Monster's Little Princess: A Dark Fantasy Romance by Anne Hale & Celeste King

Author:Anne Hale & Celeste King [Hale, Anne & King, Celeste]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Protheka Publishing
Published: 2023-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

17

LUCY

The gnawing of my stomach hasn’t subsided. Days have passed since I saw Edie in the town. Naserin and I made up, and everything’s supposed to go how it was before, but it’s not.

There are whispers in my head each time I do a simple task. It tells me that Edie has this or she has a better whatever. It’s always there, forcing me to compare my life to Edie’s.

I’m reverting back to my old sleeping schedule but still up all night with Naserin. My face has become gaunt. I look ghoulish, worse than before. I ask Naserin if I look any different, but of course, he says no.

Today’s another sleepless day. Naserin still sleeps soundly next to me, unaware that my sister’s taunting laughter rings through my head. I want to scream out and punch everything in sight, but I promised Naserin that I’d keep my anger under wraps.

I’m still trying to keep my anger at bay, but it wants to spill out at any possible second of the day. In fact, I think this resentment of mine is only growing and getting worse. I chewed off my nails already, but I need something to nibble on.

“Lucy?”

I jump at the sound of my name. Naserin peeks up at me from underneath his wing.

“Yes, hi, what’s wrong?”

He sits up. “You’re awake again? It’s not the afternoon yet. Why are you up at this hour?”

“Sorry, am I being too loud?”

He tilts his head quizzically. “You were whispering, I thought you were talking to someone.”

“I was?”

“Yes.”

I try to laugh it off, but he seems to be even more suspicious of me.

“Sorry, sorry, I got caught up in my own thoughts. I was struggling to fall asleep but didn’t want to get up yet.”

“You’re having trouble sleeping again? Don't tell me this is about your sister.”

“What? No, no. I’m just trying to talk myself back to sleep, that’s all.”

“Are you telling the truth?”

I press my mouth in a tight line. He’ll know if I’m lying or not by sensing my emotions. I don’t want to start another argument about it, even though that might happen.

I try to press carefully. “Yes, but,” I start saying and quickly get the words out after seeing the look on his face. “But! It’s because I had a nightmare about her. I’m trying to calm myself down.”

He stares at me for longer than a moment. He does it so often that it feels scrutinizing, but I know he doesn’t do it on purpose. Once his antennas twitch, I know his analysis is over.

“So it was just a nightmare,” he finally says.

“Yes. Please go back to sleep.”

Hesitating, he lowers his body back on the bed. I kiss his cheek to quell his worries. It seems to be enough as he closes his eyes. Then the soft shrill coming from him starts as he breathes.

I get up from the bed, not wanting to wake him up again. If I walk around, that’ll distract my thoughts from Edie. The routine is just getting to me, or it already has.

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