I didn't know what was going on with this world anymore. Everything felt off-kilter, like reality had shifted sideways while I wasn't looking.
In that moment, I decided it was best to remain completely still—to pretend I was asleep and hope whatever danger lingered would pass me by.
I felt Christian's presence hovering over me. Heavy. Cold. Oppressive.
His fingers brushed my hair back from my face, tucking a few strands behind my ear with a strange gentleness. But they were ice cold, and I nearly flinched. Nearly.
Somehow, I held still, even as a chill ran down my spine.
"Oh, Lina," he whispered, voice soft but dripping with something dark. "Why do you have to be so complicated? If you'd just stay put and be a good little girlfriend . . . none of this would've happened."
I didn't understand him—couldn't understand him. One moment, he was cruel, biting with his words, and the next he was tender, as if we were something sacred. As if we ever could be.
