Rose Thorns & Love Letters

5 ➪ Love, Enoch

•Camilla•

3/5/1869
Juliette,
I have failed you and I am sorry. You are the one reason my heart continues to beat and no matter how many times your Father denies our love, that fact will not change. I could not stand up to him. I want to run away with you. Will you run away with me?
Love, Enoch

__________________

I step over numerous branches on the forest floor as I make my way home. The wind howls my name and I run my hand through my hair to prevent it from flying into my mouth.

The night sky is decorated with bright stars. It is so different from Chicago where all the tall building lights pollute the sky and remove the stars' existence. Being outside when the stars are glowing really is different from watching them from my bedroom window.

They soothe my fears of walking home all by myself right now.

Well.

I am not alone, though it does feel like I may as well be seeing as Lodovico had decided not to walk me home, but to walk behind me to my home.

I quickly turn my head to check if he is still trailing behind me and sure enough, he is.

He does not react to me checking on him. He does not react to me looking at him. He does not react at all. He acts as though no one is walking in front of him and he is just going on a late night walk.

His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his black jogging bottoms and he wears a matching black shirt. The only thing that really stands out is the silver chain he wears reflecting the shine of the moonlight, blinding anyone who looks directly at it.

My mind trails off and I think back to how stupid I have been. I just spent hours at a stranger's home. I still do not know who actually owns the house.

My Mother raised me to not only avoid talking to strangers, but certainly to avoid spontaneous sleepovers at strangers' houses. I suppose trusting them to walk me home in the middle of the night goes without saying as well.

For all I know, this could have been all a part of Lodovico's plan. To kidnap me, then make me pass out at the sight of two guns being pointed at me from two different directions, and have me wake up when it is far too dark for me to walk in a forest alone. All of that so he can murder me without the knowledge of anyone else.

I stop in my tracks and not a second later, I feel his presence behind me. I feel the breathing from his nose fanning the crown of my head and it sends shivers down my spine.

I suddenly feel warm even though he is not actually touching me. I want to turn around, but I don't.

"If you are going to kill me, do it now." I warn him. No better place, am I right?

My breathing takes on a more sharp and fast pace. I hear him chuckle under his breath before I feel him brush a his finger over the side of my face and tuck a lock of hair behind my ear.

He leans down and I feel his hot breath hover over my neck. Goosebumps rise on my skin and I feel like running far away, where the vulnerability I feel right now cannot catch me.

He whispers into my ear, "If I wanted to kill you in a forest, I would have done it the second you threatened me for calling you a whore."