Forbidden Knots (Shadow Duet #1)

4. FOUR

FOUR

Storm

W e reached my grandma's house, and as I opened the door, Sophie went silent, hesitantly standing in front. Her face was pale, and her eyes were scanning the house. I stood inside, my hand on the door handle, and as I watched her, I took off my Converse sneakers, still covered in dirt from the fall. Annoyed, I asked, "Are you coming in?"

She shook her head, her voice barely audible as she whispered, "This place is haunted."

I started to laugh. "Yeah, right, and my grandma is a ghost."

But her face remained pale. "I am serious, Thalia. I am not going in there."

I shrugged my shoulders. "How about I see you tomorrow at noon at the same spot?"

"But it's going to rain," she said, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Let's meet there even if it rains," I chuckled. "I can ask my grandma for a tent so we can have lunch there."

"That's not a bad idea," her face brightened, and her lips spread into a wide smile. "I will tell my brother to make us ham and cheese sandwiches."

"Sounds fun," I said. "See you tomorrow."

" Ciao ," she said, and I closed the door, making a screeching sound as I entered. Walking upstairs, I placed the bag at the top of the stairs in the corner and walked into the living room.

Grandma was in the kitchen, the smell of basil and rosemary filling my nostrils as I entered.

"Are you hungry, bambina ?" she asked, offering me a spoon with hot sauce.

"Starving," I chuckled as I sat at the table.

She placed a white plate in front of me and a pot of pasta with tomato and basil sauce.

"You will make me gain a few pounds," I said, scooping pasta onto my plate.

Savoring the pasta, she filled her glass with wine and smiled at me. "At your age, I was twice your size," she chuckled. "They called me Lotta Fragola ."

I started to laugh. "It's catchy."

"I cried for days, but then I met your grandfather, and he showed me that no matter how I looked, I could be perfect just the way I am."

"That's so sweet," I said, my mouth full of pasta. "Mom never spoke about him."

"He died in the war, and she never met him. I was pregnant with her when he died, and every time I spoke about him, I just cried, so it was never a happy memory for her," she looked at me. "But he would have adored you both. He was a good man."

I took her hand. "It's okay to cry," I said. "Even the saddest memories are worth remembering sometimes."

She stood up, kissing me on the top of my head. "Sometimes those memories can destroy you too," she said. "Sometimes I still have nightmares."

"I have to ask," I started. "I met this girl, Sophie. Uhm," I hesitated, looking at my plate. "Why would she think this house is haunted?"

She turned toward me, a smile on her lips. "This used to be a funeral home, but stories are just stories, bambina. Not everything you hear is true ."

As she said it, I choked on my pasta, basil catching me off guard. I quickly took a glass of water to save myself. "Oh, okay," I managed to say.

I continued to eat, and she continued to hum an Italian song, adding to the chills on my skin, and giving me goosebumps.

As I finished eating, I slowly stood up, bringing my plate to the kitchen.

"I will take care of it," Grandma said, taking the plate from my hand. " Buona notte ," she said.

" Grazie, " I whispered with a smile. "Good night," I added, walking to the bedroom.

My window was open, fresh air filling the room, and the breeze made the white lace curtains flutter above the bed. I walked to the window, and as I was about to close it, I noticed the neighbor in front of his house. He was still wearing the same hoodie, but this time I couldn't see his face, just the light of his cigarette and the silhouette of smoke passing through his hood.

I gasped, the back of my legs hitting the bed, making me stumble and fall on top of it.

I had been watching him, and now he was watching me.

"Fuck," I whispered to myself.

I couldn’t talk to Grandma, couldn’t worry her for nothing. She was already too burdened with my mom’s condition. And I couldn’t talk to Sophie, couldn’t risk making her thoughts darker than they already were. I was alone, with a stranger watching me. Alone in this haunted house, and his eyes were haunting me. I noticed they were different, but I couldn’t figure out why.

Every thought of him made my heart beat faster, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I wanted to scream, to run as fast as I could from this town. But as much as I wanted to escape, I wanted to taste him, to feel him close.

All my life, no one had ever cared enough to watch over me the way this Shadow did. I wanted to be the center of his world; I wanted his attention. And I did the stupidest thing I’d ever done in my life.

I stood up and took my dress off. The straps slid smoothly from my shoulders, and the dress fell gently over my breasts to my hips. My hands came to my hips and helped the dress down until it fell to the floor. He was standing in front of his house, not taking his eyes off me and my naked body.

At that moment, as our eyes met, I realized how stupid I was, presenting myself on a silver platter.

I knelt, gasping for air.

"Fuck. Fuck . Fuck," I muttered. "Stupid. Stupid . Stupid."

I placed my hands on my head, my fingers tangling in my hair, pulling it tight enough to feel a few hairs yanked from my scalp.

"Why did you do that?" I whispered to myself, my mouth open, still gasping for air, as my hands searched for the dress. As soon as my fingertips found it, I clutched it in front of me, shielding my body, and slowly got up to look through the window.

But he was not there.

"Maybe he’s not real," I whispered, closing the curtains but leaving the window open. "Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me."

I hurried toward the bathroom, closing the door behind me and leaning against it as my naked body slid to the ground. I wrapped my arms around myself, shielding my body from my mind.

"Why did I do that?" I whispered again. Then I stood up, walked to the sink, turned on the water, and splashed it on my face, using a towel to wipe the drops away. The cold water made me feel awake, but as soon as I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, it lulled my body into a state of relaxation.

After the shower, I walked back to the bedroom and locked the door. Each step toward the bed sent a low whisper of fear down my spine. I lay down, wrapping myself in a cotton sheet, and turned toward the window. As I closed my eyes, all I could see was the Shadow. Watching me. And I was no longer alone in my darkness.