Unparalleled Desire

Chapter 4, part 2 Fifty Shades of Murder

Class proceeded that week as usual except for the uneasy feeling hovering over me and Scarlett. She still had not explained the Order or their involvement in the murder and she either found a way to avoid me or change the subject every time I brought it up. I was beginning to suspect that she had absolutely no intention of ever providing me with any explanation and she merely placated me in order to keep me quiet. It wasn't like I could approach the police about it now. The body and evidence were missing. I grumbled as I walked. I felt as though I had been used. I decided that I needed to take things into my own hands.

I strolled to the library where I found Charlie organizing books. Her thick long curly locks bounced as she moved from shelf to shelf. She wore a bright neon green jumper with matching nails and lipstick. She winked as I came in.

"Hola mi cariña. Looking for anything specific?"

"Charlie, are there any books about the Order of the Clove in the library by chance?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why would you want to read about them?"

"School project." I lied.

She tasseled her curls and scoffed. "We used to have several books on the Order but unfortunately Mr. Marcus Takahashi never returned them."

The knot in my stomach suddenly worsened. Why did Marcus need those books? "Men? Am I right?" I feigned a lighthearted smile.

Charlie leaned in close to me and grabbed my arm suddenly. Her neon green nails gently pressed into my arm. "Mi cariña promise me that you will stay away from that man. You can't trust men like him."

As I stared deeply into her soft brown eyes overflowing with fear, I realized that perhaps more had transpired between the two of them than just a spat over a cooking club on campus. I placed my hand on top of hers.

"If he did anything without your consent—"

She suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh HELL no. I bet he wishes he could get with the likes of me. He's not my type. I like my men thick. I'm serious though. Stay away from him ok?"

I smiled. "I will."

I meandered outside the library to the nearby quad and sat on a bench. The street lamps flooding the surrounding area with light. I pulled out my phone and stared at the text from Marcus debating my next move. We were planning on meeting at the planetarium on campus.

"Don't do it." I swear I probably jumped three feet vertically when the voice resonated in my ear.

"For fuck's sake Ghosty! What the hell are you doing here?" I clutched my chest in a poor attempt to prevent myself from having a heart attack. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"I was worried about you. I don't want you to go on this date. Something feels off." I ignored him and walked past him towards the planetarium. He called after me. "Where are you going?"

"None of your business." I retorted. The sun started to set. He followed me as I walked the path through the trees on campus. He increased his pace and cut in front of me, his arms extended.

"You shall NOT PASS!" His impersonation was poor, but I had never classified him as a nerd. He always came across more as the fraternity bro to me. I reached out and gently tickled his ribs. He dropped like a fly.

"That's what I thought." I walked around him, but he grabbed my ankle suddenly and I fell face first to the ground. He pulled on my ankle until I was underneath him, rolled me over on my back and laid his entire body weight on mine , pinning my arms down.

"I can't breathe moron." He shook his head.

"I'm not falling for that." He tightened his grip on my wrists.