Chapter 4

　　I thought escaping Damian would feel like victory.

　　It did not.

　　The farther Sebastian drove from the restaurant, the more I felt the invisible pull stretching between us. It sat under my skin, warm and irritating, as if some foolish part of me wanted to turn back.

　　I hated that part.

　　I also hated that my mother kept glancing at me from the front seat with the same expression she used when I broke something expensive.

　　“What happened?” she asked.

　　“Dinner happened.”

　　“Eleanor.”

　　“Damian happened.”

　　Sebastian cleared his throat. “That explains very little.”

　　“It explains enough.”

　　He did not take us home.

　　By the time I noticed, we were turning through iron gates toward an enormous house with lit windows, stone walls, and the kind of driveway that existed only for people who never checked their bank accounts.

　　“Where are we?” I asked.

　　“My place,” Sebastian said. Then he corrected himself. “Well, not technically mine. I live here.”

　　I stared at the mansion. “Of course you do.”

　　Margaret touched my knee. “We do not have beds yet, sweetheart. Sebastian offered rooms for the night.”

　　I was too tired to argue properly, which was dangerous because arguing was one of my strongest survival skills.

　　Inside, the house was warm, rich, and quiet. The kind of quiet that made every footstep sound like a confession.

　　“I will take your mother to her room first,” Sebastian said. “Wait here, Eleanor. I will come back and show you where to sleep.”

　　“I am too tired to investigate your secrets,” I warned.

　　He smiled. “Good.”

　　They went upstairs together. My mother’s hips swayed in a way that made me look away for my own mental health.

　　I stood in the foyer, hugging myself against the cold still clinging to my skin. Through the front windows, I saw headlights sweep across the drive.

　　A black SUV rolled in.

　　My breath caught.

　　No.

　　It could not be him.

　　I turned toward the stairs and called, “Sebastian, hurry up before I die of exhaustion.”

　　He came down a minute later, looking suspiciously rumpled.

　　“Follow me.”

　　The staircase felt endless. At the top, he led me down a hall to a black door trimmed with gold. A wolf howled in gold at the center.

　　I should have asked questions.

　　I did not.

　　He opened the door, revealing a huge room in deep blue and white. A massive bed waited in the middle like a cloud created by rich people.

　　“There are clothes for you,” Sebastian said, handing me wool pants and a flannel shirt.

　　“They are enormous.”

　　“You are welcome.”

　　“I need privacy.”

　　I pushed him out and shut the door in his face.

　　The room smelled faintly of expensive soap, cedar, and something that made my pulse trip. Familiar. Dark. Male.

　　I ignored it.

　　The closet was full of men’s suits, watches, shoes, and things I could never afford. The bathroom looked larger than my old bedroom. I showered quickly, put on the oversized clothes, and climbed into bed.

　　For the first time in days, softness surrounded me.

　　Rain began tapping against the windows.

　　I closed my eyes.

　　And immediately thought of Damian.

　　His voice. His hands. The way he looked at me like he wanted to warn me and devour me at the same time.

　　“Stop,” I whispered to myself.

　　Sleep came in fragments.

　　Sometime later, I woke with one very serious problem.

　　I needed something to hug.

　　A pillow was not enough. My body demanded a stuffed animal with the stubbornness of a spoiled child.

　　I slipped out of bed and opened the door. The hallway was dark. The house was silent.

　　Then something crashed in the bathroom behind me.

　　My soul nearly left my body.

　　I fled into the hall, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, where I solved fear the only reasonable way: food. I found a raisin roll, pineapple jam, and orange juice in a refrigerator big enough for a small village.

　　After eating, my courage returned enough for a mission.

　　Find stuffed animal. Survive mansion. Avoid ghosts.

　　I searched the rooms one by one. Empty room. Game room. Bathroom. Then a room where my mother and Sebastian were sleeping tangled together like they had known each other for years.

　　I closed that door immediately.

　　“Nope,” I whispered.

　　Across the hall, I finally found a pink room full of stuffed animals. I stole a giant dog and carried it back to the blue bedroom.

　　The room was cold, the bed messy, but empty.

　　I climbed in, hugged the dog, and let sleep pull me under.

　　For a few hours, I believed I was alone.