Chapter 35 CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Scarlett’s POV
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark with a hunger that terrified and thrilled me at the same time. I was still clutching the edge of the desk, my breathing shallow and my skin heated from where his lips had just been.
He leaned in one last time, his voice dropping to a rough whisper against my ear. "You sound good when you moan, Red."
I felt the heat rush to my face so fast it made my vision swim. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Before I could even think of a comeback, he stood up, smoothed out his dark shirt, and walked toward the door without looking back.
Once I managed to get my legs to stop shaking, I hurried to my next class. To my immense relief, Blue wasn't there. I spent the rest of the morning jumping at every shadow, not sure I could face him so soon after that embarrassing moment in the classroom. What did he do it for anyway? I chewed on my lip, staring blankly at my notebook. It was probably just some sick amusement of his.
As the day went on, I realized I had missed two assignments from different classes while I was away at the hospital. I braced myself for the usual cold reprimands but the teachers didn't give me any grief. They simply told me to turn them in by the next class.
I knew it wasn't because they liked me. It had to be Blue. Once again, he had pulled strings to make my life easier. He was constantly doing things for me. What could I even do for him?
By the time lunch break rolled around, I wasn't hungry. My stomach was in knots, and the crowded cafeteria was the last place I wanted to be. I decided to head to the library instead. I had always been a lover of books. Back home, the library was the only place I felt safe from Greg’s temper.
The library at Bellamy was large and quiet, smelling of old paper and floor wax. I began to scan the aisles, feeling a tiny spark of happiness as I ran my fingers along the spines. I turned into the third aisle, looking for something to distract my mind, when I stopped dead.
Skye was standing there.
She was leaning against a mahogany bookcase, her arms crossed, looking like she had been waiting for me. I couldn't imagine what else she would be doing in a library. She didn't look like the type to enjoy reading.
I was instantly wary. My hand instinctively went to my side, feeling the edge of my bandages through my sweater. What did she want now? At least she was alone this time, without her haughty girlfriends or the beefy boyfriends she usually kept as companions.
I took a few steps forward, trying to look like I hadn't noticed her. Maybe she wasn't there for me after all. But as soon as I got in front of her, Skye pushed off the shelf.
"Wait," she said.
I sighed, stopping in my tracks. It was wishful thinking to hope she’d ignore me. I turned toward her, squaring my shoulders to look more confident than I felt. "Yes?"
Skye raised her hands, palms open in a gesture of peace. "No need to put on airs, Scarlett. I just want to apologize."
My eyebrows shot up. I stared at her, wondering if I had misheard. Come again? You must be joking, right? I didn't trust her for a second, but I kept my voice cool. "For what?"
"Really?" Skye said, her voice softening. "It’s obvious I’ve been mean to you. I’ve had some time to think, and I’ve realized it was wrong of me."
She looked me in the eye with a really convincing expression of remorse. If I wasn't so hard to win over, if life hadn't taught me that everyone has an angle, I probably would have believed her without question.
"So, what made you come to this sudden realization?" I asked, crossing my arms.
Skye wiped away an invisible tear, her lower lip trembling slightly. "Because my actions pushed you into the hands of a dangerous person. I feel responsible for that."
I scrunched up my face, confused. "You mean Blue?"
Skye nodded pitifully, stepping closer and lowering her voice. "You don't know what you’ve gotten yourself into, Scarlett. You really don’t."
I felt a small shiver, but I stood my ground. "Okay? And?"
How bad can it be? I thought. He was scary, sure, but he’d saved me.
Skye leaned in, her eyes wide and ominous. She whispered, "He’s a cold-blooded killer. His father raised him to be unfeeling, uncaring, and completely emotionless. He’s not a protector, he’s a predator."
The words sent cold prickles over my skin. I remembered what Blue had said in the hospital, that he could kill someone and not feel remorse. It fit the description Skye was giving me, but surprisingly, I still wasn't scared of him. Not the way I was supposed to be anyway.
"You know what’s worse?" Skye asked.
"What?"
"Blue killed his own mother."
The air in the library suddenly felt freezing. I stared at her, my heart skipping a beat. His mother? That was a heavy accusation. Despite the shock, I decided to play along. I needed to see where she was going with this. "So, what do you suggest I do now? He’s sort of claimed me. I can’t exactly just walk away."
Skye’s eyes lit up, as if she’d been waiting for me to ask. "The only person who can break his grip on your life is his father. Blue is terrified of him."
"His father?" I repeated.
"And he’s coming here in two days," Skye said quickly. "On Saturday."
"What for?"
"Don't worry about that," Skye brushed it off. "All you need to know is that his father doesn't tolerate Blue’s little side projects. All you have to do is tell him everything Blue has been up to and bang. You’re a free bird. He’ll take Blue away or punish him so hard he’ll never look at you again."
She searched my face, her expression desperate. "Are you in?"
I looked at the floor, my mind racing. If Blue's father was as bad as what she said implied, telling on him wasn't "freeing" myself, it was only just signing Blue's death warrant. But I nodded slowly, playing the part of the scared victim.
"I guess?"
Skye grinned, giving me a creepy triumphant look that made my skin crawl. "One last thing. Don't say a single word of this to Blue. He won't hesitate to kill you if he finds out."
I nodded again, my mind a whirlwind of confusion. "I understand."
Skye patted my arm and walked away, her heels clicking softly on the library floor. I stood alone in the aisle, my hand gripping the edge of the bookcase so hard the edges dug into my palm.
Something was happening, and it felt like a trap. But I wasn't sure if the trap was for me, or for Blue.