The smell of waffles woke me. My stomach grumbled, and I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since Friday. I slid out of bed, pulling a pair of jeans out of my dresser along with the nearest shirt. Depressed or not, I couldn’t handle another day in my bed. Twenty minutes later, I was me, showered, dressed, and making my way downstairs.
Being Sunday, my entire family was home, including my sisters. Jocelyn was piling her plate with only blueberries and strawberries.
Krista rolled her eyes. “Just eating fruit isn’t good, Joc. It’s full of sugar, you know.”
“What do you think those waffles are? Just more sugar. At least this is natural,” Jocelyn answered. At the same time, she put a few strawberries back into the bowl.
“You two, will you both just eat some food?” my dad grumbled. He glanced my way. “Samantha, how are you feeling?”
“Good,” I answered, making my way towards my mom.
She turned around from the waffle iron. Her eyes were rimmed in red. Has she been crying? “Are you hungry, honey?”
“Yes, starving. Thanks, Mom.” I took the proffered plate and then proceeded to load my waffle with syrup, fruit, and whipped topping. Sitting down at the table, I met my sisters’ gazes: Jocelyn’s a mixture of envy and revulsion, and Krista’s a smug look of satisfaction.
My dad grinned at me. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
I took three quick bites, hardly chewing what was in my mouth. My stomach felt like it was going to eat itself; I was desperate to appease it.
I swallowed and nodded. “Me too.”
The house phone rang, but I didn’t pay much attention to my mom answering it because my food had disappeared from my plate and I still felt ravenous. I glanced up to see Krista twirling her fork around in her syrup, waffle still there. I found it sad that even though Krista openly mocked Jocelyn for making her starvation obvious, she struggled to eat much herself. I stabbed another waffle off the stack, feeling slightly guilty my sisters’ both struggled with something I didn’t really understand.
“She is feeling better. Why don’t you come on over? We’re just having breakfast,” my mom said into the receiver.
My hand froze in the air, the whipped topping forgotten. I whirled around to stare at my mom. Who’s she talking to?
“Sounds good, Blake. I’ll let her know,” my mom answered.
My hand shook and fearing I’d drop it all, I set my food down. The plate’s clang on the counter echoed in my ears. My vision tunneled in on my exit, and I strode from the room. Just have to get to my bedroom, I told myself. And then what? Say I’m sick? I just said I felt better.
“Samantha?” my mom called after me.
I paused at the base of the staircase, the steps calling to me, promising me a way out of this mess.
I glanced at her. “Yeah?”
She appeared relieved, though I’m not sure why. “Blake’s coming over. Is that okay? He was so worried about you yesterday, poor kid. He called us like three times to make sure you didn’t leave your room and stayed in bed all day.”
I stared at her. Why would he do that? “Oh really? Yeah, that’s fine. I’m just going upstairs to… put more makeup on.” At least I’d come up with a believable lie this time.
She smiled brightly. “Good idea. I’m pretty sure with how much he worries about you, he really likes you.”
I hoped my smile didn’t look strangled and then I rotated, taking the stairs two at a time. I had to get away before my façade broke down. Once my door clicked shut, I glared at my vanity table. Ironically, the excuse I’d given my mom was the first thing I decided to follow through with. I dabbed lip gloss on, smeared on eyeliner, and brushed mascara through my lashes. I told myself the makeup gave me something to focus on other than my jumbled nerves and nauseous stomach.
When the doorbell rang, I cringed. I had yet to come up with a plan. I didn’t know how to act. Should I get him somewhere private and confront him? My insides contracted. Be alone with him? What am I thinking? That’s absolutely out of the question! He’s a psychopath! A lying monster who took pleasure in terrifying me!
I heard footsteps coming down the hall. My eyes darted between the door and my window. I heard a knock at my door, and I wrung my hands together. Maybe I could fly out of here…
“I’m coming,” I called, knowing suddenly disappearing from my room wasn’t really an option.
I turned the handle and pulled the door open; a pair of bright aqua eyes met mine.
He stepped forward, making his way into my room before I could make a sound. I backed up, my eyes wide, my voice failing me.
Blake’s eyes studied my face, and the amused smile died on his lips. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
This is it—do I yell at him or do I scream for help?
