Page 130 of Phobia

Gravel crunched underneath my boots, and the moment I reached the even ground, a lump got stuck in my throat as my eyes took in the people standing around. Some were walking toward the entrance to the house, some were chatting with each other, but most of them… Most of them were staring at me as if they had never seen me before, when we all knew each other.

There were a few unfamiliar faces, but most of them belonged to circles I never was a part of. If being here didn’t make me an even bigger outsider, I had no idea what would.

This was a mistake, I told myself as I took a step backward, trying to put some distance between me and them. I should’ve stayed home. I should’ve stayed in Seattle. I should’ve gotten over the panic attacks every time I thought about going out on the streets of that city.

I never should’ve come back to Winworth.

My back collided with something, my feet almost immediately losing balance, but before I could pummel down onto the muddy ground, a hand wrapped itself around my bicep, keeping me upright. My hair fell over my face, and before I could turn, the hand holding me spun me around. As I lifted my head, I could feel my eyes widening as they connected with the dark abyss staring back at me.

Lazarus Morass stood there, towering over me, his eyes raking over every inch of my face, taking me in, bit by bit. It was as if he was taking my soul—slowly, carefully—until his hand lifted up, his thumb rubbing over my cheek as if it was the most natural thing for him to do.

“Careful there,” he murmured, his full lips barely opening as he spoke. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I-I… Thank you,” I blubbered, trying to move my hair from my face, steady on my legs, but he still didn’t let me go. Something dark and sinister swirled in those inky depths, sucking me in, keeping me hostage. I wouldn’t mind getting lost in his darkness if it meant running away from my own. “You can let go of me now,” I mumbled, looking down where his hand held my bicep and back at his face.

“I know,” he whispered, lowering his head toward me. His lips brushed over my ear, sending shivers all over my body before he spoke again. “But I’m not sure if I should.” His nose pressed to my hair, his inhale louder than the thunderous beat of my heart. “You smell delicious.” His gravelly voice was like a fiery caress over my freezing skin. “I bet you taste the same.”

Jesus fucking Christ on crack.

“Uh… I don’t—”

But as soon as those words rolled off his tongue, he stepped away, leaving the sense of an icy chill behind, and I immediately missed his heat.

“I remember you,” he said, taking me in from head to toe, as if he was memorizing every single part of me. “But I don’t know from where.”

I ignored the small jab in my heart at those words because I knew. I was no one important to these people, even less so during high school. Instead of frowning like I wanted to, I kept my facial expression blank, keeping my emotions to myself.

“We went to the same high school,” I said, hoping that would be enough of an answer. “Don’t worry. I’m not a very memorable person.”

“I beg to differ,” he added, those lips pulling into a lopsided smile, revealing the tiny dimple in his right cheek. “I remember you. There’s no way I wouldn’t. I think I remember your name as well.”

“Uh—”

“Danika, right? You were a junior when I was a senior.”

He did remember. Holy shit.

Lazarus Morass remembered me.

“It would’ve been okay even if you didn’t remember me. We never even spoke—”

“True.” He nodded. “But it was a different time, and I was a different person back then. Now…” he came closer to me. “Now I want to know everything, little Danika.”

I ignored thelittlepart and kept looking up at him instead. I wasn’t short per se, but he must have been at least six foot three. The energy bouncing off of him should’ve scared me, but instead it lured me in.

And I wanted more.

So much more.

“There’s nothing much to know.” I shrugged, wrapping my arms around myself. “Not much has changed.”

“Hmmm.” He cocked his head to the side, observing me like I was an animal in the lab. For whatever reason, I didn’t mind.

I already knew what humans were capable of. I already knew the monstrosities that hid behind closed doors and pretty smiles, and I would rather take this every day than the fake niceties and polite smiles.

“I think—”

“Laz!” Gabriel’s voice boomed around us. As I turned around, he was there, standing at the entrance to the asylum, staring at the two of us with a look I couldn’t quite decipher. “We’re gonna be late.”