“What are you waiting for?” Dorian asked in a harsh whisper. “Do it!”
Energy built like a volcano causing my veins to feel like they would explode. A migraine slunk its way around my skull, weaving around my brain and pounding against my temples. I grunted, grinding my teeth as I sent all of my will into breaking those damn boards.
A loud shriek made my eyes snap open. The boards were disappearing one at a time, and the men were scrambling to save themselves. The one closest to us threw his arms out, shoving the first man out of his way. The man fell over the edge, his fingers gripping the fading 2x4s as the other ran past him and onto the safety of the building’s fragile floor.
“Help me,” the man clinging to the bridge snarled. His friend made no move to save him, and then the wood disappeared and the man’s screams were swallowed up by the darkness of the deep hole. The remaining guy laughed a maniacal sound that didn’t belong to a human being. He winked as if he could see me, sending icy cold shivers to penetrate to my bones. Turning on his heel, he fled from the building and out the door. When he was gone, my entire body sagged in relief, and exhaustion consumed me. The migraine worked overtime to abuse my head and sweat collected along my forehead.
“Come on.” Dorian wrapped an arm around my shoulders and we were walking again. My legs moved but my brain was somewhere else. I was on autopilot: an empty shell of worn out muscles and depleted energy.
It felt like hours, though I was sure it was mere minutes, before I felt the warm wash of exiting the shimmer cascade over my body. Loud noises and bright lights overpowered my senses, causing me to blink and cringe. I raised my arm to shield my eyes. The neon lights were hell on my headache. I was vaguely aware that Dorian’s arm was still wrapped around my shoulder and I was huddled against him. My legs felt weighed down, too big and bulky to move with grace. I stumbled over the cracked concrete as we made our way through the crowded street. The sounds of the nearby people talking and laughing became white noise, floating in the back of my mind on a sea of confusion.
“Where are we going?” I mumbled, squinting to see my surroundings. We were on a narrow road bordered on either side with businesses. Above, wrought iron balconies hugged the buildings and were full of lush greenery.
“Home,” Dorian said. “It’s just around the corner.”
My vision blurred in and out of clarity, but I kept my feet moving and allowed Dorian to guide me in the right direction. I rubbed my cheek against the soft leather of his coat, inhaling the scent. The clicking of metal against metal sounded. I lifted my head and looked forward. Dorian held open a gray door with wrought iron detailing.
“Here,” Dorian said grabbing something from my arms. I realized after the thing was gone that he had taken my cat and placed her inside the home. Snaking an arm around my back, Dorian bent down and lifted me into his arms, cradling me against his body. I stared up at him, the strong outline of his jaw, the softness of his brown hair and the fullness of his lips. I hadn’t realized how afraid I was when he left until he came back. Though he had only been gone for a day, the fear that I would never see him again surprised me.
We reached a landing but he didn’t put me down. Instead, he carried me through the home and down a long hallway where we entered a bedroom. My eyelids were heavy and my vision was getting fuzzier the longer I tried to focus on any one thing. My limbs felt boneless and weak as they hung limp in Dorian’s arms.
Dorian laid me down on a bed and began slipping my shoes off. He drew the thick comforter up around my body and then turned to leave the room. I watched his silhouette getting further and further away as I drifted off to sleep.
* * *
My eyes fluttered open, and I stared up at the high ceiling of an unfamiliar room. I looked around. Toward the left was a wall of tall, arched windows. The sky was dark which meant I had slept all day. For all I knew I’d slept for multiple days. Lights from outside cast shadows to dance around the large room, making it seem more menacing than it probably was. A large armoire rested on the adjacent wall, antiquated and beautiful, and a large circular mirror hung on the next wall. The room was large, but mostly bare of furniture.
Slipping my legs over the edge of the bed, I braced my hands on either side of me and closed my eyes as I thought about what had happened. Dorian came back and cloaked figures were stalking me. I didn’t know whether I should be happy about Dorian’s return or afraid of more evil rogues hunting me. A mixture of emotions consumed me, but at the moment I would concentrate on the good ones.
Standing up, I hugged my arms across my chest and padded out of the room. A long hallway of gray stretched in either direction. There were two doors made of dark wood to the right. To the left there were two more doors and the opening of the hall. I chose left. As I got closer to the entrance soft music and a large, rectangular living room greeted me. I recognized the hauntingly beautiful piano melody as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. It had been one of my favorites since I was fifteen.