I panicked and clamped my mouth shut. I didn’t know what to do. I felt conflicted on so many levels. I didn’t even know Kory. I mean, should I really trust just his word anyway? So what if what he’d said made sense. There might be another explanation.
He frowned. “What’s going on, Sam?”
I hadn’t realized I’d continued backing up until my legs bumped into my bed. Losing my balance, I fell back, plopping down on my blankets. I righted myself and jumped to my feet. My face flushed. Of all the ways to act, this wasn’t what I’d hoped for.
Blake stared at me, his eyes widening. His tone was firm. “Sam, tell me what’s wrong.”
I squared my shoulders. I can do this. I can face my fears.
“I know what you are and what you did,” I said, finally finding my voice.
His face drained of color before me. Then he seemed to force a crooked smile. “What are you talking about?”
“Just stop.” I shook my head. “I know you’re the one who did it… who took me… and put me in the cabin.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Wait… what? Sam, what are you talking about? It wasn’t me—”
“Don’t lie to me! Don’t you dare lie to me!” I shouted the words, and then slapped a hand across my mouth. For whatever reason, I didn’t want my family bursting into the room. I knew than my anguish over what he had done to me beat out any fear I had of being alone with him. I needed to vent, to scream at him.
“You did this to me! You changed me. And then you’ve watched me like I was some kind of toy. You enjoyed playing with my fears!”
He stepped forward. “Sam, you have to listen to me. Let me explain things.”
He got too close, and I shoved his chest with my hands. “Stay away from me! Don’t ever touch me again,” I growled. All my hurt was channeling into anger, and I found it extremely empowering. I needed to be mad, furious, and then I’d be safe. Don’t let him see my broken heart!
“Sam, please.” His voice caught and I couldn’t help but stare at his eyes, the pain evident in his expression. Darn it. My resolve began slipping. I hated that I hesitated, that I wanted desperately to hear his explanation, to believe him again.
“Why?” I whispered. “Why did you do this to me?”
He moved fast, too fast for me to react, pulling me into his arms. The last place I wanted to be because as much as I hated him, despised everything he was, his touch still comforted and thrilled me at the same time.
His lips found my ear. “Sam, I swear to you, it wasn’t me. I’d never hurt you. You have to believe me.”
I rocked back, trying to detangle myself from him. He released me immediately.
“I know the truth, Blake.”
“Why do you think it’s me all of a sudden? What happened?”
“Kory told me everything.”
His face hardened. “Kory? And you believed him? You don’t know anything about him, Sam.”
“It doesn’t matter what I know of him. He told me the truth! You’re a dragon, aren’t you? I know you are, so stop trying to de—” Blake morphed in front of me, his wings spanning out, wickedly beautiful.
My eyes widened; my hand flew to my m
outh. His wings were brilliant, larger and longer than mine or Kory’s; my bedroom light made the faint, iridescent blue and green hues in them dance back at me. Until that moment, I’d had my doubts about what Kory had said. I had wanted everything to be a lie. But now, I had proof. Blake was a dragon.
“I won’t deny it,” he murmured.
“So it is all true,” I whispered through my fingers.
His wings disappeared; his eyes bored down on me. “That’s probably the only thing Kory told you that’s true. I never took you, Sam.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me you’re like me?”
His jaw muscle bulged, and his face seemed conflicted. “I wanted to. So many times I almost did. But I wanted you to know me first, trust me, so you wouldn’t freak out.”
“So you lied to me? How can I trust you now?”
“I never lied to you.”
I sputtered to respond. “But you never told me anything! I turned into a… a damsel right before the dance, show up terrified by what I am, and you don’t say anything?”
“I tried to! I wanted to take you home that night, remember?”
“Okay, then why didn’t you tell me the next day then? We drove all the way to the bridge. Why not then, huh?”
“I wanted to on the bridge.” He gave me a sad-looking smile, more of a grimace. “I figured that way you could run away from me if you were freaked out and not be stuck in my car. But Mack showed up and—”
“No, no, you could’ve still done it,” I cut in. I hated that his excuses were getting to me.
“Stop lying to me. Kory said you’ve watched me for years, stalked me, and everyone knew it on that island. He told me all about Kate. He told me you were obsessed with me, and Anna said you’d gone camping the very same weeks I was in the cabin.” My voice cracked.
