Till Death Do US Part

Creep

[Remi’s POV]

I stare in disbelief at the man standing in front of me. What the hell had gotten into him? Was he out drinking, and was this what he did while drunk?

Deciding to test my theory, I move forward and then sniff, but I find that all I can smell on him is his cologne and something dark and musky like late-night fog.

“Are you sniffing me?” Kane asks, his lips twitching further into a smile. “If you wanted to see how I smelled, you could have just…”

“I’m not,” I snap, just wanting to escape. “I was just seeing if you had one too many drinks.”

“And if I had, would you take care of me?”

“No,” I snap, storming forward and shoving past him. “If you want someone to do that, you should call for one of the maids.”

As I speak, I beeline for the stairs, but before I can reach them, Kane falls into step beside me.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to my room.” He responds matter-of-factly. “What? Did you think that I was following you?”

“Who would?” I hiss, quickening my pace only to have him keep up.

Dammit. This man was infuriating. Was it not enough that he f****d up my college plans for the future and even invaded my family? Now, here he was harassing me because he claimed he enjoyed my expressions.

“Could you stop?” I growl, whirling around and fixing my glare on him. “I know that we have to live together and pretend that we get along for my family’s sake, but when it is just us, you don’t have to be so damn friendly.”

Shut up, Remi. I hiss inwardly. You’re going to say something stupid that he can hold against you. Just shut the hell up and go to your room where you’re safe!

But I can’t. Not when he is this close to me and memories of his death return to me, making me want to be a little nice because his days are limited and the way he is going to go out isn’t going to be pleasant.

Wait… Why did that even matter to me? I had seen so many different fates. I should be immune by this point and just let it be, and yet…

I want to help him. I think, and this thought makes me feel a bit uneasy. What the hell was I even feeling anyway?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Kane asks, breaking the silence that has fallen around us. “Do you actually want me to continue teasing you? You know,” he continues, closing the distance between us so that I can feel his heat start seeping into me. We can take this somewhere a bit more private and…”

“No!” I gasp, pressing my hands against his chest and immediately regretting it as my fingers brush his skin.

Instantly, I’m back in that time and place where he lies on the ground bloody and broken, but when I lift my eyes to the roof of the building in front of us, I spot something. It’s a blur of a figure dressed in a black cloak, but I see it.

Eyes widening, I break our contact, and when I look to Kane’s face, I see my heart lurch.

“What the hell was that?” He growls, grabbing my arms so tightly it hurts. “What the hell did you just do?”

“N-nothing,” I gasp, beginning to fight to break away. “I didn’t do anything. I…”

“You’re lying!” He growls, slamming me against the banister of the stairs and trapping me in place. “You tried to avoid the question earlier today, but you aren’t going to get away this time.”

“Let go!” I hiss, lifting a leg in an attempt to kick him only to have it locked between his legs.

“You aren’t going to escape until you tell me what you saw.”

“I don’t know what you mean!” I lie, looking around desperately, and when I spot a single maid rounding the corner from the right, I take my chance. “Hey!” I call, drawing her attention to where Kane and I stand. “Come here!”

“You!” Kane growls, releasing me as the maid heads toward us. “This isn’t over.”

“But it is.” I counter, taking the opportunity to escape. “Please refrain from coming near me from this point on.”

I don’t wait for a response before I’m bolting up the stairs two at a time, and when I reach the second-floor landing, I beeline for my room.

Once inside, I lock the door and then collapse as I try to calm my racing heart and mind until I’m calm enough to bathe and then climb into bed.

However, sleep evades me, which is fine since it gives me the chance to get ready and leave at the crack of dawn so as to avoid Kane while I head off to school. But as I sit in my first period of the day, our teacher heads to the front of the class with none other than the bastard I’m trying to avoid in tow.

“Attention, students.” He calls, trying to stop the noise that is taking place. “All eyes up here! I have an announcement to make.”

“Wonder what it is,” Adriana murmurs, leaning in close. “I do hope he is telling us that that hottie is going to be our student teacher.”

“No way,” I hiss, hating the idea of having to deal with Kane in school and at home. “I’m sure that he’s just announcing that the trust fund baby has made a donation or something.”

I mean, that had to be what he was saying, right? After all, Principal Garcia told me that exact thing yesterday, but why would Mr. Reynolds have to say such a thing?

As these questions appear, I can feel my nerves growing, and when Kane’s gaze comes to rest on me and he lets a slow, devious smile appear, I feel that the worst is in store.

“From today onwards, Mister Dupris will be sitting in on the classes of you seniors.” Mister Reynolds announces, confirming my biggest fear. “And today,” he continues, beaming. “He will be sitting in on my class.”

"Fuck."

The word is leaving my lips before I can even stop it, and when the eyes of all my classmates come to rest on me, I wish the floor would open and just swallow me whole. But I don't show my unease; instead, I keep my gaze fixed up front where Kane watches me in amusement, and I can't help but wonder if he was doing this to make my days miserable until I told him exactly what he wanted to know.