Page 69 of My Dark Divine
“I don’t want to do any interviews,” Chloe retorts, sweeping her disdainful gaze over me. “That’s more your thing.”
Bitch. “Not an interview—just a brief speech. That’s all it’ll take. I’ll gather some information and help you organize it. All you have to do is deliver it.”
A tense silence blankets the conference room, the ticking clock adding to the oppressive atmosphere. Lucas clears his throat and nods, finally breaking it, “That... would be fantastic, Venetia. Exactly what Chloe needs. Just don’t make it too difficult for her, okay?”
I bite the inside of my cheek to stifle the irritation threatening to surface. It’s so unfair—she can’t even manage the bare minimum, while West has always worked himself to the bone. I’ve spent enough time with him to remember how deep and dark the bags under his eyes were—a testament to the fact that he was doing not just his job, but hers as well.
“Yes,” I say, forcing another smile. “I promise it won’t be difficult.”
“They look so much biggerthan the last time I was here!” I giggle, tightening my grip on Gracie, Cleo, and Jasper as they stubbornly try to lick my face clean. Their fluffy tails wag enthusiastically, hitting my arms a little too hard. “And heavier,” I add, bending down to gently settle them on the floor. “Jesus, I feel like I’ve missed all those precious moments from their puppyhood.”
Harper laughs as she folds one of their clear blankets in half and drapes it over her arm. “Not true. Though they do grow too fast, indeed. They’ve become much more playful.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “All three of them?”
She makes a tired grimace, eliciting a chuckle from me. “All three of them.”
I can’t express how happy I am to finally visit the rescue center. Even though it’s only been a couple of weeks, it feels like ages since I was last here. The place looks mostly the same, but there are a few new animals. Most of them have already undergone the necessary treatments and are now on the road to recovery.
“How was the trip?” Harper asks, her gentle voice breaking through my thoughts. “You look much better than before you left.”
A frown creases my brow. “What?” I ask in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re saying this just to be nice, and that I actually look worse.”
She shakes her head, her hair bouncing against her cheeks. It seems shorter than the last time I saw her, and while she’s always had gorgeous long hair, this new style suits her just as well.
“I’m being honest,” she replies. “Your eyes don’t look as tired. I saw some photos online. I know judging by pictures is a bit high school-ish, but hear me out—you both look really good together.”
My heart skips a beat at her words. No matter how much I try to distract myself from thoughts of West, they seem to follow me everywhere. He’s haunting me.
“Yeah,” I respond, uncertainty creeping into my voice. “I mean… Maybe? I still don’t know how I feel about him.” I snort. “And if I feel anything at all.”
“You get so nervous whenever we talk about him. There’s definitelysomethingthere, Venetia.”
I’ve never been so confused about my feelings before. It used to be straightforward—if I liked or disliked someone, I knewimmediately. Understanding my emotions wasn’t hard back then. Once, I was like a bubble filled with a whirlwind of feelings, each one driving me mad. My mind couldn’t keep up with the constant swirl of thoughts inside me. I felt so many things, and I never grew tired of it.
But then Zayden happened. During and after him, I stopped feeling anything at all. It was as if he flipped all the switches inside me that were responsible for expressing my emotions.
When I spend time with West, I feel a strange sensation stirring within me—a sensation that awakens senses that had been dormant for so long. Before this arrangement, all I felt was hate—raw and untamed—but now something else breaks through the thick veil of negativity.
His toxicity, obsessiveness, and unintentional care… They terrify me. Without realizing it, I opened a piece of my soul to him, never imagining the fallout. Now, I can’t escape the consequences—he’s all I can think about. I even devised that whole plan to frame his sister, and I don’t even know why. And it’s only a tiny part of me that he’s seen. I can’t even imagine what would happen if I let him in deeper.
I can’t allow that. I don’t want to suffer because of a man ever again. If he uncovers everything and reopens my old scars, I won’t be able to survive it. I’ll bleed out—this time, to death.
“Well, one way or another,” Harper nudges me with her shoulder, “you look better than you did with Zayden.”
The corner of my mouth twitches at the mention of him, and I swallow, my gaze dropping. I don’t like thinking about him—the wolf in sheep’s clothing who made my life so miserable that I couldn’t stop dreaming about ending it all. I’ll never forget how hard it was to wake up each day, knowing I had to play his partner again, fighting to swallow my tears every time I saw him.
I never knew I could be so weak until him.
“Any man is better than Zayden,” I say bluntly, knowing it’s a miserable lie. Because if any man truly were better, I would have found comfort in Eli or any of the other guys I’ve been with.
But only with West do I feel things I definitely shouldn’t.
Flashback
Age 16
Ifeel weirder every morning when I wake up. This time, bruises cover my thighs and arms, and I’m sore—so sore that I can hardly move my legs. Today is important, just like most days, and I can’t allow myself to rest, but it hurts so much that I can barely move.
