Scorch (Virtues & Lies 2)

“Stop. You’re biting your nose off to spite your face. You think I’m the nutter, but Christopher doesn’t have limits. He doesn’t know the meaning of no or stop. You know that. It’s why he’s so good at what he does.”

The silence envelops us all. Georgina’s glancing between us like we’re completely off our rockers.

“It’s too late now.”

“Fuck, Arabella, it’s never too late!” he bites at me with a snarl.

“That’s a lie!” I throw back at him, my voice breaking with the raw, consuming pain that tears through my chest.

“At least let me help you.”

“What in the flying fuck is going on?” Coming closer to our stand-off, Georgina looks baffled.

“Stay out of it!” Freddie barks at her, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer so that we’re only a couple of feet apart.

“You might be able to talk to her like that, but you don’t raise your fucking voice at me. We aren’t buddies.”

Everything happens in a blur of limbs and a grunt of breath. Freddie pounces with the agility of a wild cat, his hand clenching tightly around Georgie’s jaw as he backs her to one of the armchairs.

“Sit the fuck down, Swan.”

“Get off me.” Her muffled grit is filled with venom and spite.

“Sit down and shut the hell up. Stay out of this before I show you what happens when I get played.” Pushing her down onto the seat, he takes a few measured steps back. His chest is heaving like he’s doing everything he can not to let loose. When he turns back to me, cracking his neck like this whole thing is giving him whiplash, his face is stony. “You need to tell me what you’ve done so we can fix it.”

We both know the only way to fix any of this is with blood.

“Let me go, Freddie.”

“Are you fucking him?”

Diverting my gaze to the floor, I spin on my heels, heading for the stairs. The emptiness was so much easier than the pain. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to hide for long, but seeing Christopher and being this close to my life…it’s harder than I thought.

“Don’t walk awa—”

I look up as Freddie stops abruptly with a low curse. My breath congeals in my chest, and if I thought I was choking on my heartbeat before, I can’t rationalise what’s happening to me.

It doesn’t matter that I have nothing to feel guilty of when it comes to my fidelity. The look that Christopher gives me is crushing.

With the light from the hallway highlighting his silhouette, he looks too big for real life. His tall, lean frame makes it impossible to walk out of here without coming into contact with him.

“Get out,” he orders.

His eyes never leave mine

, but it’s obvious it’s not me he’s talking to. There’s a darkness in his face and demeanour that tells me this is going to end badly. Just like the voice that kept telling me sneaking out was a bad idea. But like before, I ignore it.

Heading towards him with a straight face and my shoulders pulled as far back as they’ll go, I keep mentally screaming over the voice yelling inside me. Telling me to stop. Warning me not to prod the tiger.

“You take one more step and I will not be held accountable for what happens to you.” The sharpness of his words is frosty and sharp. “Do not give me reason to fucking blow, Arabella.”

Pausing beside me, Georgina wraps her arm around my shoulders. I know she’s being a good sister, but all her actions serve to do is shrink me right before my husband’s eyes.

“Christoph—”

“Shut up. Get out!” The step he takes into the room fills it to the brim with a heaviness I’ve never felt.

I don’t know if it’s anger or disappointment. I don’t know if it’s the end. I imagine this is what it would feel like right before the world ends. Too much pressure. Too much heat. Too much weight. Not enough air. Not enough light.