novelxo Unhinged Desires: Chapter 18
I walk out of the exam building and look up into the sun. I just finished my last exam for the year. Only two more years to go and I’ll have my undergrad done. But now, it’s semester break and my time to sleep, party, shop and repeat. That’s if I don’t get killed by my best friend before the weekend is out. Shar started working at Xavier’s office on Monday, and to say she’s having issues with his level of assholeness is an understatement.
At this point, I don’t know if she wants to kill me, him, or both.
Hopefully this forces them to act on that little shared crush of theirs. I couldn’t dream of a better sister-in-law than Shar, and Xavier would be more than lucky to have her—let’s be honest, it’s not like my brother is a catch. I mean, he’s good looking and rich as hell, but his personality is seriously lacking and anyone who puts up with him without smothering his ass in his sleep deserves a gold medal. Although, as far as brothers go, I did get the best.
I plan on making it up to Shar over the weekend. I send her a message asking her to meet up on Sunday.
Shit, Sunday. It’s been so quiet this week I haven’t even thought about Sunday dinner. The Sunday dinner that my mother invited the McKinleys to attend. Fuck. Maybe Dominic’s not going to show. After all, I haven’t had any creepy messages, no gifts, nothing all week. And I haven’t seen him on campus. If he’s completed his exams, then I don’t know where… because I may have searched every room. Waiting for the psycho to jump out of the shadows and snatch me.
I don’t understand what his game is. And that’s frustrating as hell. And the way my body reacts to him, that I really don’t get. I should be repulsed by him. The guy has cameras hidden somewhere in my apartment. Cameras I’ve done my best to locate and keep coming up empty. Whatever he’s using to watch me, it’s hidden bloody well. I’ve spent the week waking up in a cold sweat, plagued by nightmares of being trapped in a glass jar.
His words haunt me: If I could lock you in a glass jar and watch you come over and over again, I would.
Who the fuck says shit like that? Dominic McKinley, that’s who.
And who the hell gets turned on by those words? Me. Apparently.
I know. I need a damn shrink. I message Xavier and make sure he’s going to be at dinner. I don’t want to be there alone if Dominic does in fact make an appearance. I need backup, support. Even if no one else knows what’s happened between us, I know. I know what I’ve let him do to me. And I’m both ashamed that I let it happen and am well aware, if trapped in another bathroom with him, I’d probably let it happen again because that man can pull pleasure out of me unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
I tap out my message to Xavier.
ME:
You HAVE to BE at dinner this Sunday. I need you there!!!!!
I add the extra exclamation marks to show how serious I am. He replies with a simple thumbs-up emoji, and I roll my eyes. He’ll be there.
I PICK UP MY PHONE. I’m sitting in my living room with Shar. We’ve spent the weekend together and now I’m avoiding the fact that I have to leave and head over to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe he’s bailing again. Asshole!” I scream, throwing my phone onto the coffee table.
“Woah, what happened?” she asks.
“Xavier, I’m going to kill him. He’s bailing on dinner tonight. Again,” I groan, covering my face with my hands.
“It’s dinner with your parents, Lucy. It’s hardly a disaster. I’m sure you’ll survive,” Shar says before plopping down beside me on the couch.
“No, I won’t. They’ve been trying to set me up with Dominic McKinley. I wanted Xavier there to act as a buffer.”
“Who?”
“The son of some business associate of theirs from Sydney. Doesn’t matter who he is; he’s a psychopath and I want absolutely nothing to do with him.” I scrunch up my face, attempting to show my disgust for the man in question, or rather the disgust I have for myself and how I react to him.
Reaching over, Shar presses the pad of her thumb against the middle of my eyebrows. “Stop frowning. You’ll give yourself wrinkles.” She laughs.
I swat her hand away with an exaggerated sigh. “Good. Maybe if I get ugly, Dominic will take one look at me and won’t be interested in pursuing this stupid setup from our parents.”
“Sure, that’s likely to never happen. There’s no way you can make yourself ugly, no matter how much you try,” she says.
“Argh, maybe I’ll just call my mum and dad and tell them I’m coming down with the flu or something.” I throw my head back against the couch, closing my eyes.
“If you do that, your mum will be on your doorstep within the hour with a doctor.” She laughs again, clearly amused by my distress.
My eyes pop open, the lightbulb suddenly going off in my head. “You can come with me. Yes, let’s do that. That way, if I give you the signal that we need an escape, you can say you have to leave and I have to go with you because I’m the driver.”
“Sure, I’ll come and have dinner with your parents. But you’re definitely overreacting, Lucy. They’re hardly going to make you date some guy you’re not interested in.”
Shar doesn’t understand the enigma that is Dominic McKinley. Hopefully when she sets eyes on him, she’ll finally get it. I could also admit to her that the creep has been stalking me—oh, and there’s the small fact I had phone sex with him. Twice. And I let him finger me in the bathroom of a charity event.
