Burn (Virtues & Lies 1)

“Cassie!” Taking no notice of Fleur, I run down to the office door, and just as I’m about to fling the door open, I fall straight into Leo.

“What the—” he begins, but before he can finish, I ask, “Why are you here?”

There’s a silent pause where my galloping heart seems like the only sound between us, and as the heat of his hands penetrates my clothes, the air begins to buzz as it distorts my stampeding heartbeat.

Unable to speak through the dryness in my mouth, all I can do is look at him. And boy, his eyes are so dark that they remind me of the verdant forests around Heavers Hall at midnight.

At this point I’m not sure of whether I have butterflies, moths or dragonflies fluttering around in my tummy, all I know is that I can feel the heat of his body so close to mine as he pens me to the wall by the door. Close doesn’t seem close enough right now, and when I try to hold on to him and pull him closer, Leo stiffens. His entire body goes rigid beneath my hands, his stomach muscles becoming impossibly harder through the layers of his clothes.

“Leave.” The ragged sound of his voice is like a flamethrower, singing the delicate wings fluttering inside my belly and chest. “Walk away, Buttercup,” he orders hoarsely, and though it shouldn’t, it adds to the heat coursing through my body.

Shaking my head, I refuse to follow his order. Although part of the reason is because I desperately want to know him, I mostly want to know what just happened at the church. That building has been a refuge, especially after my grandfather died, and now all I feel when I think of it is confusion. The clarity that it usually offers me, the peace, is nowhere to be found.

“I can’t.”

Flitting between mine, Leo’s eyes widen like he’s trying to take me in. It feels like he could swallow me into their depths if I don’t look away, and because no one has ever looked at me like that, I don’t budge. I let him look his fill, hoping that maybe he’ll give me something to quench my curious thirst of him and the events of today.

“Little Girl,” murmuring, he comes closer until his lips are at my ear. “Little Princess,” he breathes and as his breath coats the curve of my neck, goose bumps break out all over my body with my frazzled sigh.

The tip of his nose strokes up the shell of my ear slowly as his breaths deepen, like he’s trying to breathe me in.

Jesus, my chest feels so hot that it might explode.

“Walk. Away.” Leo repeats, but his hands flatten on the wall on either side of my head like he’s holding me hostage. He’s telling me one thing with his words and showing me another with his actions.

“Why?” Shakily, I wrap my hands in his shirt and pull myself a little taller. Yeah, I’m out of my depth, but I’m still holding on, still paddling because sinking right now isn’t an option.

I can’t turn my back and pretend today hasn’t happened. “I’m not a little girl.”

“Standing on your tippie-toes doesn’t change anything.” There’s a rough edge to his voice, but as he pulls away from me, he chuckles, like I’m a child. And fuck, that’s the bucket of ice I needed.

Taking a step to the side I knock his hand off the wall, his arm falls to his side and he takes a step back with a stupid grin on his face. Handsome or not, I hate it.

“Being a dick doesn’t make you a man, Little Boy.” I spit at him through gritted teeth as I take a step closer to the open door. I don’t know why I call him that, only that I hope it irritates him as much as him calling me little girl did.

But Leo looks at me with bemusement, like he’s so happy with himself for getting this reaction out of me. All I want to do is claw the answers I’m looking for out of him and forget I ever saw him. I want to forget all the thoughts and fantasies I’ve had over the last weeks.

Except, the thought alone fills me with dread. He might not know it but thinking of him and all the ways I want him to touch me and feel me…dreaming of him has been the escape I needed from all the lingering sadness of my grandfather’s death. Leo’s made me want and need again.

God, I can’t imagine not seeing him one more time. I can’t fathom not feeling his warm breath on my skin once more, and as much as I hate him in this moment, I’m still hoping that Fleur and today are wrong.

Looking him in the eyes, I let myself memorise every plain of his face. The high cheekbones and the way his pale golden skin stretches over them is so perfect that I feel jealous of his hands when he runs them down his face.

“Goodbye, Cassandra.” Taking a step toward me he fists his hands at his sides, his lips pursed and his eyes a blanked canvas.

The way he’s looking at me like I’m nothing, unimportant, inconsequential is like a punch to the gut. It’s a hit that makes me stagger backwards until I’m standing outside my father’s office.

Stupidly, it’s only then I notice the way the furniture has been rearranged. The large desk is in the middle of the room with chairs all around it like it’s more of a meeting room than a home office. Papers are pasted on the wall to my left and before I can make out what’s on them, Leo closes the door in my face.

All I can do not to break it down is bite my tongue and run. I run all the way up to my room and only when I’ve slammed the door behind me and buried my face in my pillows do I scream.

I feel the anger and frustration as it rips out of me. I keep going until my throat is sore and my voice is so hoarse it doesn’t sound like me anymore.

“Cassie? Babe?” I push my face deeper into the down pillow as I feel Fleur’s weight dip the mattress beside me. “Forget him,” she says, pushing me onto my back until I’m looking up at her and she’s looking down at me.

“I can’t.”

“Yeah, you can. It’s what I’m here for.” Her smile is crooked, and I already know she’s thinking up a plan to distract me.