Coming around the corner, I saw Dorian’s large frame sitting on a black, leather sofa. He was leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as his head rested in his hands. His chocolate hair formed a curtain around his face. An amber filled crystal glass sat on the thick wooden coffee table in front of him.
“How are you feeling?” Dorian’s smooth voice carried across the room though he hadn’t spoken very loudly. My heart jolted that he knew I was watching him, but he made no movement to look at me.
“Okay,” I said closing the space between us while I looked around the room. It seemed his entire house was painted in varying shades of gray. The living room was dark, the color of angry thunderclouds. Wrought iron sconces clung to the wall every six feet casting a warm golden glow against the cherry hardwood floors. A kitchen sat toward the back of the room and was made up of one row of upper and base cabinets with frosted glass doors. A granite island separated the two rooms.
“Now I know why you thought my apartment was shit,” I joked. Five of my tiny apartments would have fit in this place.
“If you need to take a shower, the bathroom is at the end of the hall. There’s a closet of women’s stuff in your room if you need to change your clothes. They’ll have to do until tomorrow.”
I didn’t want to know why Dorian had a supply of women’s clothes, nor did I want to wear his one-night stands’ castoffs. I was standing next to him now, unsure whether I should sit or not. He seemed like he was in a bad mood.
I sat down beside Dorian and smiled when I saw my cat curled up on the cushion next to him. “Thank you…again,” I said. He didn’t respond or look up at me. Ignoring my annoyance, I said, “I’ve always loved this song.”
Dorian reached for his glass, taking a drink before leaning back against the sofa. When he looked at me his face was devoid of any emotion. “I’m going to head to bed.” He finished off the glass, stood up and walked around me and to the kitchen. Turning around, I watched him put the glass in the sink and head toward the hallway.
“Dorian,” I called out, confused and angry. He stopped but didn’t turn to face me. Scrambling off the couch I walked over to him and, without thinking, wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him. His body went stiff, unwilling to embrace me back. A door opened, and I stepped away from Dorian. A tall woman with brunette hair exited the far room. She was dressed in a long t-shirt that hung mid-thigh. She giggled when she spotted us staring at her.
“Bathroom?”
“Last door,” Dorian said.
Everything inside of me felt like it had been crushed. My lungs constricted as air tried to fight its way through. Angry and embarrassed, I stepped away from Dorian, turning my back to him. We weren’t a couple in the least so I didn’t want him to see the hurt and jealousy on my face. I had been so stupid to allow another man to weave his way into my psyche. Maybe the reason I kept getting hurt was because I allowed it to happen. I knew as soon as I met Dorian that he hopped from bed to bed. Hell, he’d even told me so himself. So why was I surprised to see a half dressed woman in his home? The more I thought about it the more I realized I was madder at myself then him.
“Listen, Gwen—”
“No explanation needed,” I said interrupting him. Turning around, I smiled though I felt like crying. “Good catch. She’s pretty.” Dorian glanced away, unable to look at me any longer. “Well, goodnight.” I headed for the sofa, willing myself to stay strong and not breakdown in front of him. The sound of his footsteps disappeared down the hall and then a door closed. I sat on the edge of the couch, unable to decipher the change in Dorian’s personality. He wasn’t the man I’d come here with. This man was distant and cold—detached. The door opened and closed again, but I tried not to think about the leggy woman sharing Dorian’s bed. It was none of my business.
A set of French doors led out to a balcony. Heading to the kitchen, I grabbed the first bottle of alcohol I could find and headed through the doors, shutting them quietly behind me. I should have probably eaten something, but my appetite was gone. The balcony was actually a rooftop patio. A wrought iron fence surrounded the entire perimeter. Terracotta pots with blooming flowers sat in the corners. A square table rested in the middle, surrounded by padded chairs. I made my way over to it, sat down and propped my legs up. Unscrewing the bottle, I took a long drink and choked back the burn crawling down my throat. I tried to think about anything except for Dorian and what he could be doing at the moment.
I took another drink from the bottle, sat it down and stood up. Walking over to the edge, I leaned against the railing and stared down at the crowded street. My eyes roamed over the French inspired architecture and I realized we were in New Orleans. I had only seen it in movies, but it looked exactly the same. I smiled as a couple of women stumbled their way down the sidewalk laughing like hyenas. It must be nice to be carefree and human. They had it so easy. At the moment, it made me miss Fiona. I hadn’t talked to her in almost two weeks. I hoped she was having more fun than I was and that her new relationship with the judgmental Ethan was working out. I didn’t like him but he seemed to make my best friend happy and that was the only thing that mattered. I made a mental note to call her tomorrow and catch up.