“I was looking for you!” Blake blurted, taking a step forward. “Those weeks Anna talked about, I was scouring everything trying to find you.”
I stared at him. “I… I don’t understand. If you hadn’t been stalking me, how would you even know about me? We hadn’t met yet. Why would you be looking for me?”
Blake’s face fell. “I… you’re right. I messed up. I should’ve told you everything.”
I stared at him. Was he admitting to what I thought he was?
His eyes pled with me. “Sam, we need to talk. But we can’t stay in your bedroom.”
“Why not?” I folded my arms across my chest.
He glanced at the door. “Don’t you think your dad will wonder what we’re doing up here so long?”
Darn it, he’s right. My dad is probably on his way up right now with the wrong idea. My parents weren’t fond of boys in any of our rooms; it was a rule Krista detested since she felt nineteen made her an adult who could make her own decisions. That was usually when my dad would remind her it was all the more reason for her to get her own place and pay her own bills. Playing it smarter, Jocelyn just hung out at her boyfriend’s place. Personally, I agreed with my dad. I never liked Jeremy, or any other boy, in my room anyway. Too much personal stuff for him to see, and I’d much rather be outside running or scaling some mountain on my bike anyway.
I knew all these thoughts racing through my head were my way of stalling. Of course, we needed to leave my room. I was sort of surprised they sent Blake up here anyway. Guess my going back into hibernation mode really freaked my parents out.
I didn’t know what to do. Blake stood between the door and me, his eyes begging me to listen to him.
“Sam, I know you don’t believe me right now, or trust me. Let me at least explain my side to you. We can sit in my car, right outside the house if you’d like. Please hear me out and then if you still think it’s me and hate me, you have my word that you’ll never see me again.”
My heart squeezed. I should be relieved. He was the monster. Right? I shouldn’t want him in my life. And yet, the thought of not seeing Blake made me ache.
I met his penetrating gaze. I wanted to remain stalwart. I didn’t want him to know how badly my heart throbbed. Maybe it wasn’t him. My gut told me not to trust Kory completely, but too much of what he said about Blake made sense. And Blake’s a dragon! He has been lying to me about that this whole time. He could’ve found the time to tell me… Why keep it a secret?
The war waged on within me as the seconds ticked between us.
I inhaled deeply. With my exhale, I said, “Okay, fine. Let’s talk.”
He must’ve been holding his breath because it came whooshing out with my statement. He hesitated and then gave me a small, crooked smile, definitely not his regular, confident one.
“Thank you, Sam.”
I nodded and strode from the room. I couldn’t bear to look into his eyes anymore. They were swimming with way too much pain. It weakened my resolve.
Once I’d reached the landing in the living room, I knew I had a choice to make. To the left was the kitchen, with my family all safely eating breakfast. To the right was the front door, where an unknown fate awaited me. One scream, or even a few spoken words to my parents, and Blake would probably be kicked out of my home. Maybe they’d even call the police, but who knew if anyone would even believe me at this point. I’d been wrong before with Jeremy.
And all my proof is wrapped up in the fact that we are both half-bug, winged creatures now. Do I really want to open that can of worms up?
I could feel Blake’s eyes on me from behind. Wonder if he is nervous.
I hated that a world without him in my life sounded like the real torture. I need to be sure he really is the monster. My heart needed to know it too, not just my mind. I squared my shoulders and stepped toward the kitchen. I poked my head in the door. This is it…
“Blake and I are going for a drive,” I announced. “Be back in a bit.”
I heard Blake sigh over my shoulder. Guess he was a bit worried.
My mom grinned and Krista winked at me, mouthing the words, ‘Way to go’. I swallowed as I left my family, my security, behind. Blake followed me to the front door.
He grabbed the handle and opened it for me before I could. Like being chivalrous would win him bonus points at a time like this, I thought. Instead, I said, “Thanks.”
Inwardly, I grumbled at myself, I’m way too eager to believe him! He practically dashed to the passenger side and again swept the door open for me. I snuck a glance at his face as I climbed in. The earlier pain I’d seen there was replaced with a look of resolution. I had a funny feeling in my stomach. Maybe this is a mistake.