Less than Perfect, S. J. Evans [classic literature books txt] 📗

use, he was dying. Tears poured from her eyes and she whispered words hastily into his ears. “Don’t leave me, please don’t leave me. I love you, Jules, I really do.” She begged, falling into him.
He slowly reached up a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. “You’ve always been incredibly beautiful. I love you Skye, please, just run.” He whispered his last dying words and his eyes rolled back. He was gone.
She cried out in furry and pressed her body all of the way into him, clutching him like he was still with her. She shook him and tried everything, but when she pressed her ear against where his heart should be beating, there was nothing. She sobbed and glared at the man standing above her, anger stirring up like a fever. “You monster,” she spat, scrambling to her feet and shoving herself against him. He was hard and firm, unmovable when she pounded her fist against him. He had to be Johnny, no one else was that strong. She remembered Jules’ advice when she noticed that the man wasn’t moving and she tried to run away, but his hand gripped her arm and yanked her into him.
“Finally, I have you all to myself.” A cold voice whispered. She couldn’t tell if it was Johnny’s, though, all she knew was that Jules was dead and it seemed to be her fault. She let out a scream as the man started to drag her away, her gaze sweeping over Jules’ cold corpse.

Skye bolted upright, gasping and shrieking, as a cold sweat stuck her hair to her neck and arms. She clutched for bedding and slowly realized that she lay across the couch, Victor right beside her kneeling on the floor. She slowly tried to calm herself as she saw Victor’s stricken expression. Only a nightmare

, she reminded herself, nothing else, Jules is still alive

. Her heart started to slow back into a natural beat and her breathing calmed. “What happened?” She asked Victor quietly, her voice hardly there.
He touched her arm softly and moved upright. “You passed out and I brought you over to the couch. Next thing I know, you’re shrieking Jules’ name over and over again. You must have been having a nightmare, are you okay?” Surprisingly, the tone of his voice was soft and gentle, calming even.
She rubbed her hand over her face and tried to clear her head. She wanted to believe that all of it truly was just a dream but there was something deep inside her that was telling her that there was something else to the dream. “I’ve been better.”
“Here,” he turned and swiftly pulled a glass of water from the table, giving it to her. “Drink something.” He pressed her.
She folded her small fingers around it and took a long drink, downing the glass. “I’m sorry.” She whispered afterwards.
He stared at her. “For what?”
“Passing out on you.” She laughed timidly at how stupid it sounded and set the glass on the table beside the couch.
“It’s okay, you were in shock. I’ve heard I have that effect on people.” He grinned, showing his incredibly white teeth.
She let out a chuckle and curled her knees against her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “I can see why you and Jules are friends.” She smiled at his name, knowing that he truly was alive. She still missed him and wished that she could see him more than ever, but she didn’t let it break her down.
“I’m the better looking one,” he remarked, gliding himself over to the couch cushion beside her. He sat down and stared straight ahead, hardly laughing anymore. He looked lost in thought, suddenly totally unaware of the surroundings around him.
“Victor? Can I ask you something?” She asked him, peering over at him. He didn’t react, didn’t even move. She sighed and set her chin between her knees. “How did you and Jules meet each other?” She asked in a whisper anyways, even though he didn’t look as if he was paying attention.
He clasped his hands together in his lap and his lips were set in a hard line. He didn’t look as if he wanted to speak. “That is a very long and complicated story.” He spoke quickly, rushing the words as if he didn’t want her to catch them.
She let go of her knees and scooted over to him. “How so?” She inquired, touching his shoulder. He drew away from her and was up on his feet within a flash of a moment. She hardly even had the time to realize that he had moved. “Victor?” She narrowed her eyebrows at him and stood up, trying to understand him.
“You don’t want to understand me,” he murmured.
“How did you—?” She began.
“I could tell from the way you were looking at me. Look, Skye, I know Jules, and I don’t think that it’s the best if you hang around him a lot. There are things that you don’t even know about him, things that would make you change your mind about him if you knew what they were.”
She was intrigued and surprised by his words. What could Jules really be hiding from her? “What kinds of things?”
“Just things. Look,” he said urgently, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders and shaking her a little bit. “You need to stay away from him.”
“Why would you care? I don’t even like you, why would I listen to you?” She growled, aggravated by his rough touch and words. She really was starting to doubt that Victor was as cool as she thought he could be. “Victor, you’re hurting me.” She said quietly as his grip on her arms tightened.
He let go and took a step backwards, the veins in his neck more noticeable. “Look, I’m sorry. Just, promise me you’ll stay away from him?”
She scowled at his proposition and stepped away from him. “No, I can’t promise you that. You have to tell me why I should stay away from him before I’ll listen to you.” She raised her voice, her mind swirling with pictures of Jules.
“He’s dangerous.”
Skye choked on her own saliva. “What? He’s dangerous? Victor, I think you’re thinking of the wrong guy. Jules couldn’t be dangerous!” She shouted.
“Look, if you’re not going to stay away from him than at least promise me that you won’t fall in love with him. It never ends well for the either of you.” Victor actually looked as if he feared for their well-being for a moment. It was quickly replaced with a sort of anger. “Skye, if you don’t be careful you will get hurt. I’ve seen it happen before!” He shouted at her, causing her to stumble back in surprise.
What is he talking about? It doesn’t end well? Jules is such a sweetheart

