Violent Delights

by Boggs, Hannah;

  “You may applaud any time,” he commented, smoothing down his wavy hair.

  Odette gaped, shaking her head. “You’re … amazing. How?”

  He waved his hand, stepping closer to her. “It’s just magic.” He entwined their fingers, smirking down at her stupefied face. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, making her more stunned than before.

  “Hi,” she said quietly.

  Grayson wet his lips. “Hello.”

  He was about to move in to kiss her again, Odette could sense it. He was unnaturally warm today but that didn’t bother her. She liked that he was warm because he could hold her close and make her feel safe. His breath fanned over her lips when there was a small meow that stole her attention away.

  Grayson grunted, “The cat is back.”

  Runt darted into the room, swirling around her owner’s legs playfully. When the kitten did look up to regard the visitor, they both almost glared at each other.

  Odette sighed, releasing Grayson’s hands. She nudged the kitten away, giving her gentle pets in return for having to neglect her for a little longer. “Stay there,” she mumbled.

  Runt meowed with displeasure, stumbling forward. Odette didn’t look back, turning her attention to the boy instead.

  “So … um … why are you here exactly?” she asked sheepishly. She wished that he would try and kiss her again but she wouldn’t say anything for the time being.

  Grayson turned away from something he had been looking at and back to her. “Do I need a reason to want to see you?”

  Odette blushed, rubbing her arm. “No, I guess you don’t.”

  “Are you going to Greer’s brunch tomorrow?” He leaned against her vanity, crossing his arms casually.

  “I don’t know yet,” Odette murmured. “Mom hasn’t really made up her mind yet.”

  She could tell that Grayson knew there was more to the story; he always seemed to know. It was the face that he made, the one that her mom made sometimes when she caught her in a lie. His lips were pursed lightly, eyebrows rose, and head tilted back. She felt guilty.

  “I’d like to,” Odette added, almost too fast. “But she might have something else planned.”

  Grayson’s expression didn’t change for several seconds. Odette began to wonder if she had actually said something wrong and replayed her words in her head. She couldn’t find any fault with them, and then she came to the conclusion that something else was bothering him.

  Almost as if he had been suddenly unthawed, he sighed, his shoulders sagging and his hand running through his hair. “You could always sneak out if you’re worried about not being able to go.”

  Odette snorted, laughing so loud that she probably caught her mother’s attention downstairs. “That’s very funny.”

  “Is it?”

  “I could never sneak out of my house, like, ever. My parents are helicopters; they are constantly in my business and around me. Even if I had the opportunity to get out, I would have maybe ten minutes before they notice that I’m too quiet,” Odette informed him. “And that’s not all, they’ll freak out and think the worst of the situation. They’ll think that I ran off to kill myself or that I’ve been kidnapped or that I’m fifty miles away off the side of the road, passed out. It would be even worse if they found out I snuck out to see my boyfriend and they’ll probably try to ship me off to a convent.”

  Grayson rolled his eyes. “That’s an exaggeration.”

  Odette threw her hands up in the air, wanting to scream in frustration. “It’s really not. They wouldn’t let us see each other again and do everything in their power to make sure we had zero contact.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. Grayson’s face darkened significantly. She took a deep breath, the angry fire inside of her dying down.

  “The moral of the story is that there will be zero sneaking out, okay?” Odette was much calmer now, her voice much gentler. “I’ll just have to hope for the best. Besides, it’s not like I won’t have other chances to see you two.” She laughed softly, turning back to the boy.

  The first thing that she noticed was how tight he was holding the edge of her desk. His knuckles were white and his hands shook. “You can’t leave me.”

  His tone was so deep that it didn’t even sound like him talking. The trembling from his hands spread to his arms and his shoulders until his whole body was shaking.

  “Oh my God, Grayson, are you okay?” Odette asked. She reached out to touch his arm but his hand snatched hers so fast that it was there before she could blink. His grip was too hard and she could feel her bones grinding together. “Y-you’re hurting me.”

