Dark Desire

Chapter 37

I could feel the rage boiling inside me, threatening to spill over, but I didn't want to fight with him. Not here, not now. So, I tried to swallow it down, tried to focus on the fact that he was okay, that he was safe. But it was hard—so hard—when all I could think about was how terrified I'd been, how much he'd hurt me by not taking my fear seriously.

"Just tell me if you are okay and there's no one attacking you," I asked through gritted teeth, my voice still shaking with the effort to keep it together. I needed him to say it, to tell me that everything was fine, that there was no reason for me to be so scared. But even as the words left my mouth, I knew it wasn't enough. The damage was already done.

He looked at me, clearly taken aback by my tone, but he nodded. "Umm, yeah, I'm fine, Rose. There's no one here but me." His voice was softer now, more sincere, but it didn't make me feel any better. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, and I didn't know how to get rid of it.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, trying to calm down, but it was no use. The emotions were too strong, too overwhelming. I wanted to scream, to cry, to do something to release the pressure that was building up inside me. But instead, I just stood there, shaking with the effort to keep it all together.

Then, a certain someone's voice broke in, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me for the interruption i longed for. "Umm, all good, guys?" he asked, his voice tentative, as if he was afraid of interrupting something important. But it was enough to break the spell, to bring me back to reality.

I took the distraction which the guy brought and  quickly pushed my left hand towards my back to check if i had placed the gun back into my jeans safely. I used the other hand to comb through my hair, trying to smooth it down, trying to regain some semblance of control. The anger was still there, but it was starting to fade, replaced by a dull ache of exhaustion. I didn't have the energy to keep fighting, to keep being angry, plus my emotions shouldn't be all out there. It was risky.

I forced a smile, trying to hide the turmoil that was still raging inside me. "Hey, you never introduced me to your friends!" I said, my voice unnaturally bright, as if I could just brush off everything that had happened and pretend like it was nothing. But even as I spoke, I could see the disbelief in Eran's eyes, the way he was looking at me like he didn't recognize the person standing in front of him.

And maybe he didn't. Maybe I didn't recognize myself either.

He introduced me to his friends, and I tried to be polite, tried to act like nothing was wrong. But it was all an act, a mask I was putting on to hide the mess of emotions that was still churning inside me. I could feel Eran's eyes on me, watching, trying to figure out what had just happened. But I couldn't look at him, couldn't face the questions that I knew were coming.

As I shook hands with his friends, I felt a strange sense of detachment, like I was watching everything from a distance, like none of this was really happening.

 The fear, the anger, the chaotic confusion—it all felt like a surreal dream, something I would wake up from any moment now. But as the seconds ticked by and I remained firmly rooted in reality, the weight of everything started to settle back onto my shoulders, heavier than ever.

Eran's friends were polite, warm even, but I could tell they were unsettled by the tension in the air. Hunter, the one who had spoken earlier, was trying his best to keep things light, but the awkwardness was palpable. They had seen something between Eran and me—something that didn't quite add up to the cheerful introduction I was forcing myself to give.

The other guy, who was named as Ricky felt a bit weird to me. There was something in the way his eyes washed over me, as if he knew me but wasnt able to recall. I prayed silently, he doesnt know me, because i have never seen him before. His eyes seemed to burn with a quiet intensity as he studied me. He was reading the situation, putting together the pieces, and I could see his mind working behind his calm exterior. I avoided his gaze, knowing that if I met it, I might crumble under the weight of my own emotions.