. She was starting to doubt her own sanity when she actually believed Victor. She didn’t know why and she thought that is was ridiculous, but she felt as if the words he had told her actually fit. There had always been a part of her that knew something was off about Jules. But he seemed perfect, so what could it possibly be? “What do you mean you’ve seen it happen before? What happened, Victor?” She yelled back at him, fear clutching at her throat.
“Let’s just say that you’re not the only girl he’s ever gotten close to. And trust me when I tell you that he wants to get close to you.” There was an honest urgency in his voice that made everything he was saying slightly believable.
The bedroom, when he pulled away from me and ran off

, She recalled. He didn’t have something to do; he was just trying to get away from me so that he didn’t have to face his own struggles

. She fought the urge to cry and the urge to lash out at Victor. She couldn’t be sure that he was telling her the truth, but whether he was or not didn’t matter—she was too scared that Jules was something she thought he wasn’t. “Get out,” she muttered, pointing in the direction of the front door.
Victor turned in the direction of the door and opened it. “Tell Rachel that I went home. I wasn’t feeling well.” He said before grinning and stepping out of her house.
She was weary again. Everything was making her hurt, confused, and utterly lost. She was starting to dread seeing Jules again—no matter how strong she cared for him. She dropped herself over the couches’ arm rest and draped her hand over her head.
What have I gotten myself into

? She sighed and closed her eyes, images of Jules flooding into her head and piercing her heart. This can’t be happening to me.

Panicked

Skye paced back and forth in her bedroom, waiting for the moment that Jules would walk in and greet her. She was scared—nervous about seeing him. She wasn’t entirely believing all that Victor had said, but she wasn’t about to let it slip away either. She was angry with him and when Rachel called to ask where Victor was, she answered grudgingly that he wasn’t feeling well. If anyone wasn’t feeling well it would be Skye. Her stomach was the car of a roller coaster, zipping around and going through loops. She felt sick

.
Downstairs, Leah was racing around and getting things packed for another business trip. She’s going to be gone for a few days. Johnny still wasn’t back, which made Skye slightly at ease, but he would be back soon enough, and then she would have to face him again—all alone. She didn’t want to even think about the things that he could do to her, for they would be all too wrong for her.
She heard a knock on her door and jumped out of her skin. She clasped her hands together and sucked in a deep breath. She knew who it was and she was dreading seeing him. She sat down on her bed and tried to calm herself down. “Come in,” she croaked, taking another deep breath.
The knob turned and the door creaked open, Jules slowly stepping into view. He was carrying a small bunch of white roses and smiling, his