Page 117 of Dark Souls

“That must be hard,” I replied, realising for the first time just how much that could mess with a person. “And fucked up. Hearing strangers’ thoughts.”

“It is. It is why I’m so unsociable. And why I’m only really close to my family because I can’t read theirs.” She held me captive with those enchanting pink eyes as my fingers drew circles on her skin. “But it’s not so bad anymore. I’ve learned how to tune it out so I only hear it when I want to. When I focus. It took years of therapy to get me to the point that I could be calm enough to do that.”

“You had therapy?” I asked with my eyebrows raised.

“Still do. Don’t look so surprised. I’d be way more of a hot mess if I didn’t.” She smirked. “But yeah. It helps that my grandmother Alina is a trained therapist for supernaturals and I trust her implicitly.”

I nodded and moved my gaze down to the blanket. “It must be good to have someone to talk to so openly. Someone you trust with your secrets. I’m sure she’d have a field day with me. I doubt she’d ever come across anyone as fucked-up.”

“Mm, you’d be surprised. I know you can’t now, but one day, you’ll be able to.”

“What?”

“Talk to someone. Trust someone.” I looked away. Ilaria shuffled up the sofa so she was sitting but kept her legs on me, which I realised I quite liked. It felt… nice. Intimate. “What time is it?”

“Nearly four AM,” I answered. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, well, I live here.” She bit her bottom lip between her teeth and fought her smile as she studied me for a reaction. I was about to laugh at her joke, but then I noticed the suitcase and bag perched by the door. And the blanket that clearly wasn’t mine.

“What do you meanyou live here?”

“I’m moving in. I know wardrobe space isn’t going to be a problem, but I have still only bought half my clothes for now—”

I leaped from the sofa, my muscles screaming in protest as I reacted to the sudden surge of panic. Had she lost her mind? She wanted to live here? In this hellhole? With me?

“No!” I shouted, which earned me that sexy as hell glare I enjoyed so much.

“Bit late for no. I’ve already moved out. My parents think I’m living at Neve’s flat and I will spend some nights there so we don’t end up killing each other, but I thought—”

“You thought you’d move into a desolate, crumbling mansion that barely has a roof?”

“Well, yeah. It’s not ideal. And I am not thrilled about living in your ex’s haunted house, but you choose to live here, so here I am.”

“Fuck no, Ilaria! You cannot live here!” Dread was setting in when I realised what I was up against. The most stubborn and determined woman on the planet. She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed me with a lethal glare.

“Do you not want me to move in with you?”

“What part of no do you not understand?” I roared, unable to comprehend how she thought this was a good idea. The Devil had access to this place. She couldn’t stay here. It was too risky. I immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say when she threw the blanket off her and stormed past me, grabbing her rucksack and suitcase. “I didn’t mean it like that—”

“Just point me towards a guest room with the least amount of cobwebs,” she snapped, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“What? You’re not leaving?”

“No.” She turned on her heels and started wheeling the suitcase out to the entrance hall. “I live here, remember?”

“It’s not safe for you to be here!”

“It’s not safe for me to be anywhere, apparently! I guess I should just wrap myself in bubble wrap and find a remote island where not even a mosquito would travel far enough to harm me. That’s the only way you and all the men in my life will be happy, right?”

I huffed, pinching the bridge of my nose and closing my eyes as I tried to find an ounce of patience for her dramatics. She continued regardless.

“Or maybe I should just find a tower somewhere, grow my hair like fucking Rapunzel and wait for my knight in shining armour to rescue me from a life of boredom like the damsel in distress you all perceive me to be.”

I moved towards her as she stood two steps higher on the stairs, throwing her arms in animated frustration and expelling so much pissed-off energy it was turning me on.

“Because, God forbid, I know what is actually best for me or perhaps, oh, I don’t know, I might prove to you all that I am a badass bitch that doesn’t need a fucking man to protect me.”

I stood in front of her, amusement in my eyes and licking my lips, which had her one woman performance falter slightly as she noticed the heated look on my face.