Chapter Twenty-Nine:
Julie's Point of View
The vast room suddenly shrank, fitting into the palm of a hand the moment his massive frame touched mine. I felt as if the walls were trying to crush me from all sides, and the ceiling was descending with force to flatten me beneath it.
I could hear nothing but the ringing in my ears and the sound of my heartbeats, striking my ribs violently like a slaughtered bird.
The scent of his strong oud perfume mixed with tobacco besieged my breath, robbing my lungs of air.
It colonized my nose like deadly soldiers, taking full possession of it.
He was terrifyingly close so close that I felt the heat of his breath on my forehead and the coldness of his body sweeping over the heat of my fear.
I searched for my tongue, for those words I had boasted of moments ago, but I found nothing but a lump stuck in my throat. His question, "It's not scary... is it?" echoed in my mind like a lightning bolt destroying all my fortresses.
