eye fuck I just witnessed?”

My eyes widened, mouth opening, and snapping shut.

“Oh, no. Please tell me you don’t still have a crush on him, and that was because he’s hot as hell and you need to get laid…” Liz mutters.

I purse my lips, heat blooming across my cheeks.

“Fuck, please God tell me you’re not still in love with him, Dani. It’s been years.”

I say nothing, looking around my room, avoiding her, scratching the side of my nose.

“Dani…” she says slowly, sitting up on my bed.

“I—…yes…no…maybe, kinda? It’s complicated, okay?”

“Okay. I won’t press. But, maybe…maybe you should give Ethan a shot, babe.”

“What’re you talking about? I told you it’s not like that.” I huff, sitting beside her.

“I know, I know. But, and hear me out, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try? You said you’re kind of friends. Friendly. And he seems nice, and he’s cute, and smart. All really good things to have to start something that could be more later.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I dunno, Liz. I don’t really get that ‘something more’ vibe from him. It’s like we’re just classmates. All of our conversations so far have been focused on school and classes. I’m not sure if that’s enough. I don’t feel excited or looking forward to seeing him and talking to him. It’s like—”

“There’s no chemistry?” She offers, lifting her brow.

Yes, but no…it’s more than that. It’s odd.

“Yeah, something like that.”

Her head dips. “Okay, I gotcha. So, no outright pursuing. Still though. One date couldn’t hurt. Just give it some thought, and if the situation arises, maybe you should go for it. Ya know, go out and spread your wings a bit.” She shrugs.

“Spread my wings?” I ask incredulously, hiding my grin.

“Yes.” She drags out, before giving me a blank look. “Honey…You need to get laid…like yesterday.”

This time it was my turn to hit her with the pillow.

eighteen

Dani

He was watching. The burning intensity of his gaze rolled through me like standing by a fire after hours spent in the frozen air of a winter storm. It starts in the fingertips, trailing whispered threats—promises—inch by inch up my arms, across the delicate flesh of my neck and chest, settling deep in my core, bursting like fireworks in the furthest crevices of my body. He was always watching. And I was always living in the inferno of his stare.

Outside, the silvery hue of moonlit swathed the street in a blue toned haze. Trees shifted softly. Shadows danced across the pavement. We decorated a few days ago, and East End is slowly catching up. On our street, Mr. Jenkins had put out bales of hay at the end of his driveway this morning, and Mary-Ann Carter had strung orange lights on her porch that glowed like a beacon in the cool night.

I had the perfect view of our street from the window by my desk. Yeah, maybe I should have been focusing on my Film Theory homework, but the incessant feeling of eyes on me was far more distracting—interesting. No matter how hard I looked through the shadows and darkness, the moon didn’t shine brighter, didn’t beam into the corners of endless nothing. Yeah, my shadow was out there. Somewhere. Seeing every part of me, mind, body, soul, and I saw nothing of him.