Chapter 34 EVERYTHING, HIM
MERRIELYNN.
I shoved my gym bag into the locker with a force that echoed my frustration.
I’d been dropped from practice for the second time this week—what was wrong with me? I was trying, really trying, but my mind was a million miles away.
“I have better things to worry about,” I complained under my breath to no one in particular. “So forgive me if I dodged a ball too late or didn’t put my back into that stupid wrist throw!”
I slammed the locker door shut, ran my hand through my hair, and plopped down on the bench, alone in the locker room. I took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from my forehead, willing my heart to calm down.
The door soon creaked open, and I sighed, wishing for just a few more moments of solitude before the other girls flooded in. I stood up, ready to escape to the shower stalls before they became a wild mess of chatter and laughter. But as I turned, a chill ran through me as I felt a noticeable shift in the air and a heavy weight settled in my chest.
My heart stilled, and I froze because I knew only one person could create this kind of tension within me.
Both equal parts physical and mental.
What was he doing here?
I turned around as I heard his footsteps approaching. When he finally rounded the corner, it felt like my heart just stopped. I found myself silently asking the moon goddess when I’d stop feeling this way around him.
I bit down the inside of my bottom lip as he walked into the room. Our eyes met, and his green eyes told me he knew I’d be here—everything about his presence right now started and ended with me.
Now, it seemed like he’d taken all the air from the room, leaving me struggling to breathe.
I wasn’t going to break the silence though.
He had sought me out, so I was going to wait for him to tell me why.
There was no hesitation when he saw me, no surprise in his gaze—he had clearly followed me. It was too obvious.
The last time I’d seen him was after that mess with Valtor, and just thinking about it stirred up a whirl of unpleasant feelings inside me.
Honestly, I was tired of getting caught up in all of this. I just came here to be alone, and now I wished we weren’t actually alone.
We watched each other for a tense, silent moment, and then Cormac reached into his pocket, pulling out something that caught the sunlight.
My heart raced when I realized it was my necklace.
Without thinking, my hand instinctively reached up to my neck. I recalled where I had lost it—no, it had been yanked from my neck by none other than his best friend.
I hadn’t retrieved it from him because I’d bolted in fear. Like a fool.
I hated thinking back to that moment because I’d felt so small and helpless.
Cormac noticed me touching my neck, and I quickly dropped my hand while he stared at me with a blank expression.
The silence thickened with each passing second, and I desperately wished he would break it.
And then he started walking toward me, making me tense up further in an instant.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing as I feared this might spiral into another disastrous scene like the one with Valtor a week ago.
Dangling the necklace from his hand, he strode silently over to me. I let out a stuttered breath when he wrapped an arm around my elbow, spinning me around so my back pressed against his front. I gasped softly, hating how much he easily affected me.
The mirror in front of us reflected the scene, giving me a clear view of his emerald eyes boring into mine, as he unclasped the chain, and reached around my neck.
A fleeting wave of…déjà vu washed over me.
But I was rooted in place, feeling the cold metal on my skin as Cormac’s fingers brushing against my neck, snapping me back to reality.
Gently, he placed the necklace back around my neck. And I frowned because a nagging sensation was tugging at my mind.
Not because he was here, with me, alone.
Not because of the brief history we shared.
But because, for some in-explainable reason...
This felt oddly… familiar.
Distracted by my thoughts, I barely noticed the tremor that ran through me when Cormac brushed his thumb over the scar on the back of my neck. I pulled away, reaching for the spot, hating the disorientation the sensation caused.
I looked at him, noting his heavy expression, and finally decided to speak. “I want to stop this,” I whispered. “I want to put all of this behind me.”
Cormac looked at me hard, asking, “Put all of what behind you?”
I gestured vaguely in his direction, muttering, “Whatever this is.”
“Put it all behind you, huh?” His response came swiftly, “Act like I never even existed?”
That’s exactly what I meant.
“You’d be surprised how good you are at that already,” he suddenly added, and I looked up at him, my brows pulling together in confusion.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I confessed.
“I didn’t expect you to,” he replied, his voice low.
“Look,” I said, “I’m not going to tell the whole school about you and Ms. Elizabeth. I’m sorry about what happened to your car, and we’re even now, so just leave me alone.”
I really hoped he would just walk away, but Cormac stepped closer, his voice low and intense, “You don’t get to decide when this ends. I do.”
