Chapter 55: Soft Methods
Charlotte hadn’t opened her eyes from the start.
It felt like she’d been falling forever, air rushing past her ears, her stomach twisted up in exhilaration because of the endless drop, until finally, something soft caught her at the bottom. And before she could even register the sensation, she was shooting right back up again like she’d been launched from a rocket ship.
And then...warmth.
The moment she wrapped into that soft and familiar embrace, her entire body relaxed. She didn’t even have to open her eyes to know.
She’d been held like this so many times before, tight, protective, unmistakably his. So when she slowly blinked her eyes open and saw his face above hers, her lips immediately curved up.
"Mika!" She shouted in delight, beaming. "I knew it! I knew you’d save me!" She threw her arms around his neck, completely overjoyed. "Of course I’d end up in your arms the moment I opened my eyes! I just knew it! I thought for sure that—"
But just as she was about to say another word, one of Mika’s hands suddenly reached up and forcefully clamped over her mouth. His fingers pressed against her cheeks, squishing them together, and giving her a funny, puffed-up expression.
It made her go wide-eyed in confusion. She tried to mumble something, but she couldn’t even form words properly now.
And then she saw his face.
Gone was the warm, gentle Mika she knew.
His expression was cold...Unbelievably cold.
And his eyes...they weren’t just serious, they were abysmal.