The woman couldn’t have been older than thirty-five and wore smudged eyeliner that was a little too heavy around the bottom of her eyes. The room and the doctor were very eclectic and looked like they had begun to bleed into one another. Rich crimsons, vibrant teals, and burnt amber covered the room in paint and in fabric. It was almost enough to be blinding.
She finished whatever she was writing down and gave Odette a meaningful look, “What do you think of your new house? Is it bigger than your old one?”
“It’s bigger … I like my room. It gives me a nice view of the trees and it’s a lot more spacious than my old one. I’ve been trying to unpack everything but it seems like there are more boxes than I remember,” Odette added with a laugh. She was finding it hard to look at the woman as she talked, she didn’t like that Dr. Noel wouldn’t look away from her either.
“Have you met your neighbors?”
She nodded her head. “Yeah, they even invited us to dinner a few nights ago.”
Dr. Short pursed her lips, her eyes smiling. Odette felt like the doctor was treating her more like a wild animal, one which had an unpredictable nature. It was unsettling.
“Were they nice? Did they have any children your age?” Her pen was poised and ready on the sheet of paper, Odette noticed.
“Actually, yes they did. Two of them, just a little older than me. They were nice and I think the girl considers me as a friend,” Odette told her, toying with the mustard yellow pillow in her lap. “Her brother, I don’t know what he thinks. He seems nice too. It would be nice to have some friends here, seeing as I won’t really make any at my school.”
This made the doctor frown. “Why would you think that, Odette?”
“Probably because I’m homeschooled.”
Dr. Short hesitated, her brown eyes narrowing slightly. A tiny giggle escaped her, followed by an almost inaudible snort. Odette laughed a little as well, happy that she could lighten the overly critical atmosphere.
“Well then,” Dr. Short began to compose herself once more. “Tell me more about yourself and what you did before you moved to Maine. You mentioned that you were a ballerina, yes?” She flipped back through her notes to make sure that she had that right. “Do you miss it?”
Odette looked away from the therapist and focused on one of her many elephant decorations in the room. Dancing—a sore subject. Odette sucked her lip into her mouth and bit into it, fighting against the tightness in her chest.
“Sometimes, but I know that I probably shouldn’t have been doing it anyway. I was always at risk of making myself worse or ending up in the hospital,” she answered.
Dr. Short’s eyebrows pinched together and she wrote something down. “And … what if you were suddenly healed? Would you go back then?”
Odette couldn’t hide her snort of dissatisfaction, “If the hole in my heart suddenly closed up? I don’t know, I think that I’ve missed that mark. There really is no point in thinking about it.”
More writing. Odette could practically hear pessimist with every scratch.
“But, if I was, I wouldn’t,” she replied seriously. “It’s my last year and I never wanted to be a professional dancer. I didn’t see myself doing it past college, or even in college. I think I would just … go somewhere, like Europe, and sightsee.”
Odette really wished that there was a clock in the room with them, not just the watch on Dr. Short’s wrist that was too far away to read. Her legs ached with the desire to get out but she refused to tap her foot or shake her leg.
“You mentioned college; do you have any idea what you would like to do after you graduate?”
“Not really.” Odette’s face twisted up. “Well … I’ve considered some things but they’re still up in the air. I’ve been more focused on my health than much of anything else in recent years.”
Dr. Short cocked her head to the side before speaking. “Have you thought about doing something medical? After all, you are around it a lot.”
Odette shook her head “no” firmly. “No. I don’t like it because I’m around it a lot.”
Odette could see the shadows of the trees through her eyelids. The sun was harsh but she didn’t care at the moment. She felt so refreshed, especially when the wind would pick up, blowing her hair across her face. For now, she could relax. No doctors, no one worrying about her … not yet anyway. Soon, it would be too hot for her to be outside and Odette knew her mom would be on her instantly.
Beside her, her phone buzzed, drawing her attention away from the fresh air. She didn’t know who would be messaging her, it couldn’t be her mother. Pamela would just come outside if she needed her.
Shielding her eyes, she squinted to see a name—Greer. “Hey, I wanted to know if you were allowed to come and sleepover tonight. Text me back as soon as you can.”
A sleepover. Odette hadn’t had a sleepover since before the “accident.” She sprung to her feet and carefully sprinted back inside to where her mother sat, typing away on her laptop.
“Hello, Mommy,” Odette said, kissing her mother on the cheek. She sat beside her mother with her arms around the older woman.
Her mother paused her typing and looked at her daughter suspiciously. “What do you want? You only do the ‘mommy’ thing if you’re aggravated or want something and you think I’ll say no.”
Odette scoffed. “That’s not true. I call you ‘mother’ when I’m aggravated but that’s beside the point,” she took a deep breath before continuing. “Greer Mages invited me to her house for a sleepover tonight … can I go?”
She shut her eyes and silently wished for her mother to say yes.
Pamela chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought it over, leaving her daughter even more nervous. “You’ll have to set an alarm for when to take your meds, I can pack them up for you in separate bags along with some Tylenol or Aleve. Make sure you pack enough clothes and a pillow … oh, and don’t forget your toothbrush.”
