16. Chapter 16

Abel

M y knife scrapes over her body gently. It would be so easy to apply just that little bit of extra pressure but I don't, not yet. Her skin is so smooth, like silk. I could imagine it would be just as easy to cut through. She isn't pale like milk, more like tea or weak coffee, would she taste just as bitter or has she been sweetened by sugar. Would it wake her if I licked her?

The temptation is strong as I watch her breath in and out. But I won't. Not yet.

She's too beautiful to mark up with my knife, a vision that haunts my thoughts. She needs a more personal touch, I long to feel her skin beneath my bare fingers, leaving marks behind that are uniquely mine. Every curve, every line of her body calls to me. My life, my very existence, is tied to hers in ways she can't yet comprehend. The first time I saw her, I immediately noticed the pull we had to one another as if my shadows were screaming to press against hers and feel a familiar friend. She is a goddess to be worshiped, and I am her humble devotee, come to save her from herself in the black of night.

We will worship her.

I shouldn't be in this room with her, it's a risk and I know my brother will comment on my foolishness. But it's clear he's just as attached as I am. He understands even if he doesn't see her the same way I do. She isn't just a random soul, she is our everything.

Which is why I am here standing over her as she sleeps, drawn by that irresistible force. My fingers trace the outline of her face, memorizing every detail. She stirs slightly, and I freeze, holding my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. But she doesn't wake.

I can't wait for her to finally embrace her true self, the one that hides behind so many layers of what she perceives as normal, for us to dance together again in the shadows.

The thought of it sends a thrill through me. The anticipation is almost unbearable, but I know the wait will be worth it. For when she does accept her fate, we will be unstoppable, bound together for eternity.

As I stand there, mesmerized by her beauty and consumed by my thoughts, a faint smile twitches on her lips. Is it a dream, a fleeting moment of happiness, or is she somehow aware of my presence, even in her slumber? Does she know on some subconscious level that I'm here in her space with her?

The room feels charged with an unspoken tension, as if the very air around us holds its breath. I lean closer to her, breathing in the scent of cherries. It's been my favorite scent for a long time now.

The scent of her.