Page 16 of Cerulean Truth (Sapere #1)

SEVEN

EMMA

I ran home. The cab I’d arranged through the bartender earlier never arrived, and I didn't want to wait for another. So, I ran.

I ran as fast as I could, as if I were fleeing from the cops. No, not the cops. Godzilla. And Voldemort. A joint effort by Godzilla and Voldemort, in full nightmarish pursuit, with the intent of a threesome.

And the devil. Serving as an audience member and cameraman. Obviously.

Whatever, to hell with the porny metaphors—I sprinted home like a maniac.

I had no clue what was going to happen. What would James do to the guy? Would he help him, fix him up, wipe his memory, or resort to something more severe? Like killing him and disposing of the body?

Was James coming to my home afterward? Or would he show up the following day?

I ran the entire way home, consumed by thoughts of Kevin and James.

Halfway there, I suddenly realized my clothes were completely drenched in blood.

If anyone would’ve seen me in that state, I could have faced serious legal consequences…

"My goodness, Emma," I muttered to myself angrily, "you came dangerously close to taking another person's life this evening.

There must be deeper consequences to contemplate beyond the mere legal implications of this. "

When I finally arrived home, I hurried inside and secured the doors behind me with every lock available. Exhausted, I leaned my head against the front door, trying to catch my breath.

My trembling hands were still covered in the crimson proof of my actions and as I tried to sweep the hair out of my face, the pungent smell of it hit my senses, triggering another attack of hyperventilation.

I closed my eyes. I had. To calm. Down.

Inhaling deeply, I decided I needed to shower straight away.

My body was drenched with sweat from running like a maniac, tears were still flowing freely, and I was dripping blood everywhere.

I threw my bloody clothing in the trash and took out some fresh towels.

In a matter of moments, the comforting embrace of hot water began cleansing away the horrible remnants of the night.

I cried the entire shower. I never cried so much in my life as I did that night. The sight of all that blood. How was I ever going to get that image out of my head? Every time I closed my eyes, the horrifying scene from the ladies’ room re-emerged.

James had come to my rescue. I tried to focus on him. Strangely enough, thinking about James had a somewhat calming effect on me. It was surprising, considering his previous death threats, but his presence in the blood-spattered bathroom had provided a sense of comfort I hadn't anticipated.

After what felt like an eternity, I turned off the water and reached for a towel.

As I stepped out of the shower, I took a long, hard look in the mirror, but the reflection staring back at me was the one of a stranger.

How had I arrived at this point? I had been an ordinary girl with a promising legal career and a bright future ahead, but now who was I? Who had I become? What was I to become?

I had no idea how I would manage to get any sleep and fervently wished for some painkillers still lying around from my accident.

Exiting the bathroom, towel clutched around me, I nearly jumped out of my skin. James was sitting on my bed. A startled gasp escaped me, my heart leaping as I staggered back, the breath catching in my throat.

“Dude, seriously? Ever heard of knocking?”

He stared me with a strange expression and then casually tossed me some clothes that had been resting on my bed.

"Get dressed," he ordered, a faint hint of a smile gracing his lips. “I don’t feel like ending up bleeding on the bathroom floor.”

I stared at him without blinking, utterly dumbfounded. Never mind the fact I had almost taken someone's life, James Walker cracked a joke? Was it even a joke? A painful and horribly ill-timed one, but nonetheless, a joke?

Hastily retrieving the clothes he’d thrown me, I returned to the bathroom, relieved I’d laid out my good sweats. “Really? Now you’re concerned with how you look?” I muttered to myself, feeling another huge disappointment in my own character, but it passed more quickly than it should have.

I re-entered the bedroom, finding James still sitting on the bed. He silently beckoned me to join him with a subtle nod of his head, and an all-conveying stare which transported me back to my childhood—back to school, where I was about to be scolded by the principal. For murder.

Carefully, I eased onto the bed beside him, afraid making too big a wave on the bed would set him off.

He let out a sigh and turned to me, his eyes carrying a curious mix of emotions that caught me off guard.

I couldn’t quite place it but he appeared to be studying me with a hint of worry.

Or something akin to it? It must have been the trauma messing with my head.