Odette’s eyes popped open. “You’re saying I can go?”
Her mom laughed, shaking her head. “Yes, I’m saying you can go. I’m not heartless. I still need you to be responsible, so you can take everything you need to take. They live just down the road so, should anything happen, I can be there quickly.”
Odette squealed, tackling her mother in a hug. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you, Mom! I’m going to start packing right now!” She kissed her mom on the head and climbed the stairs to her room with a speed that her mother reprimanded her for.
She texted Greer back, letting her know that she could go and asked if Greer needed anything for her to pick up. She couldn’t believe that she was finally getting to be somewhat normal again.
The day couldn’t pass fast enough, so Odette took naps and read to save her strength for whatever the night would bring. From somewhat knowing Greer, she figured that they would be doing some pretty crazy things. Greer didn’t seem like the “silly” type who would play hide-and-seek in her mansion; she seemed like the type of girl who would take you to a party and somehow induct you into a cult.
By six, Odette insisted on walking over to the Mages’ house by herself. She lost that argument and her mother hopped into the car and drove her there, even though it was pretty pointless. Again, the gates had been left open for Greer’s guests to arrive. She didn’t specify how many people would be there but Odette assumed there would be a lot.
She was wrong. Only two cars had parked in the Mages’ driveway and, while multiple people could have arrived in them, something told her that this was a more “intimate” gathering.
“Know your limits, Det. If you have to rest, just tell them. I’m sure they’ll understand,” said her mom.
Odette smiled, kissing her mom’s cheek. “I will.” A complete lie.
The front doors were just as intimidating as they were last time, the ugly knocker staring her down. She eyed it as she pressed the doorbell, hoping it wouldn’t do anything weird. The door was opened a moment later by Zeke, dre
ssed just as fancy as last time.
“Hey, Odette,” he greeted, stepping aside. “I’m assuming you’re here for Greer’s sleepover?”
“Yes, I am.”
Zeke nodded and started walking. “Follow me then.”
The further they went into the house, the more noise that Odette heard. There was shouting but not in an angry way. It was a girl shouting and lots of giggling.
They passed one of the first open doors that Odette had seen and there sat Grayson, reading something while frowning. Their footsteps must have disturbed him because his concentration broke away from the novel a second later. His eyes snapped to hers instantly and he smirked. A second later, she passed by him completely, the wall cutting off their stare.
Odette shook her head, turning back around. She wasn’t there to see him anyway; she was here to see her sort-of-friend, Greer. The sound of footsteps behind her made Odette feel a mix of panic and excitement as Grayson jogged to catch up with her and Zeke.
“I can take her from here, Zeke,” Grayson stated, looking at her.
Zeke pursed his lips, looking between him and Odette. Finally, he sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “If you insist.” He backed away and then disappeared around a corner.
“Hey,” she greeted.
“Hello, princess. How are you feeling this evening?”
Odette smiled. “Great, I’ve been resting up all day, so that I would have enough energy for this evening.” He called me princess, she thought, a light pink dusting her cheeks.
“I’m glad to hear that, if you’re hanging out with Greer, then you’ll need it.” He adjusted the sleeves of his button up and a reflection caught her eye. It was his gem stone. Did he ever take that thing off?
He looked good, she noted, although he looked good on every other time she had seen him. This time, he was disheveled but in a cute way. His hair hadn’t been gelled back like it always was, leaving it in a floppy brown wave. Another thing she noticed was that they were completely alone.
If she hadn’t been nervous before, she was now.
Trying to break the sudden tension, Odette had to think of something fast. “Uh, it must be awful for you to have to deal with your sister’s friends coming over to hang out and do girly stuff,” she joked.
Grayson only shrugged, pressing his hand in the small of her back, but he wasn’t walking or escorting her. He was just … touching her. “It’s not as bad as you would think. The house is big enough that I can avoid you all without you knowing it.”
Odette laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you do that often?”
“If I feel like it.”
The conversation stopped and Odette held her breath. Being near him was making it hard to breathe. He was just so intimidatingly beautiful but something inside of her was screaming for her to run away from him.
“Which way to the party?” she asked suddenly.
Grayson nodded his head in its general direction and the walking finally began again. His fingers pressed into her back, tapping imaginary codes and making it stiflingly hot in the cotton sundress she wore.
They turned a few more corners and up a flight of stairs before reaching the correct room.
Grayson knocked on the door and Greer answered it.
“Grays? And Odette! Finally! I was beginning to think you fell in a ditch or something. Come in and meet the girls.”
Greer tore her away from Grayson and into the very purple room. It ranged from a deep prunish color to the palest of lilacs. Two other girls were in the room too, one laying on the bed and the other on the floor.
“You can leave now, brother,” Greer commented and, with a flick of her hand, the door slammed shut. “Girls, this is Odette Sinclair, she moved into the house down the street. Odette, this is Bonnie and Nadia.”
Bonnie was a curvy girl with deep auburn hair and had a smattering of freckles on her nose. She looked up from her position on the floor and waved politely.
