House of Horrors || 18+

Chapter 7| Hannah & Nathan

Back in my room, I collapse onto my bed, tears streaming down my face. Nathan yelling at me echoes in my mind, his reluctance to open up about his past and his curse leaving me frustrated and heartbroken. I've grown to care for him, despite the bizarre circumstances of our meeting and his mysterious, often distant demeanor.

The fact that I wasn't alone in this house initially scared the fuck out of me, but now, Nathan's presence has become something of a twisted comfort. It's insane, I know. 

He watches me, stalks me, but part of me is inexplicably drawn to that. I'm so fucked up. I'm attracted to him, and I hate that I can't shake off this feeling, despite knowing he's keeping secrets from me.

I want to understand him, to break through the walls he's put up. But how? He's so closed off, and every attempt to get closer seems to push him further away.

Unless... Unless I don't run from him. No matter what he tries to do - to say - I won't run. I need to stand my ground, to find out the truth that's driving me crazy. Maybe I am crazy, maybe none of this is real. Part of me dreads the idea of it all being a figment of my imagination.

Glancing at the clock, I see it's past midnight. I should be sleeping, but all I can think about is Nathan. I need to see him, to try and talk to him. I need to at least try.

I slip into some sweatpants and a cropped tank top, my mind made up. I walk to the end of the hallway and into the room, ready to face whatever awaits me.

Crawling through the door, the silence on the other side is deafening. Something feels off, but I can't pinpoint what it is.

"Hannah?" Nathan's voice breaks the quiet. "What are you doing here?" He sounds confused, distant.

"Why are you back?" he asks, emerging from the shadows. He's only wearing black jeans, and I can't help but let my eyes wander over his inked skin and defined muscles. He looks as though he was sculpted by the gods.

He clears his throat with a knowing smirk. "My eyes are up here, princess," he teases, and I feel my cheeks heat up in a blush.

"I wanted to talk," I admit. He raises a single eyebrow. "I want to know how I can help you."

"Help me?" He echoes my words. "Hannah, princess, you can't help me. Not with this." My heart sinks at his response.

"Why not? There has to be something I can do!" I insist, not ready to give up.

He shakes his head. "Hannah, the only way to break this damn curse is for me to fall in love," he reveals.

"Like in Beauty and the Beast?" His smile is brief, gone as quickly as it appeared. He makes eye contact with anything and everything but me.

"Something like that," he murmurs. Suddenly he looks at me, makes eye contact. I find myself getting lost in the darkness of his eyes. The loneliness behind them; something I don't think he knows I can see.

I step closer, drawn to him despite everything. His scent is familiar, comforting in a way I didn't expect.

He looks down at me, and just stares. His eyes never leaving mine, his hand reaches out to gently touch my face. His finger trails across my bottom lip, and I respond with a light kiss on his fingertip.

I place my hand on his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin under my fingers. My fingertips dance along the curve of his chest leaving a trail of goosebumps on his skin. But then he steps back, a familiar reaction.

"No," I say firmly. "Don't walk away." He hesitates.

"You don't understand, Hannah. You don't know me, what I've done," he says, his voice filled with a pain I long to understand.

"Then enlighten me, Nathan. Tell me about you." he chuckles but there's no humor to it. It's a humorless laugh.

But I'm determined to understand, to know the man behind the curse. I won't let him push me away, not this time.

Nathan

I'm torn with fear and desperation. Telling Hannah the truth feels like stepping off a cliff. She'll be terrified, won't she? I can't bear the thought of her looking at me with fear in her eyes.

"I can't, Hannah," I murmur, my voice barely audible. I stare into her eyes, her innocence is so different from the darkness of my past.

"Nathan," she whispers. I look at her. "I trust you. Talk to me." I shake my head and try to look away. But she stops me. She grabs my face in her small soft hands, forcing me look at her again. She repeats herself. "Talk to me."

She pleads for me to open up, her trust in me is evident, but it only makes this harder. "I killed my own father," I confess, the words like shards of glass in my mouth. "My parent's blamed me for my brother's death. Accidents, all of it, but the guilt is crushing me." Her reaction isn't what I expect – she's shocked but not scared.

The memories flood back – my dad's violence, my mom's cruelty.

"My dad beat me multiple times, my mother starved me, cut me open with her words. When I defended myself just once... It killed him, my father." My heart races talking about it. I can feel my eyes watering. I can't have her seeing me like this, like the broken boy behind the monster. I turn away, unable to hold her gaze.

But she won't let me hide. "Look at me," she insists, and I obey, meeting her steady gaze. Her words, "You didn't deserve what they did to you," hit me like a lifeline. She's still here, standing by my side when she should have run.

"I've been through something similar. My ex boyfriend, he beat me, verbally abused me. Then he cheated on me. That's why I moved here; to escape him."

Rage boils inside me at the thought of someone hurting her. I'm going to fucking kill this boy who hurt Hannah. "I'm so sorry, princess," I say, meaning every word. In an instant, she throws herself into my arms, and I hold her tightly, finding comfort in her embrace. It's a feeling I've long forgotten, and I inhale the scent of her, a blend of fruity perfume and coconut. She's soft and fits perfectly against me.

As she holds me, her scent is intoxicating, her presence soothing. "Thank you, for telling me," she whispers, her gratitude genuine.

"You're not afraid of me?" She looks confused. But then she smiles. Really smiles.

Her smile is reassuring, her understanding a lifeline. "No Nathan, I'm not afraid of you." Her words offer a glimmer of hope in my bleak world. "I find comfort in knowing that in a way, we've been through the same thing. And we can lean on each other. I'm not going anywhere, Nate. Nowhere."

"You should get some rest, princess. It's late," I suggest gently. She nods in acknowledgment, giving me one final hug before heading out.

As she leaves, I can't help but whisper, "Sleep well, princess." Her presence has stirred something in me, a feeling I can't quite name but cling to desperately.

🖤🖤🖤Sorry about the shorter chapter, besties 

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Next update: Sunday, March 17, 2024; 3:15pm CST

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