Page 102 of Equilibrium
Well, I wasn’t gonna stick around and wait to see what Storm had planned. Like the wholesome adult I was, I was going to run. After all, that was my best quality.
Running away.
And I mean, what would happen even if I stayed?
He would come home and would try to explain what happened and why. And like a good little stupid girl, I would probably fall for his shit.
I would fall for his bullshit because I wanted this.
I wanted him and everything he had. His baggage, his demons, I wanted it all. I wanted to give him my heart. I wanted to show him who I truly was, not this picture everyone painted of me.
I couldn’t trust myself around him. He had a power over me no other man ever possessed, and it freaked me the fuck out. Last night while he was carving his name into my flesh, I could feel it in the air.
This madness that connected us. This weird energy flowing between us.
I could feel the fight leaving my body. I could feel my heart expanding in my chest, this fucked-up euphoria coursing through my veins. I could feel my love for him taking over my body.
I was high. High from him, from the way he looked at me. The way his hands glided over my body, leaving scorch marks behind.
I guess I should’ve congratulated him. He shattered my walls, almost had me fooled. Almost had me trusting him fully.
I wasn’t sure if that guy, Sam, really turned me away, or if the situation just worked itself out in Storm’s favor.
I guess I would never know, because after today, I never wanted to see him again. They all played a part in this game he was carefully building. What a good laugh they must have had at my expense.
Silly Ophelia Aster, falling for a guy that never wanted to have her. He was more interested in her name than her as a person.
Fuck it.
“Ophelia.” The knock on the door pulled me back from my thoughts. “Are you in there?”
And where the fuck else would I be?
I walked to the door and pulled it open, revealing a smiling Zoe. God, I wanted to punch her in the face.
Maybe she had nothing to do with this, maybe she did, but I just needed to punch something. It couldn’t be Storm for obvious reasons, so somebody else would have to do. I just hoped that I would be able to get through this evening without any blood on my hands. I had a feeling that these people wouldn’t wait for their precious prez to handle me.
And look, I could handle two or three of them, but I couldn’t handle a bunch of angry bikers, so yeah.
Temper down.
I am the fucking epitome of Zen.
Love, peace and all that crap.
“Zoe, hi.” I grinned at her. If they could play this game, so could I. Just look at me being all friendly and shit. Ava would’ve been so proud.
When her eyes lit up at my happy demeanor, I could almost see us wearing matching bracelets andBest Friends Forevernecklaces. Dream on, dreamer. My whole life was filled with pretending and masks, so why not use it now?
“What’s up?” I asked her as she stood there, gaping at me.Well, come on, ZoZo girl, we don’t have the whole day. I have places to be, people to kill, a broken heart to mend... the usual things.
“I-I,” she stuttered.
“You…?” Patience wasn’t one of my virtues, but fuck if I was going to let myself slip now. No, nope. Zen. Fucking Zen.
Maybe I couldn’t kill them, maybe I didn’t want to kill them, but I could fool them long enough to get out of this shithole.
“I just came to tell you that Creed and the rest of the guys already did the full setup. We’re starting in about fifteen minutes.”
