The Grace In Darkness Read Online Free Page B

away.
    “ Maybe I did speak too soon. I think he ’ s here for you , Araya. ”
    At the sound of her name, I looked at the brunette again. She studied me intensely, and I couldn ’ t figure out if she was making fun of me or not. But then Araya spoke and I completely forgot the brunette was even there.
    “ For me? I don ’ t— ” She turned around and her sentence came to an abrupt halt.
    She swallowed hard and her body didn ’ t waste any time singing for me. I smiled because she took my breath away, and I felt like I was going to explode from the fact that I ’ d taken hers too. It took a second for my brain to catch up to what my eyes had already figured out, and I frowned.
    I had to be seeing things, right? There was no way she... but it was useless trying to fight what I could plainly see. She was staring at me like she ’ d seen a ghost. No, she was staring at me like she could see... me. My frown deepened and I took a step into the room.
    “ How...? ” I couldn ’ t even finish.
    She could see me. There was no mistaking that. It was in the way she looked at me now, and I would never forget the way she looked seeing me for the first time. It was etched into my head forever.
    “ Ryland, ” she said softly, and hearing my name on her lips was my undoing. I was across the room in half a second.
    My hand was around the back of her neck and she was in my arms before she could fully register what was happening. I had so many questions and I wanted answers to all of them, but not before I got to feel her soft lips against mine. I wanted to feel her desperate sighs and her body melting into mine. I wanted to be her undoing. And then I would get my answers.
    I pulled her up to me and she was so close I could feel her breath across my lips. It was sweet, minty. It was Araya. And I missed her too damn much to wait another second to have her.
    “ Araya? ”
    And just like that, I missed my chance, and she was pulling away from me to look at the open door.
    “ What ’ s going on? ” he asked, but I ’ d yet to look away from Araya to look at him.
    I felt like everything was suddenly moving in slow motion and if I looked away from her toward the voice I had instantly associated with pure hate, I ’ d lose her forever.
    She turned back to me again. Her eyes were polluted with an apology I didn ’ t want to see, and I became angry. I knew what she was saying, and this was my worst nightmare. I knew what was going on now and I couldn ’ t stop it from happening. From playing out the way it did every time.
    It was pure torture knowing she was right here and I couldn ’ t have her. I expected the worst and now it was happening.
    I was flooded with a rage so hot it burned every inch of my body. Fear scorched the edges of my rage and everything started to grow dark around me. I gripped her arms painfully tight, desperate to hold on to her. I wanted to hate her. I wanted to despise ever meeting her, falling in love with her, but I couldn ’ t bring myself to. Not even a little bit.
    My vision became blurred and I panicked, trying to memorize every last detail of her face. I didn ’ t want to forget one freckle, one dimple. Rough hands pulled at me, trying to drag me away from her, and I fought against them as hard as I could, yanking her with me like a ragdoll.
    I felt like I was trying to escape from quicksand and my strength was rendered useless. It was getting darker and fuzzier, and I tried to shake it off, but I was losing her. I was losing a part of myself.
    “ I told you to stay away from her, son.” J.D. ’ s sinister voice was behind me, and I tried to reach around to fight him, but I couldn ’ t. “ Now you ’ ll never. See. Her. Again. ”
    Everything went dark and I couldn ’ t see her anymore.
    “ NO! ”
    I shot up in bed, gasping as I tried to pull the gift of oxygen through my body. My chest rose and fell, heavy with the weight of my nightmare. Throwing my legs over the edge of the mattress, I