chapter six,     veritaserum

t o m

     TOM'S DESPERATION LED him here into his little doom and over rushed plan. His worries and overthinking left him standing just a little bit after midnight in the middle of his room, the moon shining into the corner of the room where Evelyn sat, her hands tied together.

     After he left her hotel room— he was furious, always furious. Yet his mind only chanted her name. It was about the time he will get answers from her since she was unbelievably stubborn and sarcastic to maintain a normal conversation with.

     Did Tom need answers why he suddenly felt hopeful? Why his heart was going crazy? Why does he need her blood orange perfume to surround him day and night? Why he thought about her— only about her? What did she do to him?

     Evelyn's look was murderous and he deserved it, but she was silent, contained even if she had swallowed a decent amount of veritaserum. She had pride.

    It wasn't as hard as Tom expected to get her here— apparently, she was a deep sleeper and one small sleeping spell put her in his room, tied to a chair so she wouldn't start anything— of course, he tied her with a magic spell, he wouldn't dare to use anything she could break free from until he was done with her.

     "Why did you come here?" Tom started, moving to the table that was close to where she was placed, leaning with his thighs to it, crossing his hands over his chest.

     "To run away," she answered simply as she didn't try to blabber about something else. He knew she was too smart to do so.

     "Does your father wants to become my follower?"

     "Yes," she simply answered as she sucked in a deep breath as it was cold in this room and she was wearing nothing but her silk nightgown that hugged her curves lovely.

     "Why did he send you?"

     "To make a deal with you and for me to find a husband," she calmly replied even if he noticed that her eyes were slicing his body into pieces.

      "Is it true what you told me about Amortentia?"

      "Yes," she exclaimed and now he was the one who sucked in a deep breath. Could he finally process the fact that he was able to love? He just simply didn't want to and that was fine with him.

      "Did you poison me?"

      Evelyn's eyebrows raised in surprise, a small smile appearing on her lips: "No," she answered, her voice delighted.

     "Did you cast a spell on me?"

     "No," she answered, her face shining from the moonlight, showing her surprise and slight confusion.

     "Did you do anything that could interact with my interests?"

     "I did nothing to you— Is that why I am tied to this fucking chair, Tom? You thought I did something to you?" Evelyn gritted out the words angrily.

     "I know you did something to me— it's time for you to confess," he fixed the rolled-up sleeves of his button-up shirt and looked at her, seeing the face of disbelief.

     "I did nothing," she angrily scoffed and turned her head away and closed her eyes for a second.

     Evelyn did nothing to him and now Tom stood there silent. If everything she said about Amortentia was true, if she didn't do anything to him, then— no...

     It wasn't possible for him to love and he will stand to that fact forever since love was useless for him. He knew what he wanted to achieve and there was no love for him needed.

     "Wait— why are you so obsessed over Amortentia?" Evelyn turned her head back to him, catching his eyes.

     "I am not," Tom shrugged.

     "I don't even need to give you veritaserum to see when you are lying— you," she started and her eyes suddenly widen. "Who did you smell when you made the potion?"

     "I did not make that stupid potion," Tom gritted the words out, anger rising in his chest as he stood up and turned his back to her, walking towards the dying fireplace. How was she able to see him through so well and why was his heart beating so fast?

      "Tell me the truth, Tom," she demanded, her voice low.

   "You are in no position to make demands," he reminded her and heard how she scoffed loudly.

      "You fell in love, didn't you?" Evelyn asked and Tom's mind and body froze for a few seconds. Never in his life, he has felt love or even sympathy for anyone— no one has caught his eye, no one has made his heart flutter, until— No... What was wrong with him?

     "No! I choose not to love because it is useless. People obsessing over each other makes me sick— it's disgusting, it's useless! I want power— only power," he started, turning around and walking towards her, his voice rising, "I want to rule the world and bring terror into people's lives. I like seeing them afraid, I like when they shake from fear— I like when they can't look into my eyes when they speak... Love compared to that— it's nothing," he exclaimed angrily, leaning down to her, looking right into her brown eyes that made him feel on fire.

     What is wrong with me? That was the only thought that ran in his head from the moment he saw her for the first time.

     "Who is it?" Evelyn quietly asked and Tom bit the inside of his cheeks, cupping her face in his hands as his body ached with the desire to touch her.

     "No one," he whispered, "I choose not to love," he stood his ground even if his mind didn't believe that anymore. His whole body and mind craved her like fresh air for bruised lungs. He couldn't stop thinking about her, feeling her perfume, her warm touch, her honey-like voice...

     Tom Riddle was in love.

     "Then why am I here?" Evelyn asked, her eyes searching for answers in his.

     To make my craving for you go away, he thought, his thumbs stroking her cold cheeks. "I needed answers."

     "Love is not a weakness, Tom, why are you so afraid of it?" Evelyn asked, tilting her head slightly, his hands on her face, the moon lifting his blue eyes with insanity.

