Chapter 37 Another Escape Plan

• VICTORIA BELLA WASHINGTON;
• Earlier this morning in the kitchen, I avoided Vincenzo like he was contagious. Every time we almost crossed paths, I brushed past him as if he didn’t exist. His glare burned through me, irritated by my coldness, but who could blame me? The truth is, I wanted freedom. I needed it. Yes, the sex was incredible—an earth-shattering event—but I was wasting away while he was out there, thriving in a world of chaos and shadows, where being a monster was just his job. He'd call it "work," like it was just another day, but I knew better. He got a rush out of it, and I was left here, caught between longing and resentment.
• I watched his car speed off, a surge of unexpected longing hitting me. For a moment, I missed him. I missed his touch, the feel of his hands pulling me close, and those rare times he’d actually hold me, like I was something he couldn’t let go of. I missed him telling me about his plans for the day, those moments that almost felt normal. But I needed him to understand that no matter how much I craved him, I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t keep melting into his arms, forgetting everything I wanted the second he touched me. I wasn’t some toy to be picked up and played with whenever he felt like it.