Read Online Terrorscape by Nenia Campbell - Free Book Online Page B

extended
one hand to her, palm upturned. The gesture made
her blood run cold because, well, he had also done
that. He had also had a penchant for the theater, he
had said so himself; he was a monster who played at
being human: an animal masquerading as a man.
Dancing sounded like a really bad idea. Val felt as
if she might faint at any moment.
    On the other hand, dancing with Jade meant that
she wouldn't have to wear a mask of indifference as
she pretended she didn't care that nobody else was
coming up to talk to her.
After an awkward pause, Val took his hand.
    The song playing was slow, with a slight swing to
it. Val couldn't place the name offhand. It was the
ballad of a hard rock band that had peaked in
popularity a few years before.
How things can change in just a few years….
    Val closed her eyes and let her body sway to the
beat. This was…surprisingly nice. Normal. God, how
she missed being normal. Not being the girl everyone
stared at, whispered about, obsessed over.
He had been the last man to hold her like this. It
had been right before he tried to kill her.
     
Don't think about that .
    Too late. Her limbs had stiffened as her body
recognized the vulnerability of the possession she was
currently in.
And there was that waltz in the dark .
    He had reigned in his strength, but had wielded it
like a whip; he had no compunctions about letting her
fall. No, he had made that quite clear.
Painfully so.
    The slow rock song ended. Val pulled away as a
fast techno song came on, prompting the other
freshmen to swarm the dance floor for a rave. Jade's
mouth opened again and he tilted his head towards
the hall indicating that she should follow.
    A feeling of apprehension bubbled up in her gut
like nausea. Why on earth did he want to get her
alone?
    Hesitantly, she followed Jade into the hallway. It
was a lot quieter there—more so when he shut the
door behind them. The click of the latch mimicked her
skipping heartbeat. Through the ringing in her ears
she could still make out the loud music emanating
from the other rooms.
    At least it wasn't as deafening as Alex's amp. She
cleared her throat nervously, smoothing down the
skirt of the dress that Mary had forced on her.
“What?”
     
“I was saying it didn't look like you were having
much fun.”
     
No wonder Mary had been staring at her.
    She looked at the floor. “Parties really aren't my
thing.”
“Or ice-breakers?”
“Those, too.”
     
He smiled. “What is your thing, then?”
    “Going for walks, reading, art, animals.” She
paused. “I really like working with animals. I worked
at a shelter once. Back home. I sort of have a way with
them, I guess.”
Then she froze, bracing herself for that inevitable
question. Where's home? But he surprised her.
    “Are you feeling okay? I felt you stumble. You
know. Back there.” The tips of his ears turned a little
pink. “You looked like you were having a panic
attack.”
    “I…just get a little dizzy sometimes.” She smiled,
weakly, and tried not to think about why.
“Can I get you something to drink? To eat?”
“A drink
would
be
nice.
Anything
without
alcohol.”
     
“Two bottled waters, then. Got it.”
     
Exhausted,
Val
sank
to
the
floor,
carefully
arranging her skirt so it demurely covered her thighs. He's not coming back .
    Could she blame him? Frowning, she tugged at
the neckline of her dress— Mary's dress—wondering
how she had failed to notice just how much cleavage
it showed.
Damaged goods .
    “Here's your water.” Jade handed her one of the
bottles. “Sorry it took so long.”
She toyed with the cap. It was sealed, just as she
thought it would be. But she had to be sure.
“Thanks.”
“Cheers.”
They touched water bottles. The gesture was silly,
but it made her smile a little.
     
Maybe for tonight at least, I can pretend to be
somebody else.
     
▪▫▪▫▪▫▪
    Val's abrupt departure hadn't gotten noticed.
Mary seemed inordinately pleased about the whole
matter. “You and Jade