Chapter 229
[ 1,220 words ]
Uneasy.
Macey
The house was quiet when I went to bed. My dress still hung over the chair by the window, black silk spilling like ink
across the wood. The scent of candle smoke clong to my hair, and even after I washed my face, it lingered faintly on my
skin. Dinner with Elliot had been… perfect. Too perfect. The laughter, the memories, the way he looked at me across the
table. It had felt so easy, so natural, like the years hadn’t built walls between us after all. And when he’d kissed my
forehead at the end of the night, I swear my heart had forgotten how to keep a steady rhythm.
He’d said, “I’ll see you around then p>
But the way his voice broke at the edges told me he wasn’t sure he would. I lay there in bed, staring at the ceiling,
replaying every moment, the way his hand felt on my waist when we danced, the warmth in his eyes when I smiled, the
strange pull between us that shouldn’t exist but did anyway. It wasn’t supposed to feel like this. He was… Elliot. My
almost-not really-brother. My childhood protector. The boy who used to chase monsters from my dreams and carry me
home when I fell asleep watching stars. So why did it feel like something more now? Why did it feel like something I
wasn’t supposed to want, but did? The confusion burned in my chest. I didn’t know what to call it, love, longing, maybe
just nostalgia wrapped in too much magic, but it was there, alive and restless, keeping me awake long after the candles
had burned out. Eventually, exhaustion won. I fell asleep thinking of the Underworld, the glow of firelight on his face, the
music, the soft brush of his lips against my forehead.
When morning came, sunlight streamed through the curtains, harsh and too bright after a week of the Underworld’s gentle
twilight. I groaned and rolled over, clutching my pillow as the memory of last night washed over me again. It was real. All of it. And tonight…I had a date with Dean. The thought made my stomach twist, half nerves, half guilt. I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for. Maybe a distraction. Maybe a reminder that the world up here still had something to offer me. That I
wasn’t bound to the shadows forever. Dean had been annoyingly persistent all week, charming in that way he probably
couldn’t help. I still wasn’t sure why I’d said yes, maybe because part of me needed to see what normal felt like again. L
sighed, pushing the blankets off and sitting up. My reflection in the mirror looked tired but alive, a little bit of both
worlds, mortal and something else entirely.
“Okay, Mace,” I muttered to myself, brushing my hair back. “One night. One normal date. You can do this p>
But as I stood and glanced toward the black dress still hanging by the window, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d already
had the perfect night. And no matter how bright the mortal world was, nothing was ever going to shine quite like
candlelight in Hell.
By the time the sun started to dip behind the trees, I’d convinced myself I wasn’t nervous. Excited, maybe. Curious,
definitely. But not nervous. Tessa sat cross-legged on my bed, hair pinned in a messy bun, watching me dig through my
wardrobe with an expression somewhere between amusement and suspicion.
“You’re overthinking it,” she said, popping a piece of gum into her mouth. “It’s a date, not a royal coronation p>
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11:03 am PPP
Uneasy.
Fasy for you to say,” I muttered, holding up a dress and shaking my head. Too fancy. “You weren’t grounded for a week in
-literal Hell p>
She snorted. “Honestly, that sounds like the start of a great romance novel p>
I shot her a look, but she just grinned.
After a few more minutes of back-and-forth, I settled on a soft, short black dress with a flowy skirt and delicate lace
sleeves, casual but still nice. Something that felt like me. I brushed my hair out and added a touch of gloss, trying not to
think about how different this felt from the night before.
“Okay,” I said, turning to face her “How do I look p>
Tessa tilted her head, her smile dimming slightly. “Like you’re about to do something reckless p>
That made me laugh, even if it came out shaky. “Thanks for the vote of confidence p>
She didn’t laugh with me. Instead, she stood and walked over, fussing with the hem of my sleeve.. “I just… I don’t know,
Mace. Are you sure this is what you want to do? Dean’s…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “I mean, he’s nice, I guess, but
you barely know him. And you’ve had a lot going on lately p>
I frowned. “What’s with the interrogation? I thought you liked him p>
“I did,” she said quickly, a little too quickly. “I mean, I do. He’s charming, obviously. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Guys
like that usually are p>
That was… new. Tessa had been Dean’s biggest cheerleader since the day he showed up, all winks and nudges and ‘he’s
totally into you, Mace.’ Hearing her sound uncertain now sent a flicker of unease through me.
“What’s this really about?” I asked carefully,
She forced a smile, the kind that didn’t reach her eyes. “Nothing. Just…be careful, okay? You don’t always have to say yes
just because someone asks p>
“I know,” I said softly, reaching for my bag. “But I want to go. It’s just one night p>
“Right.” She nodded, chewing her gum a little too hard. “One night p>
Her voice was quiet when she added, “You sure you trust him p>
I turned to face her, trying to read whatever emotion was flickering behind her eyes. “Why wouldn’t I p>
She hesitated again, then shrugged, pretending to brush lint off my shoulder. “No reason. Just… you look amazing, okay?
Try to have fun p>
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11:03 am PP P
Uneasy.
Ismiled, but there was a tightness in her tone that didn’t sit right. Something about her seemed off; her energy was -muted in a way I’d never seen before. But I didn’t push. I’d already spent a week thinking too hard about everything.
Tonight, I just wanted to feel
“Thanks, Tess,” I said, heading for the door.
She gave a little wave, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Have fun, Mace p>
I paused, glancing back once as I stepped outside. The night air was cool, the moon climbing high as I walked down the steps and toward the road where Dean’s car waited. He leaned against it, grin easy and confident, dressed in black jeans
and a dark button-up.
“Wow,” he said, eyes sweeping over me. “You clean up nice p>
I smiled, pushing down the strange knot forming in my stomach. “You’re late p>
He smirked, opening the passenger door for me. “Fashionably p>
And as I slid inside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something about tonight wasn’t going to go the way I thought.
Comments
Kitten_81
stay home go to elliott dean is a total RED FLAG
7 days ago
16
7
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