  “I mean it,” he rasped. “You can’t leave me.”

  That same deranged look that she had seen the other day was back. His eyes were darker than normal and unusually dull despite the tears that glittered in them.

  Odette wrenched her hand back but it only pulled him closer to her. “Let go of my hand, you’re hurting me,” she said again in a firmer voice.

  Automatically, his hand released hers. “I’m sorry,” but he didn’t sound like it. He sounded far away. The strange craziness had yet to leave his features. “Your pain is beautiful … but I could never hurt you or make you bleed …”

  “Excuse you?” Odette choked out. Her stomach was twisting up in knots. The room was suddenly too cold and too small for her liking.

  Grayson blinked a few times and the dark shadow over his face vanished. He tilted his head, frowning, almost like he couldn’t understand why she was so terrified. The heat that radiated off of him only made her uncomfortable now. It was reaching out to her and trying to suffocate her. Like he hadn’t been the one who had almost broken her hand.

  “Step back,” Odette commanded. Her hands twitched with the desire to push him back but she didn’t want to risk him crushing her again. Her palm was pulsing uncomfortably.

  This really puzzled him. “What?”

  His blue eyes softened, losing the insanity that plagued them, but it really didn’t matter.

  “I told you to step back.” She kept her voice level, her eyes narrowed.

  She could actually see the sadness settling over his face. No—it wasn’t sadness, it was heartbreak. Odette’s heartstrings tugged but her resolution was stronger than some stupid doe eyes. She almost wanted to tell him that they had only been out on one date; they had only known each other for a little over a month.

  “I think you should go. I don’t really want to see you anymore.” Her voice was strong, her words like a poison. “Or ever.”

  “Odette—” he started, his hand coming up to cup her face.

  Odette flinched, swiveling her head away. “You can use the window since it seems convenient.”

  Grayson was at a loss for words. He stumbled back like she had slapped him—which Odette was tempted to do—and reached for the window. He ducked through it just as gracefully as he had the first time before he dropped out of sight.

  Odette went over and slammed the window shut, glaring at the screen that laid abandoned on the floor beside her. She kicked it under her bed, the noise startling Runt from her nap.

  XV

  At Lighthouse of Christ, it seemed that every person there heard of what happened to Odette, specifically, her being in the hospital after the date with Grayson. Their concern was sweet but that wasn’t the main focus. They wanted the gossip. How her relationship with the great celebrity Grayson Mages was going. Odette was surprised at how, each time she came to this church, it got more and more uncomfortable.

  “My granddaughter saw a picture of Grayson on that smartphone of hers and she said that he had a girl with him!” exclaimed one lady, Ida, who had grabbed ahold of Odette. “I said, ‘who is it’ and she said that she didn’t know, but I recognized your picture, yes I did. You looked so pretty and he looked so handsome. I was so devastated to hear that the date ended with the both of you in the hospital and all these rumors going around about what happened.
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  “And then I hear from Anne Landry, the sheriff’s mother who is my next-door neighbor, that a young girl has found a dead body in her backyard. I was mortified and I asked her what the name of the young lady was and imagine my surprise when I learned that it was you again. Poor girl, you can’t seem to catch a break, can you?”

  Odette smiled, You have no idea. She opened her mouth to try and excuse herself but it seemed like Ms. Ida wasn’t done talking yet and held her there with her wrinkly hand.

  “So, how are you and Grayson? He’s a very nice boy, yes, yes. How did you two meet? Is he good to you?” Ida asked, her beady brown eyes glittering greedily for all of the gossip.

  Where the heck is my mother?! Odette screamed in her mind.

  “U-um, well, we met at one of their magic shows … but the Mages family is actually our next-door neighbors, so that’s how we formally met. I’m friends with his sister and he and I just got closer.” Until he tried to break my wrist yesterday, but, other than that, we are peachy. Real husband material.

