The Necklace

15: It Was the Necklace

I wake up from my dream with Calvin and my forehead is covered in sweat. I can't believe we almost kissed.

Thoughts of last night swarm my head as I brush my teeth. Last night was not okay. Last night can't happen again. I don't feel bad for Calvin. I didn't actually want to kiss Calvin. The way he ran his fingers through my hair and along my thighs did not turn me on, and if it did it was the necklace making me feel that way. I can't marry him.

I go out to the living room and see Sienne eating breakfast on the couch.

"Morningggg. Did you work out this morning?" Sienne asks.

"No, why?"

"I don't know you're a little flushed and look like you've been sweating... OMG did you have another dream with you-know-who last night?"

"I did..."

"And?! What happened and why did it make you so sweaty?"

"I'm not that sweaty!"

I tell Sienne everything that happened in my dream last night. Including the part where Calvin and I almost kissed.

"Why didn't you kiss him?!"

"Because I don't know if I even want to! Him touching me is like nothing I've ever felt before and I can't help but to wonder if I actually want him, or is it the necklace making me want him?"

"Oh shit, I forgot about that. You think it was the necklace?"

"I don't know..."

"It's kind of messed up if it is. It's like he's forcing you to kiss him almost..."

"Yeah. I know..."

"But at the time you did feel like you liked it, right?"

A flashback of Calvin's lips inches away from mine consumes my mind for a brief moment and I blush.

"Not that much."

"What happened to like nothing I've ever felt?" Sienne asks, smirking.

"It's not going to happen again. It was the necklace!" I say while walking back to my room.

"If you say so El!" Sienne yells back as I walk out of earshot.

I get back to my room and flop onto the bed. Thoughts of Calvin run through my mind. Did I almost kiss him because I want him? He is gorgeous but the whole possibly evil warlock thing puts a damper on that. And what did he mean by feeling connected to me? He doesn't even know me! The more I think the more angry I get.

Who does he think he is? I don't care about the necklace breaking my will down, this cannot happen again!

I take the necklace off and throw it on my bed. What the hell makes him think I'm ready for marriage? I still have my twenties to live! I have to sacrifice that for him because he liked a picture of me?! Fuck that!

I leave the necklace on the bed and get ready to go the gym and run errands. I need to get my mind off him.

I come back home after hours and feel like crap. My head is already killing me and my ears are starting to ring. I quickly go to my room and put the necklace back on.

Nearly instantaneous relief.

I don't know why I had to get so heated earlier. If I had just worn the necklace today I could've potentially avoided wearing it tonight. I sigh at the thought of tonight. Calvin is probably going to be there. I know it can't happen again, but if he keeps visiting me every night looking the way he does, it's gonna become a problem. Honestly, it's already a problem.

I lay down for a minute to try to relax. How would this marriage even work? 90 days will pass, we'll get married and then what? He's gonna harvest my tears, cure his curse and go? If he specifically chose me, would he be willing to divorce and free me after? Or do I have to wear the necklace forever?

Before I know it, I get lost in my thoughts and I drift off to sleep.

I wake up in the stone room but this time Calvin isn't in the chair. He's sitting on the edge of the bed. I start to sit up but before I can say anything he turns his attention to me.

"I want to finish what we started last night." He says staring at me.

"That can't happen again" I say confidently.

"It has to happen again. Elina when I touched you I felt fire and I know you felt it too. I want to kiss you." He says pushing the strands of hair that fell in my face behind my ear, and lifting my chin so I look at him.

I look up into his eyes that are already transfixed on mine. He takes his hand and traces it along my cheek.

"I did feel it.. But that doesn't mean it should happen again." I say quietly, looking away from him.

"Let me prove you wrong. We kiss, and if you hate it we'll never do it again." He says.

"What if I don't hate it?" I ask.

Calvin gives me a smirk and pushes back the covers to get into the bed with me.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I ask.

"I'm just getting comfortable. Relax Ellie." He says.

I start to push back the covers to get out of the bed, but before I can he pulls my body against his chest. He caresses my face and pulls it close to his so his lips are inches away from mine. He pauses and I can tell he wants me to lean in to give permission.

"Okay-" I start to say before Calvin pulls on the necklace to bring our lips together. Fire. Calvin's lips press against mine and I feel him shift his weight so he's on top of me. I have a moment of clarity where I start to push him off but he uses one of his hands to hold my wrists. He uses his tongue to gently part my lips and teases the tip of mine with it. He lightly bites on my bottom lip and starts to pepper light kisses down my neck and back up to my lips while I feel him lightly grind himself against me.

As quickly as it started, he pulls his lips away and lets my wrists go. He hovers his lips a few inches from mine and strokes the side of my face.

"Kiss me" He commands.

I look at him and feel an intense pull. I close the space between our lips this time and I almost think I hear a small moan come out of him. He runs his hand through my hair and pulls my head back so he can have access to my neck. I can feel him kissing and lightly biting me.

"I love the way you shiver when I bite your neck" he whispers as I start to feel how hard he's getting through his pants.

He suddenly pulls away from the kiss and pulls my body into his so he's just holding me.

"If you didn't like it we never have to do it again" He says tauntingly.

"This can't happen again" I respond, staring at the wall in disbelief of what just happened. Calvin chuckles at my response.

"Is that why you kissed me back? You're mine now Ellie."

A chill runs through me at the thought. The way Calvin takes over my body with such ease scares the fuck out of me.