Page 50 of Ominous: Part 1

Mom laughs. “You’re not nice, so I’m not sure how that’s going to work out for this poor boy.”

I smile to myself as I look up at her. “It’ll work out perfectly.”

She frowns, her brows pulling together. My smile falters, and I wonder if she’s thinking of Nic. “Just take things slow, okay, Eden?” She keeps her eyes on the road.

The sting of shame burns under my skin with her admonishment. Eli texts me again and I drop my eyes to the message.

My heart skips a beat as a photo comes through.

He’s got his hand tucked behind his head, and I think he’s lying on a wrestling mat, the material soft and blue beneath him. He has his tongue between his teeth, sweat on his brow, just over his dark green eyes, the circle of black intensifying his expression.

But it’s the tattoo I study as I squeeze my thighs together. The one I couldn’t read before. It’s three words, and as Mom keeps talking in the passenger seat, something about the neighbors needing her help with a seasonal clean, I can’t stop staring at it.

My heart squeezes, reading the three words.

All for nothing.

12

Eden

Seb:Call me if you need me but need me before midnight.

I roll my eyes and shove my phone into the pocket of my denim jacket, ripped to shreds with an inverted cross on the back.

Eli backs into an unmarked spot outside of an enormous stone and brick home, his windshield wipers on high speed as thunder cracks over the sky, storms forecasted for this weekend. I scan the paved lot, seeing a row of luxury vehicles beside ours, and this house has a four-car garage attached to the main home, ahead and to the right, lined with a high, steel fence and the glimmering blue of an in-ground pool complete with a pool house, like Eli’s house.

I don’t think that’s where the party is though.

There’s a fire exit stairwell on a detached building that’s tall, skinny, made of stone and gray siding. At the top there’s a door, and through the onslaught of rain, I see people hanging over the black railings, plastic cups in hand, a bright, red light casting everyone in an eerie glow.

I told my mom I’d be staying the night with “Janelle” after her party. Eli gave me the idea when I brought it up to him yesterday after shopping. Janelle is a friend of his, he told me. Mom was surprised, but I think she wants me to get out a little more with girls, and she’s never caught me in a lie yet, I guess, so she let it go.

“This is Janelle’s house?” I ask, the purr of Eli’s engine almost drowned out by the storm, but not quite.

I like how his car sounds. I like how it smells. I like everything about this moment, except, maybe, for the nerves twisting in my gut. But even then, some part of me is eager to see more of his life. The friends I’ve caught only glimpses of as he disentangles from them at Trafalgar in the halls, to walk with me.

Eli twists in his seat to look at me, seatbelt still on.

I hold his gaze, and notice out of the corner of my eye, his ringed hand tightens and loosens around the bottom of the steering wheel. It takes an effort not to stare at his veins. Not to crawl across this console and climb onto his fucking lap.

Chill, chill, chill.

I think of Sebastian’s and Mom’s warnings. But this is different. This isn’t like that.This time, he wants me too.

“It’s Dom’s,” Eli answers me, his tone betraying nothing. I can’t tell if he’s happy to be here, with me, at his friend’s house, or… not. “Remember what I told you? The night before the tournament?”

I pull my brows together, confused. My mind races through all of our texts. Every night, I get off to his filthy words. I still don’t know if he has any idea. “You told me a lot.” I keep my tone neutral, but the words come fast.

He lifts his lips in a half-smile. “I told you to listen to me.”

My heart thrums fast in my chest.

“Do it tonight, okay?”

I narrow my eyes. “Who are you?Daddy?”

He smiles fully, turning away from me, giving me a good view of his side profile. “Let’s go, Eden.”