After all, this was the same guy who had threatened my life only a few hours ago.

It was highly improbable he’d spontaneously developed genuine concern for my well-being.

But against all expectations, he inched closer, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear and without thinking I leaned into his touch, his hand cupping my cheek.

The metal of his black thumb ring was cold and grounding, a sharp contrast to the heat creeping up my neck.

In that moment, with such a small movement, I felt safer with him than I had ever felt in my entire life.

He gazed at me with his sharp green eyes and I marveled at his beauty.

“Are you hurt?” he asked me again, softly, almost like a whisper. I shook my head no, not daring to speak, as not to break off any magic happening between us—pun intended. His fingers traced delicate patterns on my cheek, each touch sending heat racing through me, causing my breath to hitch.

Captivated by his intense gaze, an unexpected and intense desire started building within me. The urge to kiss him grew stronger with each passing moment, like an instinctive need hardwired into my very being. As if I were drowning, and his kiss contained all the oxygen I needed.

I was fully aware it made no logical sense. After all, I hardly knew this man, and the evening had taken a far from romantic course. However, the intense desire to crash my mouth to his coursed through me so strongly, I felt like I might combust if I didn't act on it.

Just as I was about to lean in, he withdrew his hand and rose to his feet, abruptly severing any connection forming between us.

"Let’s go for a walk and talk," he ordered in that godawful commanding tone of his.

Despite the late hour—it was now three in the morning—I found myself surprisingly alert, and the notion of resistance didn't even cross my mind.

Leaving my apartment, an unexpected veil of normalcy draped over us, as if the tumultuous events of earlier had been but a fleeting dream.

We strolled toward the park, the streets devoid of any other souls at this late hour.

The silence hung heavy around us and the faint sounds of our footsteps on the pavement seemed amplified.

I turned toward James, studying his face illuminated by the moonlight. My gaze trailed from his eyes, to his lips, then to his right forearm, where his tattoo peeked out from his sleeve.

Despite my burning curiosity about Kevin and a genuine desire to understand how James had resolved the situation, I refrained from voicing my questions. Instead, I waited with growing anticipation for him to initiate the conversation.

"So, where's Stephen?" I finally inquired, my impatience getting the better of me.

"He's gone back to his consensus tour," James replied absent-mindedly.

"Consensus tour? What's that?" I asked, arching a brow.

"He's attempting to rally all the Collectives to agree on something, to establish a consensus."

"A consensus on what?" I probed.

"Just...something. Look, it's a complicated story, Emma, and we should really focus on what happened tonight," James responded impatiently.

My puzzlement lingered.

"Why are you being so cryptic about this consensus tour?" I inquired, furrowing my brow.

“I’m not! Fuck, I just want to talk about something real!” he nearly snarled, clearly frustrated with me. Already.

I couldn't resist a snort. "And having the entire world agree on a topic isn't real enough for you?"

He shot me a piercing look. "Are you always this argumentative, or is it only when you're trying to deflect?"

I blinked, taken aback. He had discerned my evasion rather swiftly.

After a hesitant moment, I lied. "Always."

He rolled his eyes, and I discreetly hid a smile, secretly pleased he’d seen through me so quickly.

"Let me explain later, okay? Right now, let's focus on what happened tonight," he urged.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine," I muttered.

He stared at me harshly, then said, “I really don’t want to start off with an obscure ‘I told you so’ but to be fair, we did warn you something like this could and probably would happen. You are not in control of your own actions, because you don’t understand how it works.”

I maintained my silence, avoiding any verbal response and keeping my head down, considering the night’s events kind of proved him right.

“I know you had your entire life planned out,” he furthered, “but as you are well aware, the world is full of nasty surprises, and next time you’re confronted with one, you might not be so lucky and actually kill someone.” I jerked my head up, realizing this probably did mean Kevin was still alive.

His intense, penetrating gaze bore into me, sending a shudder down my spine and making my heart race in an instant.

Detecting the shift in my demeanor, he briefly squeezed my hand, causing my breath to catch in my throat and a tingling warmth to spread through my body.

This man and his effect on me.

“Did something like this ever happen before?” he inquired gently.