"The clouds," she panted as they raced across the steaming asphalt. "It was cloudy when I saw Tristan the first time."
"They'll part soon," he said, but his head moved constantly about as he searched the darkened day. They made it to the overhang in the doorway of the mall and took shelter from the rain with a group of at least ten other people. Ethan turned her into a corner and pressed himself against her. Her body instantly began to heat as she rested her hands against his chest.
His head dropped down a little, and she found herself staring into the reflective black lenses of his glasses. Her breath froze in her lungs as she stared up at him; her nipples tingled as his chest brushed against hers. Her mouth went dry as her fingers involuntarily curled into his shirt. It was impossible to control her body, impossible not to react to him when they were in such proximity to each other. Her gaze drifted to his full mouth and the raindrops lingering there like drops of dew.
Laughter and excited chatter filled the little alcove as more people crowded in around them, she didn't notice any of them though as she remained riveted on him. She longed so badly to taste his lips, to kiss the water from them. It was taking everything she had to keep herself restrained. Death Emma, he'd told her. That's what her life with him would entail, her death, but there would also be so much love and joy for more years than she'd ever imagined having. Her mind spun at the realization; her fingers pressed more firmly against him as she savored in the heat coming off his body.
A muscle in his jaw twitched as a vein in his forehead stood out and sweat beaded across his upper lip. "Ethan—"
"Too much," he grated out as he moved closer to her to avoid the people pressing against them. Even with her there, he was having a difficult time shutting them out. All he could think about was placing his lips against her throat, and tasting the blood flowing through her veins. "It's all too much."
People jostled and pushed against them as even more tried to take shelter under the overhang. Her back was brought up firmly against the brick wall. She glanced rapidly around as she sensed a pending meltdown within the man standing against her. Grabbing his hand, she edged along the wall to the doorway of the mall. A growl escaped him as someone bumped into his back and shoved him forward. Emma's eyes widened as she glimpsed the tip of a deadly fang when his upper lip curled into a sneer.
Concern for him blazed to the forefront, if she didn't get him out of here soon, something horrible would happen. He would hate himself if he lost control and killed someone, and there would be no way for her to cover it up and keep him safe if something bad happened. She knew it was because of her he was so unstable, and she had to do something to help him, now.
Forgetting about trying to be polite about their escape from the alcove, she threw an elbow into the back of a girl too busy moaning about her wet bathing suit to notice her. Apparently, this ridiculous complaint was the worst thing in the world, if her bitching was to be believed, but right now Emma was willing to rip the thing off her if it got the girl out of her way.
Emma elbowed her more vehemently again before lowering her shoulder and shoving the girl aside. The girl cursed at her, but Emma didn't pause to apologize as she grabbed the door and pulled it open.
Cold air blasted against her. Her wet skin immediately broke out in goosebumps as she stepped into the entryway of the small mall. Normally, in her soaked condition, she wouldn't enter the building, but it was the only way to escape the crowd.
A few people passing by shot them dirty looks as water dripped from them in soft plops on the stone floor. She didn't pay them any attention though as she searched for somewhere they could hide and regroup for a few minutes. There was no way anyone would let them into one of the stores, and it was probably best to get Ethan completely away from people.
Her feet squished on the floor as she moved further into the building. Before they made it into the main hallway, she spotted a solid wood door with a Do Not Enter sign on it. Grabbing the handle, she pushed it open and stepped into the small closet crowded with mops, brooms, some feather dusters, and shelves of bottles filled with cleaning supplies. Shutting the door of the janitor's closet, she flicked on the light switch next to it and pushed in the lock on the handle.
Ethan kept his back to her, his head was down and his shoulders hunched forward. He flinched away from her when she rested her fingers on his back. "Don't," he snarled.
Feeling as if she’d been slapped, Emma's hand fell back to her side. A sense of helplessness encased her as she leaned against the door to watch him. She should be scared after what she'd seen outside, she could sense the instability within him, but even though he'd been on the verge of destroying those people out there, she felt no concern over her safety when it came to him.
"This is because of me, isn't it?" she inquired.
"This is because of me, of what I am, even before you I was a monster," Ethan told her.
She was taken aback by his
