58

Once her tears had dried up, Scarlett made her way back to the classroom.

Her science teacher was going through the answers to the organic chemistry test they'd done last week. Pretty much everyone had tanked it, with the exception of Damien and a couple of others.

Mr Davies flashed her a sympathetic smile as she took her seat beside Sienna. The girl placed an arm around her but didn't say anything. This small act of friendship and support almost started her off again. It was all she could do to hold back the tears.

When the teacher asked a question Damien answered without pause or holding up his hand. He did this often, much to the annoyance of the teachers.

"Correct." The teacher sighed. "But please put up your hand instead of blurting out the answer."

"Why?" Damien muttered so quietly that only Scarlett could hear him. "It isn't like any of these fucktards has a clue."

"What was that?" Mr Davies asked.

As teacher and student argued, the other students began to whisper. She overheard one girl talking about Adrian.

"How can she show her face after what her brother did?" her friend replied.

Scarlett's sadness subsided for just a second as anger took over. How was it in any way her fault? She had zero to do with Tom's death and neither did Adrian. It wasn't fair that Damien was getting away with it and her family was suffering.

She almost stood up and announced the truth. It would certainly be suicide and would probably also mean the deaths of every person in the room. Still... some of these bitches deserved it.

The anger and pain became too much to bear. All she wanted to do was see Riley.

Then a thought occurred to her.

'I could run away with him and never look back.'

Damien caught her eye and slowly shook his head.

"You can't outrun me," he whispered, barely audible. "You can't fight me. You can't win. So just give up."

'I can't,' she thought. 'I just can't.'

After the lesson was over, she followed closely behind Damien, tailing him down the dimly lit corridor. As they passed the toilets, she grabbed him from behind and pulled him inside. Once inside, she pressed her back against the door to stop Sienna or any of the others from following them inside.

Damien gave her one of those awful, pitying looks. It was all fake—she realised—because he had no pity. He was empty and hollow and loveless.

She could hear Sienna and his friends on the other side of the door, asking each other if they knew what the hell was going on. Of course, none of them had a clue.

How could they?

"I love him," she cried. "I LOVE him. If I can't be with him, you might as well kill me now. I don't care."

"Do you care if your mother dies? Sienna? All those other people out there?" Damien smirked. "Do you care if Riley dies?"

It was hopeless. There was no way to win.

"A lot of people will die if you fail to provide me with the host necessary for me to create an offspring," Damien said.

"Host?" Scarlett frowned. "Host makes it sound like..."

"Like my offspring will tear through the host mother like a parasite, sucking her dry and destroying her from the inside out in the process. Yes. That is an accurate description."

Those words took a moment to sink in.

'He means my child,' she realised. 'He wants to use and destroy my yet to be born daughter.'

"It's a small price to pay." Damien smiled, showing his teeth. "You and your loved ones will get to live in return for your firstborn daughter."

"Why can't you just not be a daddy?" she spat, glaring at him. "Some people shouldn't have kids, right?"

Her vitriol did nothing but make him laugh. "You don't even want to know what my child is going to do to this world. He's going to be magnificent. And you get to be a part of that. You should be on your knees thanking me for the privilege."

"You're delusional." Scarlett shook her head. "There is something fundamentally wrong with you."

Damien's eyes narrowed. Scarlett felt a shiver run down her spine as they turned from ice-blue to devil-red.

"Get on your knees," he whispered, but the words hit her like an Arctic avalanche. She couldn't withstand it and had to fall to the floor.

"You will do whatever I say, and you will not complain," he hissed.

"Just let me have one more day with him," Scarlett begged. She stared up with wide eyes, asking for the only favour he might grant. "Please just let me have one more day. I'll do whatever you say after that. Please. Just one day. That's all I'm asking for."

Damien sighed, rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I don't see what that would accomplish—"

"Neither do I to be perfectly honest, but I have to see him. Please? What can it hurt?" Scarlett asked. "You're right. I can't outrun you. I promise I won't try. You can read my mind, right? You know I only want a chance to say a proper goodbye to him."

He raised an eyebrow, as if trying to figure out her plan. In truth, there really was no plan. She did just want to say goodbye. To see his face one last time. To stare at him long enough to form a memory that would not fade over the years. To kiss his lips and feel his arms embrace her.

Surely he could give her that much?

"Please? I'll do what you want. I'll be grateful to be chosen for such an honour—"

"Ughh!" Damien groaned. "Don't grovel. It's so insincere it makes me cringe."

"I don't know what you want from me." Scarlett sobbed.

"Fine!" Damien gave her one of his angry looks and sucked his teeth. "Have your last night with Riley. But you have to explain to him that it is your last night together."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Now, you should get up off the floor and get out of here. They all think you're blowing me in here," Damien revealed.

"They don't, do they?" Scarlett frowned.

"They totally do." Damien nodded as he yanked her by the elbow to pull her up. "I can't be bothered to think up a lie to tell them and I think it would be amusing to make you come up with something."

As she exited the bathroom into the corridor she was met by the confused stares of her friends.

"What was going on in there?" Erin asked.

Scarlett shrugged as she strode away.

"I was blowing him."