Nadia was a small girl with large doe eyes and bluish, black hair. She had a deep tan to her skin and pretty hazel eyes; she wore all green, strangely enough, but she made it work. Her smile was more reserved and she flicked her dark hair over her shoulder.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Nadia said in a quiet voice.
Greer placed both hands on Odette’s shoulders and led her over to her vanity, then sat Odette down in front of it. “Are you ready for your makeover?”
“We’re going to make you look so hot,” Bonnie added, standing up to be next to Greer.
“Okay.”
Greer looked over her shoulder at Nadia. “Nadi, can you pick out something appropriate for Odette to wear?”
Odette furrowed her eyebrows but said nothing. She was actually really excited about this but there seemed to be another plot to this besides a makeover.
Bonnie and Nadia chatted avidly while Nadia showcased different clothing choices to her. Greer took out a comb and started to run it through Odette’s hair in long, gentle strokes.
“You know, Odette,” Greer murmured in a sweet, calm voice. “You could be a Mages sibling, you have the hair for it … and the eyes, well, eye. It doesn’t hurt that you’re pretty either.”
Odette’s face turned red. “Oh … thank you.”
Greer, however, continued on, maybe she hadn’t heard what Odette was saying at all. “But my brother wouldn’t like being related to you.”
This caught the other girls’ attention.
“W-why?”
Greer paused mid-brush and smirked, looking more like her brother in that moment. “Why? Because he likes you, darling. He thinks about you all the time, it’s so distracting.”
“Oooh, Graysie’s got a crush,” Bonnie sang.
Nadia remained passive, “Does he really?”
Odette ignored the two girls and looked Greer in the eyes through the mirror. “Why are you telling me this?”
Greer continued her brushing and shrugged her shoulders. “Because I approve of you, you’re not like the other girls he’s liked before. And because you like him back.” She paused yet again to meet Odette’s eyes in the mirror. “Don’t try to deny it either.”
“I seriously doubt your brother has a crush on me. I’m sure that there are many other girls in this town—or anywhere—that he would like much better.” Odette started chewing on her lip and playing with her fingers. Did he really like me? Could he?
It seemed almost obvious when she thought about it but, at the same time, it didn’t. He could just like making her feel flustered.
“You’d be surprised.”
She twisted a piece of Odette’s hair back and pinned it, then started to apply makeup to Odette’s face. They didn’t talk anymore during this time. Odette wasn’t bothered by this; her mind was going a thousand miles a minute.
Next thing she knew, she was pulled from the chair and passed off to Nadia and Bonnie, who handed her a bundle of clothes and shoved her behind a glittery purple changing screen.
The outfit they had given her was most definitely something of Greer’s because it looked like the clothes Greer owned. They were form-fitting and eye-catching and very short. The skirt did not cover much of anything on her legs, and the shirt clung to her like a second skin. Odette timidly stepped out from the screen a moment later, tugging on the hem of her skirt.
“You look great.” Bonnie said, dabbing lipstick on her lips. She rolled them together and blotted, fixing herself in the mirror.
“You look wonderful, dear,” Greer cooed, slipping on a pair of her bright teal heels. “I think you need a boy’s opinion, though.” She threw Odette a pair of flats from her closet and motioned for her to put them on.
Greer grabbed Odette’s phone and handed it to her and shoved her out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Nadia lounged against the opposite wall, fluffing her stick straight hair with her fingertips.
“Grayson?! Where are you?!” Greer called out into the house.
Grayson�
��s faint reply echoed up to where the girls were standing. “The library!”
Odette knew that this was most definitely a bad idea. Greer grabbed onto her hand and sprinted down the hallway to the grand staircase and back through the maze of hallways that Odette had only been through once before. Even though she was in heels, Greer never stumbled once during their sprint. The same could not be said for Odette.
The other girls either didn’t run with them or got lost somewhere. Both of those choices seemed logical to Odette. They had most likely been here so many times that they didn’t need to run to get to where they were going, or they just didn’t want to come. Greer certainly didn’t care at the moment.
“Brother, we need your opinion on something,” Greer cooed just outside of the library’s doors.
Grayson sighed exasperatedly, “I have told you before, I am no longer giving you insight to the inner workings of the male mind. I learned my lesson when we were thirteen.”
The wooden door opened up further, the deep red carpet being the first thing Odette saw walking in. He had the fireplace lit even though it was sweltering that evening. Grayson was lounging on the couch, a book in one hand while the other dangled off the back of the couch.
Odette looked down, she really didn’t want to bother him.
Greer laughed mockingly, pulling the other girl inside the room even further. “As if I need you to know what goes on in a guy’s head. No, I need you to tell Odette how she looks.”
Her twin’s head shot up at the mention of the name, eyes meeting Odette’s. The room fell quiet except for the crackling of the fire and Odette’s heavy breathing. He looked at her, Odette thought, like she was the only thing in the room. To him, his sister melted away into the background of the house, just another piece of decor.
He let his eyes fall from hers to drop lower and lower, picking apart her outfit. Odette felt exposed under his gaze.
“And where are you going dressed like that?” he asked, his voice strained.
Violent Delights Page 5