  Odette turned her head to the side, craning her neck to see if she spotted either of her parents. Unfortunately for her, neither of them were in the sanctuary, but a lot of other older women were and they all stared at Odette like vultures. They all wanted to console her but they also wanted to know about her “boyfriend.” Maybe she should just tell them all that they aren’t technically together at the moment and hope that they lose interest.

  A flash of silver caught her attention in the sea of silver-haired grandmothers. Instead of this one showing age, this silver hair was like a halo of liquid metal. She was surprised no one else had looked at this person.

  “Excuse me, please. I have to go find my parents,” Odette said suddenly. She smiled as sweetly as she could and spun on her heel, following the shiny-headed person.

  She exited through the arched door of the church, the muggy summer air hitting her full force. She squinted against the sun, looking around the parking lot for the mystery parishioner. She recognized him; the guy had been popping up lately but she couldn’t put her finger on how she knew him. It was very irritating.

  A cold hand wrapped around her upper bicep, pulling her behind a wall. Odette squeaked, ready to kick whoever it was in between the legs. She whirled around and came face-to-face with the hair of the guy she was looking for.

  “You!” she cried. “Who are you?! I know that we must have met before.”

  “I-it doesn’t m-matter, m-miss,” the man stuttered.

  Odette frowned and shrugged his hands off of her. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the guy. “Well, you can’t just pull me into a random corner without telling me who you are. Can I see your face?”

  Just talking to someone’s hair was off the wall. Not to mention, a little rude.

  “NO!”

  A strong wave of déjà vu washed over her. Odette bent forward and squinted. She tried to make out his features through his bowed head and thick strands of hair. “Pine? No, that’s not even close,” she murmured to herself. “T-Toren? Thorn! Thorn, that’s your name, right? You help with the Mages’ shows?”

  The man’s shoulders tensed. “Y-yes m-miss.”

  “I think I’ve had a dream about you before,” Odette thought out loud. “Sorry, that probably sounds weird. Why are you here?”

  Thorn hesitated before he talked. “Y-you’re in g-g-grave d-danger, miss. Yo-you need t-to leave Sunwick Grove b-before i-it’s too late.”

  The hot breeze brought goose bumps to Odette’s arms. A strange reaction but she was certain that it was caused by his words rather than the wind.

  “I’m sorry?” Odette laughed nervously at his vague warning. “I can’t just pack up and leave, you know that, right? I’m still a minor and I wouldn’t go anywhere without my parents. I don’t even have any money.”

  Thorn looked up as much as he could, his whole demeanor agitated and uncomfortable. “M-miss—”

  “I’m not in any danger either,” Odette added. “Except the danger of more hospital bills.”

  “There-there is n-not much th-that can b-be done for you now, miss,” Thorn stated. “I-I just ho-hope you can s-survive i-it.”

  Odette pinched her eyebrows together. She glanced behind her, surveying the area before she spoke again. “What are you warning me from?”

  The churchyard had gone unusually quiet despite the number of cars still present outside. Most parishioners, Odette reflected, liked to talk outside when the service was over. It was cooler out in the open than it was inside the stuffy building, so what were they all still doing in there?

  She turned her attention back to the man in front of her who seemed to be near tears. Odette stepped back a fraction, surprised. Thorn sounded like he was one wrong word away from crying the whole time they were talking, but actually watching his shoulders shake and hearing the whimpers startled her.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Thorn shook harder, whimpering like a dog. “I-I-I can’t s-s-say!”

  “If you can’t say then why did you bother coming to warn me at all?” She was beginning to become fed up with the man but she would give him the benefit of the doubt. Odette reached out to give him a reassuring pat on the arm but the man recoiled. “Did Grayson send you to scare me?”

  “N-no, miss, m-my m-masters have no-no idea that I-I’m here,” he sobbed. “M-master G-Grayson came h-home s-so a-angry and-and sad yesterday. He still w-won’t leave his room.”