I decide to keep all of that to myself for now. “Maybe, but they haven’t stopped talking about him and how they want us to meet. And blah, blah, blah. Anyway, it’ll be fine if you’re there.” I’ve already met him. But the little white lie slips from my tongue effortlessly, without me even meaning to deceive my best friend. I wrap my arms around Shar, hiding my face because I’m afraid she’ll be able to see right through me. “I’m so lucky I have you,” I tell her.
I’m not sure why I’m lying in the first place. I usually tell her every single thought in my head. But when it comes to Dominic, there’s something holding me back. Almost like I want to keep him… this… whatever this is… all to myself and not share it with anyone. Which is ludicrous and probably what’s going to have me end up as a missing person on page five of the newspaper.
“Right back at ya, LuLu,” Shar says, squeezing me in return.
I WALK into the house with Shar by my side. Mum is already in the foyer waiting for us.
“It’s good to see you again, Shar. Come on in. Everyone’s in the dining room.” Mum smiles at Shar before giving me the type of look that only a mother can.
“Sorry we’re late, Mum. Traffic was backed up,” I lie, something I seem to be doing a lot lately. We’re late because, up until we exited the car two minutes ago, I was still trying to find creative ways to cancel.
“Mhmm, I’m sure it was. You look lovely, darling. Come on, let’s eat before everything goes cold.” Mum turns, leaving me and Shar to follow her.
My steps falter as I enter the dining room, and Shar runs right into my back. “Lucy, what the hell?” she hisses before stepping around me and pausing.
There was that little bit of hope that he wouldn’t show up. Hope that just blew up in my face. Because sitting at my family’s dining table is the bane of my existence… alongside his parents. As well as Xavier. That little ass told me he wasn’t going to be here. I’m so relieved that he is though. I watch as my brother’s eyes roam up and down my best friend before his gaze lands on me.
“Lucy, you remember the McKinleys and their son, Dominic,” my dad says.
“Ah, yeah. Hi, how are you…?” I wave awkwardly as I approach the table, my steps reluctant. Tentative.
“Shar, this is Dean and Ella McKinley and their son, Dominic,” Dad introduces everyone.
I take the seat next to Xavier. Shar sits on my other side. I’m safe here. I’m surrounded by people who would never let Dominic touch me if I didn’t want him to. The problem, though, is that even as I look over at his cold, dead stare… I want him to. I want him to touch me in all the ways he shouldn’t. He’s staring right back at me like I’m his prey, like he’s ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. He’s dressed down tonight, not sporting the tux I saw him in last weekend.
Although I think I like this look even better.
The black shirt he’s wearing matches the darkness of his hair and eyes. There’s a sleeve of tattoos down one of his arms, tattoos I want to explore. With my fingertips, my mouth, my tongue. His skin is golden, which is odd because I always assumed dead things would be more pale. Like vampires and zombies.
Shar’s hand squeezes mine under the table. “Are you okay?” she whispers.
“Fine, just bloody fine,” I hiss under my breath. Although the slight tilt of Dominic’s lips tells me he heard me.
By the time dessert arrives at the table, I’m flustered. A hot mess of hormones and mixed emotions. Being trapped under Dominic’s glare is no easy feat. I glance over at Xavier and my eyes drop to his plate.
“You requested a different dessert?” I ask him.
“Honey’s my new favourite flavour,” he says in reply.
“Excuse me.” Shar stands abruptly and practically runs out of the dining room.
When she returns a few minutes later, I look at her in question. “Are you okay?”
“Ah, yeah, I just feel a headache coming on,” she tells me.
“I can take you home.” My offer comes quick. Anything to get out of this house and away from him.
“Do you mind?” she asks.
“Not at all, Mum, Dad, Shar’s not feeling well. I’m going to take her home.”
“Oh, honey, is there anything I can get you?” Mum turns to Shar.
“Oh, no, I’m okay. I’m sure I just need to sleep.”
“Okay, well, you call if you’re not feeling better tomorrow, and I’ll get the doctor to come see you,” Mum says.
I stand with Shar and place my napkin on the table.
Until my brother’s words leave me frozen to the spot. “Lucy, you stay. I’m heading that way. I can drop Shardonnay off. I have an early case in the morning. I need to leave anyway.”
“What? No, it’s fine,” I argue with him. I need to get out of here. But then I look at him looking at Shar and I see it. I know why he’s offering. “Actually, Xav, that would be really great if you could. I’ll just crash here tonight,” I tell him.
“I’m going to kill you,” Shar hisses at me.
“Sorry, not sorry.” I shrug before plopping back down in my chair. However, when I look up and across the table at Dominic, I realise my mistake. I’m alone. I don’t have anyone on either side of me anymore. And his smirk seems to grow as if he can somehow read my mind.