     "It's bold of you to assume I am afraid of it," Tom replied, dropping his hands on his thighs as he leaned back to the table.

     "You are so clung to the fact that you are conceived under Amortentia. Just because you are a complete psychopath— it has nothing to do with the potion. Even psychopaths can love," Evelyn pointed out, his eyebrows raising from the way she called him.

     "A psychopath? Ouch, darling, you hurt me," he exclaimed, a smirk already lingering on his lips.

     "Oh, that's the least I can do to you when I am tied to this fucking chair! Do you think anyone can kill without remorse and have wished to conquer the world and bring out terror?"

     "I believe you are a psychopath then too," Tom concluded with a small smile.

     "Never said I wasn't. And yet, I am capable of love," she admitted and he leaned forward to her, eyebrows furrowing. Who the fuck was she in love with? Was she running away because she had a lover somewhere and she couldn't marry? He could swear on his own life that he will find that fucking bastard and make him suffer— no... He didn't care.

     "Because you chose to love."

     "For a man who is about to rule the world— you are such an idiot. You can't choose to love or not— It happens and it hurts a lot when you realize... It's like your chest is on fire and all you can think about is them. You can't control love, Tom, not even you," Evelyn gritted out the words, some sort of annoyance overtaking her as Tom stood there speechless.

     Was he in love? However since he saw her for the first time, he already felt as if he couldn't breathe... It was simply not possible to fall in love out of nowhere— there had to be a catch. Tom needed this whole feeling in his chest to have a reason he could quickly get rid of.

     "Are you in love?" He asked and noticed the way she pushed her lips together, her breathing increased as she uneasily moved her neck— she was holding something back— she wanted to lie.

    "Are you in love?" He repeated his question, moving closer to her as he needed to hear the answer, especially when she was holding it back.

    She bit her lips together, small drops forming on her forehead as her breathing became heavy and she whined in pain. "Answer me," he demanded, his voice rough.

    "I don't know," she breathed out, her chest heavily rising. "I don't know! Why are you asking me this? Why do you care?"

     "I don't care," he shrugged even if her answer made him feel uneasy.

     "Then let me go," she demanded, angrily, her voice slightly shaky.

     "You will go after me then."

     "Obviously."

     "I am tired of feeling your knife against my neck," Tom murmured, a cheeky smile on his lips.

     "Do you prefer a gun then? I can arrange that."  Her eyes flashed with anger, her body slightly moving forwards and he leaned down to her, pushing the hair behind her ears, a small smile on his lips— she was so beautiful when she was threatening him.

      "Why don't you surprise me?" He whispered, his whole mind at ease as he was surrounded by her lovely scent— why was it affecting him so much? Why did it affect him when she was puckering her bottom lip out of anger? When her eyes would slightly widen in surprise? Fuck...

     "Untie me," her voice was low, dangerous and he was living for it. Within a single move of his hand, the spell was lifted and he moved back, clasping his hand behind him as he saw how she stood up, smoothing out her nightgown.

     Evelyn slowly walked to him, her nightgown moving with her movement while her eyes were predators, her body language confident. It was a sight for his eyes. "You are brave for doing this to me— and quite crazy." She started.

     "Wouldn't have you done the same?"

     "Maybe, I would have— But I prefer torture more."

     "I can arrange that the next time," Tom cheekily replied, standing right in front of her, their bodies almost touching and it was driving him crazy.

     Evelyn quickly moved her hand on his chest and pushed him to the table, making him lean back to it with his back, her standing in front of him, her thumb on his lips, parting them. "I will find out who the one you love is and I will murder her," she whispered and Tom had to smile— oh, how pretty she looked in the moonlight threatening to kill the love of his life.

     "How romantic," he murmured, leaning into her touch.

     "I will make you watch— And please don't tell me it's that Marilyn woman. I would be too bored to even kill her," Evelyn scoffed and trailed her fingers down to his covered shoulders, him tensing under her touch.

     He wanted to kiss her— no, he needed to.

     "You sound jealous," Tom pointed out, his hands on her waist, stroking the delicate curve between the last rib and her hip bone.

     "Do I?" Evelyn whispered, him leaning to her lips as he wanted to taste— he needed to do something about the pain in his chest— something...

     Their lips barely brushed together, causing him to turn lightheaded before she pushed his head into the side, her lips touching his earlobe as she whispered: "Save it for your beloved, Tom. I know you love someone— don't fool yourself, dorogoy." She pressed her lips on his jawline, making him melt into her touch and slightly close his eyes.

     Tom Riddle was inevitably in love with Evelyn Hawthrone-Orlova. And it was for him to find out that it's not the fact of love that was scaring him, it was the fact of what he will do for it.

    For her.

Author's note!

I really want to hear your opinion about this book!!
How do you find Tom's character? (He is so hard to write) What do you think about Evelyn? What do you think about the plot and what do you expect?

Thank you all for the support <3