Chapter 316
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“Well not technically,” I said.
“Furthermore,” she went on, “he doesn’t act like how you described at-all in this life. He was cold before, but honestly, we all see how infatuated he is.”
“He’s not… infatuated.”
Sarah laughed. “Ellie, you stabbed him at your own wedding and he’s still trying to chase you.”
I blushed a little and looked away.
“Maybe you’ve changed the course of things by changing yourself. You said it yourself; that you were timid and desperate before. But in this life, you haven’t been that way. He noticed, and he immediately changed his mind about you.” She smiled.” Quite quickly, might I add.”
“So you think the coldness,” I said, furrowing my brow, “was only because of the way I acted before?” I supposed it wasn’t entirely unlikely. Dominic clearly had a lot more respect for me in this life, now that I wasn’t his timid little shadow. But still… It didn’t change what he had done, how he treated me. It still hurt, and I was still angry about it, and I had a right to feel that way.
“I just think you need to start whittling down your suspects,” Sarah said. “And from what I’ve seen, Dominic isn’t your biggest threat. But we both know who else is.”
Vivian. I wasn’t stupid. But she still had Dominic wrapped around her little finger, even now. Even if he wasn’t directly involved, she could still manipulate the situation any way she wanted.
I breathed slowly, scrubbing my hands over my face. “I don’t know if I can trust Dominic enough to take him off the list.” I peeked at her through my fingers. “Speaking of which, yesterday, he asked me to hook up with him on the next full moon.”
Sarah stared at me. “And what did you say?”
“I told him no. Obviously.”
“Why obviously?”
I looked at her. “Because it’s a manipulation tactic, Sarah. He thinks if he can just get me into bed, I’ll suddenly be compliant That I’ll stop fighting him.”
“Or,” Sarah said slowly, “he’s desperately trying to connect with his mate, and he’s running out of ideas.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words didn’t come. I knew she might be right, and it terrified me. Because it she was, then
it would mean that I had been wrong all along, and I was pushing away the wrong person.
Finally, I shook my head. “No. He didn’t love me in my past life. I doubt he does in this one.”
“This isn’t your past life,” Sarah said again. “And even if it was, people change. Circumstances change. Maybe he didn’t love you then, but that doesn’t mean he can’t love you now.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
Sarah reached across the table and took my hand. “Look. I’ll help you investigate your death. I’ll help you figure out who did it and why. But in the meantime, I think you need to consider the possibility that Dominic isn’t the enemy. Because it he’s not, and you keep treating him like he is, you’re going to destroy the one good thing you have.”
I pulled my hand away and stood. “I need to think.”
“That’s fine,” Sarah said. “But Ellie, don’t let your fear make your decisions for you You’re smarter than that.”
After that, I left the library and walked across campus to the parking lot. The sun was high overhead, and the air smelled like cut grass and spring flowers. It was a beautiful day. I wished I had the mental capacity to notice it, but my mind was too busy racing
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about what Sarah said, the upcoming full moon, all of it.
I unlocked my car and sat in the driver’s seat, staring at the steering wheel.
One night. One test. One final chance to see if he really was different, or if he was just playing a longer game.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt just to… try.
What would Amy say, I wondered?
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