Chapter Twenty One
-Sabrina’s
POV
I had never been so angry
v in my
life.
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Everything had gone perfectly, or at least it was supposed to. I’d worked out the details to perfection having Damien bump into me in the woods, giving him a glimpse of the damsel in distress so he wouldn’t be able to look away, so he’d pick me up and put me on his back and see me in a way he hadn’t, wouldn’t, have done otherwise
I’d even let a trickle of blood run‘ from my nose, just enough to sell the performance, knowing he would be too honorable to leave me there. It was my opportunity to draw him in, to remind him what he’d been missing all this time. And it had nearly worked – until Elara messed it all up.
As I stretched vulnerable across my bed, playing dead, sucking breaths in thin and controlled, waiting for my body to feel relaxed enough to move. Damien had been so soft, tucking the blanket around me, fingers brushing my cheek. I felt it – the spark, the potential for more. Then I grabbed him, pulling him down, my heart thrumming as our lips almost met. I had been so close to closing it, to locking him down. And then her voice sharp and accusatory pierced through the air.
“What are you doing?!*
Elara’s yell had overthrown my well–prepared scheme, and just like that, Damien disappeared again, leaving me alone in the
darkness.
she’d leave as well I wasn’t about to confront her until I was past the heartache she’d put I stayed still, eyes closed, hoping
slow, purposeful, like someone stalking. Then me through. But the door slowly creaked open, and I heard her footsteps her voice, cold and mocking, cut the silence. “Well, I mean are you done with the pretending, Sabrina? Or do you want to continue with this charade?”
My eyes flew open, shock and rage coursing through me. I pushed myself up onto my elbows and glared, there she was standing in the doorway, arms folded across her chest, lips curled into a sneer, How dare she? How dare she look at me like I
was some sad pathetic schemer? I sat up, the dull throb of my earlier buzzing in the back of my mind.
“What’s your problem, Elara?” I spat, my voice quaking with fury.
“Who do you think you are, coming in here and acting like you own my room?”
She didn’t flinch. Instead, she leaned in, her eyes narrowing. I find what you’re doing disgusting,” she said, letting each word dripping with contempt.
“Making a play for someone who doesn’t want you? It’s pathetic.
Her words landed like a slap, and I leaped to my feet, my fists balled at my sides. I wanted to lunge at her, to knock that smug look off her face. “Disgusting?” I repeated, my voice rising. “What’s disgusting is you getting in my business!‘ Who I speak to, who I’m with–it’s none of your business, Elara! Why do you even care?”
–
She laughed a hard, bitter sound that only added to my rage. I care because it’s sad, Sabrina, Seeing you work so hard to tempt someone who doesn’t want to be tempted? It’s embarrassing You’re embarrassing yourself.”
I took a step toward her, my heart racing in my ears. “Not interested? You don’t know anything about him!
Do you have some kind of claim on Damien because you’re always lurking around him? Get over yourself! Now I was yelling, my hands quivering with the need to pull her to me, to shake sense into her. We were only millimeters apart. For a moment, I wondered if we might truly come to blows part of me hoped so, wanted all this pent–up anger to finally burst
out.
–
-35 NONUS
they’re wrong.” You should be ashamed ”
Her words stung, more than I’d anticipated, and I hated her for it. I hated how she could be there so right and just while I felt like I was coming apart. “I can make an armful of exotic people pounce on mer I exploded, moving closer until we were almost nose to nose. “And none of it is your fucking business what I do and who I do it with “You’re jealous – jealous because Damien was paying attention to me, not you!”
She arched an eyebrow, completely unfazed, and that only made the blood in my veins boil hotter. “Jealous?” she echoed, her tone mocking. “Of you? Please. If you believe I’m losing sleep over Damien picking you, then you’re ever less in touch than I realized
I laughed and leaned closer. “Oh, come on, Elara. You want the men all to yourself, don’t you? Which is why you’re so angry right now. You can’t live with the fact that Damien was with me, that he carried me back here, that he cared enough to stay. You’re angry because I shattered your little daydream that you’re his whole world”
–
Her lip curled a little, and then she laughed a real laugh, a derisive sound that carried in the walls and made my nerves vibrate. “You think I want Damien?” she said, shaking her head like I was the most absurd being she’d ever encountered. You’re unbelievable”
You’re so caught up in your drama you can’t see straight
I wanted to curl my hands into tighter fists, nails digging deeper into bleeding palms. She was getting under my skin and she knew it. I couldn’t allow her to have the last word not like this. “You’re the dramatic one,” I retorted “Running in here yelling like you’re some jealous girlfriend ‘cause I got close to him. You don’t want me to have him, do you? That’s what this is about. You can’t stand that I could win him over!”.
Elara’s laughter faded, but the pain was still present in her eyes, only getting me much more angry. “Win him over?” she said. sarcasm dripping from her voice. “If you think Damien is some prize that needs winning, Sabrina, you can have him. But don’t pretend this is about anyone other than yourself.”
I was done playing nice. She thought she could do that to me and walk away scott–free? No chance. I stepped closer, speaking in a hiss. “You know what, Elara? If you’re not careful, I’m going to take more than Damien. I’ll take Julian too. He is already half in love with me how long do you think it’s going to take for him to fall completely?”
–
Her face changed, if only briefly. Then she smiled styly, leaning back a little, her arms crossed over her chest “Take Julian?” she said, her voice steady but sharp. “If you can take him, then I’d be happy It would save me from making a bad decision.”
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