  Odette frowned. “Well, that was his own fault. If you know what happened and have come here with some convoluted plan to get me to run back into his arms, it won’t work. If there’s any danger around here, it’s probably him.”

  Thorn whimpered again, the sound high-pitched and grating against her eardrums.

  “Odette?”

  The girl whirled around a little too fast and saw her parents walking out of the doors of the church. For some reason, she was worried about them seeing Thorn. She wanted to turn around and tell him to leave like she was keeping him like some big secret, but she wasn’t, and Thorn was just another person that she was talking to. Her mother would probably be thankful that she was talking to someone else besides the Mages.

  Pamela smiled, her eye darting between her daughter and the fleeing man. “Who was that?”

  Odette looked back and was surprised that Thorn was gone. “Oh, he was just someone who wanted to know how I was doing.”

  “Oh. What was his name?”

  “Didn’t catch it. He had a stutter and it was a little hard to understand him.” Odette smiled slightly and walked towards where they had their car parked.

  In the car, Odette sat in the back seat and played with the seat belt that ran across her chest. Her father started the car and looked up at her through the mirror. “Have you heard from Greer lately?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Odette could see her mother’s face in the mirror. She remained passive but Odette knew that her mom wouldn’t rat her out if she lied. After all, Odette really wasn’t feeling like going to see the Mages anyway. And yet, Odette couldn’t make herself come up with a story. “Um, I have. She has a brunch thing going on today but I don’t know if I’m up to it.” It wasn’t a complete lie, being inside of that church had drained her of her energy. She didn’t feel like having to go into the mansion where he lived and run the risk of seeing him, but Greer was her friend and she couldn’t avoid her forever.

  Jonah’s face hardened. “C’mon Odette, not this. These are your friends. Do you not want to be friends with them anymore, is that it?”

  “What? No! That’s not it at all, Dad. I’m really tired and I don’t think I can do it. I’ll still have plenty of opportunities to see her after this,” Odette insisted. The car was starting to feel too hot for her and the scrutinizing glare from her father wasn’t helping matters.

  “You’re not going to have any friends if you keep ditching them.”

  Odette wanted to snort. Keep? When have I avoided th
em up until now?! “I’m not avoiding her and I haven’t avoided her. Pushing me to go isn’t going to make me gain the energy to go, nor is it going to make me want to.”

  “Too bad.” With that, he slammed his foot on the gas and sped off in the direction of the Mages’ mansion. Her father quite literally kicked her to the curb once they reached their destination. He didn’t bother pulling in the wide open wrought iron gates, but idled just outside of them. Her mother offered her no assistance out of this situation even though she herself wanted to avoid it and watched as Odette was forced out of the car.

  “Enjoy yourself. Text us when you’re done.” Jonah’s words were final and brought angry tears to her eyes.

  Odette gritted her teeth and walked with her head held high through the gates, not looking back at either of her parents. In her head, she had some more colorful names for them but she refrained from showing more anger than she already was. After all, it would be kind of rude to show up to Greer’s house saying, “Hi, my stupid parents made me come. How are you? I’m starved. Please keep your brothers at least three floors away from me.”

  The ugly knocker seemed to sympathize with her today but she still didn’t bother to use it. “Don’t worry,” she murmured. “When I grow an extra two feet, I’ll use you.”

  The knocker laughed silently at her joke.

  Moments later, the front door was opened by Zeke. He was very surprised to see her standing there. “Hey, dude! How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay.” A lie. “It’s nice to see you again, Zeke.”

  “Yeah, you too. Are you here for Grayson?” he asked.

  Odette made a face and Zeke winced; obviously, he knew of his bad mood too.

  “Ah, not really. Greer. She invited me to a brunch thing. I wasn’t sure if I was coming until today …”

  Odette rocked back and forth on her feet, suddenly very aware of how much of a mess she probably looked like. Her sundress was clinging to her uncomfortably and her hair was too frizzy to be considered cute, but she shouldn’t be worried about that. She should be worried about leaving as soon as possible.