I blinked and then sighed deeply. How could I have forgotten? I was dealing with someone crazy.
Logic didn’t apply to Cormac Graves.
“That’s it.” I muttered under my breath, taking one step back.
He took a step forward, closing the gap between us and I instinctively raised my hand, warning, “Don’t come any—” but before I could finish, he lunged forward, gripping my shirt and pulling me against him in one swift motion, our bodies flush against one another.
Our faces inches apart.
“Is this far away enough for you?” he bit out, his breath warm and minty against my face.
In that moment, everything else just faded away—my logic, my instincts to protect myself—totally replaced by him.
Everything, him.
I realized that this was exactly why I needed to keep him at a distance. Our mate bond was one of the most complicated parts of an already tense relationship.
It felt suffocating.
“Why are you doing this?” I managed to breathe out while my heart pounded against its confinements.
“Because it’s all I can do to keep myself sane,” he replied rather calmly, his eyes now searching mine.
“Hurting me?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
“I’m not hurting you.”
“You are.” The moment the words left my lips, he let go of my shirt, stepping back as if I had burned him.
Before any more words could be exchanged, the door swung open, and a wave of girls flooded into the locker room. I shuffled backward, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.
The girls paused upon noticing us, their eyes darting between me and Cormac. Their sudden attention was almost paralyzing, so I avoided any eye contact.
But just then, Juniper strode in with her friends.
Just great.
I saw how her gaze narrowed as she assessed the situation, glancing between me and Cormac. I thought she was going to say something but then the door swung open again.
“Alright, girls,” the coach called as she stepped in, but her voice faltered when she spotted Cormac. She pressed a hand to her chest, surprise written all over her face.
“Mr. Graves!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock, clearly displeased by his presence in the girls' locker room.
Cormac glanced at her, finally looking away from me. “I was just leaving,” he said in a steady voice before turning and walking out of the locker room.
Juniper’s gaze was locked on me, almost as if it was digging into my skin, and I could feel the questions swirling in her head. It was like she was trying to read me, searching for answers I wasn't ready to give.
“Damn it.” I grumbled inaudibly.
I figured it was better to just forget about the shower and slip out before things got any more awkward than they already were.
\-x-x-
That evening, Emorie and I decided to add new locks to my bedroom door.
I held the manual tightly as I watched Emorie help out. “Three screw turns, Emorie, not two,” I corrected when I saw she was doing it all wrong.
She paused, glancing back at me with a hint of frustration. I smiled apologetically, but she stretched her hand, handing me the materials.
“You can take over,” she said tiredly. I could see the strain in her shoulders, and it tugged at my heart.
We had already screwed the windows shut, but deep down, I knew that wouldn’t do much to slow down or keep out not only a wolf, but a Lycan breed at that—if he really wanted to get in. Still, with the way things were going, I needed these precautions to keep myself sane.
Emorie winced as she rubbed her wrist, a soft groan escaping her lips. “Come on, my wrist hurts,” she complained with a pout. Without hesitation, I stepped in to take over, grateful for all the help she had given me throughout the day.
“Thank you, Em” I said with a smile.
Once we finished, I packed up the tools, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over me. After a quick shower, I climbed under the covers, rubbing my neck thoughtfully. It had been a long day, but I knew I was doing what I could to protect myself. The break-ins lately were getting out of hand, and I no longer felt safe.
Right from day one, I’ve never felt safe here.
My fingers played around with the blue pendant of my necklace as I tried to nod off.
Sleep didn’t come easily for me, but when I finally drifted off, nightmares took over—images of water, shattering glass, and a suffocating weight that pressed down on my chest.
In the midst of the swirling chaos, I caught a glimpse of her, again—the girl with porcelain skin, eyes shut, her black hair floating around her in the depths of the water.
My heart raced as I reached out, desperate to pull her back to the surface.
I felt panic rise within me, and I tried to scream her name, but no sound came out.
Instead, the water rushed in, filling my lungs and swallowing me whole.
I jolted awake, my heart pounding hard against my ribcage.
My eyes were wide with fear.
My body, drenched in sweat, and I gasped for air, as if the very breath I had just taken could be snatched away again.
And then, like a punch to the gut, something finally hit me.
I remembered it, just one lone word ringing through my head suddenly like a siren—the girl’s name…
It was…Lorelai.