The Darkest Temptation ✔️

THIRTY EIGHT

Word Count: 1841

~Tove

I rush up to the room, pressing my back against the closed door.

This may be wrong, but I need to get out of here...just for a bit. I need to think this over, and more importantly, I need to determine whether I am safe to come back her.

Keo may have changed, but it is my life I am gambling with. I need to be careful.

I have no bag, so I make quick work of pulling clothes from the dresser, piling them into a sheet I lay out on the floor. Once it is full of all that I will need, I wrap it up and tie it until I'm satisfied it won't come apart as I make a break for it.

From there, I'll get my bearings, Mary, and then I'll leave again before Keo can catch up to me.

I just need to find a train station before dawn. Then, Keo will wake, and expect me to be down for breakfast.

Just as I turn to choose an outfit that will be appropriate for running through the night, the door to the bedroom opens tentatively.

I practically throw myself as far from the dresser as possible.

Keo leans against the doorframe, folding his arms over his chest. My heart thunders against my chest, wondering if I've been caught.

"Something didn't feel right before," he murmurs, looking at me past thick, dark eyelashes. "I wanted to finish the conversation."

Attempting to calm my breathing, I turn back to the dresser, puling out some bed clothes, trying to make it seem like I was just preparing for bed, and not packing to make a run for it.

"I'm tired, Keo," I mutter.

He watches me for a long moment, tense and uncertain. "Come on, talk to me."

I whirl around. "I told you, I had a headache earlier and needed a break. Now, I want to get a long nights sleep before I start training again tomorrow."

He still doesn't look convinced. For once, I wish he would just brush something under the rug and worry about it tomorrow.

His eyes narrow ever so slightly before he strides toward me. For a brief moment I have no idea what he is doing, until he grabs either side of my face and draws my lips to his.

I still, fighting through the shock that has overcome me.

My senses don't truly come back to me, as I allow him to kiss me. In fact, I start kissing him back, enjoying his lips against mine a little too much.

He presses me back a few steps until my legs hit the bed, and then I'm falling back onto it. He stands over me, breathing rapidly.

"Tell me what's going on," he demands.

"Why did you kiss me?" I ask breathlessly. More importantly, why did I let him?

"Something is wrong, I can tell. I can feel it."

His eyes suddenly drag to right beside where I lie, noting the tied up sheet that obviously has something bundled up within it. He frowns, reaching for it, but on instinct, I block his arm.

He frowns. "What are you hiding?"

"It's nothing," I stammer, scooping it up into my arms before getting up, backing away from him. He doesn't advance on me, he just watches me suspiciously, knowing my poor excuse isn't going to get me out of this.

"You're running away, aren't you?"

His expression betrays nothing, but even he can't fight away the hurt that comes through in his voice.