Never before had she noticed his smell until now. She should still smell her own floral scent since they both had taken a shower after gardening, but it had faded and now the only scent that kept surrounding her was Lucca.
Lucca rubbed the hair he held. “What’s wrong, darlin’?”
Clasping her hands together, she wished she could wring them, but she was unable to with the bandages. Not wanting to tell him she liked the way he smelled and that it made her feel uncomfortable, she nervously gave him half the truth.
“I-I miss them.”
He went silent but continued to twirl her hair. Then his voice finally reached her ears. “Do you want to talk to her?”
Turning, she looked at him, more surprised by this than by anything else he had said all night.
“Elle? You’ll let me talk to her?”
She knew before the next few words were passed his lips that it was too good to be true. Everything came at a price.
“Yes, darlin’ … But you will have to give me something in return.”
Twenty-Six
Hovering His Fingertips Over the Top of the Scar
“W-What do you want?” she whispered, wishing she hadn’t asked.
“You will have to let me touch you …” Letting go of the strand he held, he leaned over. Then he raised his hand to the scar on her face, tracing it as he hovered his fingers from inches away. “Here.”
Her racing heart thumped through her ears. “If I-I say yes, y-you’ll let me talk to Elle?”
Leaning back in the chair, he removed the hand that was dangerously close to her face. “Yes, but only for a few minutes, darlin’.”
“W-Why are you letting me?” It was too hard to believe, even if he was getting something out of it. Lucca had proved up until this point that whatever he wants, he takes.
“I have pushed her off long enough by texting, and she’s now demanding a phone call. It’s to the point she will know something is wrong if I don’t let you talk to her.”
“I-I’ll do it.” Maybe I’ll be able to warn her.
It was like he could sense exactly what she thought as his eyes went dark. “I’ll be right here listening, so you won’t be able to try anything, Chloe. You have to make her believe you’re in California. Do you understand?”
You have to make her believe you’re in California. She understood exactly what that meant, knowing Lucca wouldn’t be above hurting Elle. “Y-Yes.”
His eyes changed back, softening now. “If you can do that, I’ll let you talk to her every once in a while.”
“Really?” She couldn’t help feeling an ounce of hope.
“If it will make you happy”—he ran his fingers down a strand of her silky hair—“then yes, darlin’.”
Giving him a smile, she couldn’t believe how she was getting used to him touching her hair in the little time she had been here. Chloe was trusting him, even when he got extremely close to her skin.
Pulling out her phone from his pocket, he pulled up Elle’s contact. “Ready?”
No!
She somehow managed to nod, silently hoping she could pull this off.
Lucca handed over the phone to her after dialing.
Holding her cell phone that she hadn’t touched in weeks up to her ear felt almost foreign. She listened to the ringing, waiting for Elle to pick up while taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Finally, the phone was answered on one of the last possible rings with a sweet and happy voice she hadn’t heard in far too long.
“Hello!”
She felt ghost tears wanting to fall from her eyes. It was indescribable how happy she was.
“Chloe …?” The excitement in Elle’s voice started to fade.
Chloe was too afraid to speak; afraid her voice would betray her and alarm Elle.
She felt her hair move and looked over to see Lucca twirling a strand. Staring and feeling the repetitive motion begin to soothe her, she calmed enough to speak.
“Hey, Elle.”
“I’m so happy you called me, Chloe. I’ve missed you so much.” Elle was now getting emotional on the other end.
Focusing on his hand twirling her hair, she kept it together. “I know. I’ve missed you, too. I still do.”
Elle sniffled before laughing it off. “How are you? How’s school? Tell me everything!”
“It’s going okay,” she told her, not wanting to oversell it. “It’s just different, I guess, and you’re not here with me, but I’m doing good. School is keeping me pretty busy.”
“Is everyone treating you nicely?” Elle asked. It was what she was obviously worried about the most.
Chloe pulled her eyes up to Lucca’s face. “Yes, no one is picking on me or calling me a freak here.”
“Oh, thank God.” A weight seemed to lift off her friend. “I was so worried about that.”
“Now it’s your turn to tell me everything. How’s college?”
Chloe listened to Elle tell her everything she had missed and what college life was like for her. She expected Lucca to take the phone away, as he had said only a few minutes, but he didn’t, seeming content with listening to her voice and playing with her hair. Strangely, she found it kind of nice.