Heart Shaped Box

By Serenity Rayne

A Tell-Tale Heart Retelling

My roommates pale blue eyes vex me, they haunt my dreams almost to the point of madness. He's Adonis made flesh and every girl's fantasy. I've been in love with him since we were kids, sadly I've been friendzoned my entire life. I watch him sleep and dream about the day he will see me. That is till the day I finally snap. It's the quiet ones that you need to worry about.

One way or another, his heart will be mine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Serenity Rayne
• Release date: Oct 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215231234

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Every night the same vision haunts my dreams. I'm taken back to the day that Carmelo and his family moved in next door. It was a glorious spring morning; the sky was a clear blue cloudless day. The sun was high in the sky with a nice gentle breeze breaking the warmth of the morning sun. I was sitting on the front stoop with my brother, waiting to see the new people who were moving in next door. We waited for hours and hours, until finally, the SUV pulled up with the moving truck. The minute the door opened in the back of the SUV, I could swear I heard the angels sing. A handsome ten-year-old boy steps out, his hair raven black like mine, but his eyes as blue as a robin's egg. His skin was a golden brown; I couldn't tell if it was a tan or his natural skin tone. Either way, he was the cutest thing I had ever seen in my entire life.

My brother, of course, jumped the gun and ran up to introduce himself. The angel said his name was Carmelo. And at that point, that became my favorite name ever. To say I was smitten with him is an understatement. I would do anything and everything possible to be around whenever my brother went to play at Carmelo's house.

We grew up side by side, attended the same elementary school, and then high school. We both managed to get into the same ivy league school—me on an academic scholarship and him athletic. The dream usually ends with him knocking on the door of the house that my parents rented for me. I run downstairs to the front door and finding him standing there with his duffel bags over his shoulders, asking if he could come live with me. His tall, muscular physique, sharpened and honed by years of football, always made my mouth water.

I remember that day like it was yesterday, even though it was almost three years ago. I flop over onto my side, here on the quilted, padded floor of my cell in the insane asylum. I close my eyes tightly, trying to remember that day as clearly as possible, being my only salvation. My memories thrust me back into that moment when he finally hugged and kissed me for the first time. It was more out of gratitude, I realize now, than instant attraction – even though my foolish heart told me that it might be more. I allowed him into my home and brought him to the guest room, and allowed him to unpack and make himself comfortable.

Now that they knock on my door, I’m pulled out of that happy memory and back into the reality of my padded cell. It was just three days ago that they finally took the straight jacket off of me, citing good behavior. You’ve got to wonder; how someone who was tested with an IQ of over one hundred and fifty, and a straight a-student from day one, ended up in such a place as this? I sit and ponder it myself as the med-tech comes in, gives me my shots, and gives me my pills – with applesauce.

For one so brilliant, I definitely did some dumb things. But I had Carmelo with me, so everything was okay. The tech finishes with his checkup, making sure that I'm still here. When I say I'm still here, sadly, it's in a Disney-style voice in my head. Cuz, let's face it, you don't end up in a place like this without having something wrong with you. That something wrong with me is deception and a broken heart. I get brought down two hours later to the therapist, like usual.

Miss Desdemona, how are we this morning? Lauren, my therapist, asks me in the most cheerful and nauseating voice that I believe she could possibly muster. I tilt my head to the side and just smile at her and then look down. I'm really not in the mood for her bullshit today. Every Tuesday and Thursday, it's the same thing. How are you feeling? Have you had any new dreams? Do you feel like you're improving? It doesn't matter the answer to any of those questions because I'm never getting out of here. So now, it's become my life mission to see if I can make the therapist cry.

I'm just peachy, Doc, I say with the most sarcastic tone I can muster. I tilt my head to the opposite direction, now leaning to the right as I reach up and grab hold of a lock of my hair and start twirling it around my finger.

That's excellent, Dear! She says, clearly oblivious to the fact I'm being one hundred percent sarcastic. Would you mind taking me back to the day that you lost your temper? She says, then picks up her pen and applies the point to the yellow-lined paper.

I rock my chair back to lean on the back two legs. I know doing this irritates the crap out of her, so I figure why not? Me, I'm stuck here for all eternity, why not make somebody else as miserable as I am? So, Doc? Which day, in particular, do you want me to start with? I wave my hand in the air. The first time I smelt another female's perfume on him? The time that I realized I was just being used? Or when I figured out that the only reason he fucked me was to keep his grades up and his scholarship? I say to her as I tilt my head to the side.

Lauren stutters for several moments then looks out the window to the director of this wonderful establishment. Gina nods her head and makes a go-on motion. I know she can hear everything that's going on in here. So, I'm going to make it quite interesting. Why don't you take me back to the beginning, Desdemona, back to where it all began.

I narrow my amber eyes, looking at her, and then smile that Cheshire cat grin that I know concerns her. If that's what you wish, we'll take it back to the beginning. Better make sure you have plenty of pens and paper. This is a tale that will eventually end up in somebody's horror novel. I smile wickedly, then look over my shoulder and wave ever so happily at Nikki as she stares at me. I hope you're both ready for this.

CHAPTER ONE

By the time junior year rolled around, my brother – Damon, and Carmelo are practically inseparable. It would almost make me nauseous if I actually gave a shit. It does, however, give me the advantage of seeing the man that haunts my every waking dream. My brother and Carmelo are on the football team together in both junior high and high school. Carmelo the quarterback, my brother the running back, and me, the little nerd sitting on the bleachers watching them both run around like a pair of jackasses.

I’m not popular, not by a long shot. I’m pretty and I have been offered several modeling contracts from the time that I was fourteen. But that isn’t my passion; I am a scientist. I want to be on the cutting edge of surgical procedures. I want to be the one to find the cure for cancer, to be the one to find the cure for the newest plagues that come around. I want to be the one with the Nobel Peace Prize for my accomplishments and to go down in the annals of history as one of the most brilliant women who ever lived.

I spent almost an entire day this past weekend helping the boys study for the SAT's. And what did I get out of it? Ice cream. Both guys hugged me, thanked me profusely, and then went off to practice. I'm pretty sure they both passed. I know I definitely did; the damn thing was way too easy. I'm starting to realize that maybe talking to myself so much isn't healthy. But my father always tells me the most brilliant people are the ones that are the least understood. If that old adage holds true, then I'm probably the most brilliant motherfucker alive.

I sit and watch my brother and Carmelo practice all day and halfway into the afternoon, long after scheduled practice is over. I know that they have water boys, but I end up being the drink girl. Honestly, I don't mind.