“Cameron’s here now, I’m gonna let you go cause we’ve gotta finish up with our last-minute packing, okay?” My voice is smoother, the furrow in my brow gone, and my shoulders relaxing even more as I sigh and a shiver runs through me.
“Sounds good, babes. Call me when you get settled?” Her voice is soft, but I think she knows that I wouldn’t just jump into something without thinking it through. Cameron and I are truly it, there is no one else, nor would there ever be again for the both of us.
I hang up and put my phone in my back pocket, leaning my head backwards onto Cameron’s shoulder. “Hey, baby.” His emerald eyes connect with mine, as he places a kiss on the top of my head.
“You almost ready?” Cameron takes a look around the now empty apartment, and the last few remaining boxes. “I got here as quick as I could after work, sorry it took me so long.”
“It’s okay, I got it all done. And yea, just gotta tape up the last box and then we’re all set to bring these last couple boxes down to the truck.” My explanation is cut short by his mischievous grin, my eyes open wide.
“I can’t believe you’re mine. I get you now, all day, every day. You know everything there is to know about me, and you’re not scared. You love and accept me for who and what I am, and if that’s not the hottest thing–” Cameron nips at my earlobe, a gasp as I lean into him. “You are too good for me, Leyla Joy Clarkson.”
I’m almost certain that he feels the moment my heart skips a beat over his words, confirmed by his dark laugh that skitters over the back of my neck. My hair stands up, and I try to push him off. “Cam– I’m all gross and sweaty–ah!No– not here!“ The laughter carries through the room, he pulls me closer to him, my body instinctively melts into him, tilting my head so that I’m now staring into his incredible eyes that make me just feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I want to fight and push away because I’m tired and gross, but he opens his mouth and I’m simply just putty in his hands.
“That means nothing to me, Cherry. I don’t think you know what you fucking do to me.” His voice is low and dark, and I watch as his pupils consume the green of his eyes. “I can’t wait to christenevery single part of our place later.” Cameron nips my earlobe again and I let out a soft yelp.
“You’ve lived there for years, it’s not like it’s somewhere new,” I tease as I turn around in his embrace to face him.
“It’s not the same, this isoursnow. You and me.“ His fingers interlock with mine and it just for once feels like things are finally going my way and things are looking up. The rest of my life suddenly looks really fucking great, and I don’t think I want a single thing to change.
Cameron
The two of us hop in the front seat of the moving truck and all these intense emotions are hitting me that Leyla, after all these years, is truly mine. She’s so perfect and I can’t help but have a matching smile upon my own face, that somehow has begun living there since we connected again. I turn to look at her, embarrassment etching into her face as she realizes she’s been caught staring, my lips twitch upwards as I reach my hand out towards her.
“You okay Cherry Pop?” I give her hand a gentle squeeze, and tilt my head towards her while keeping my eyes on the road.
“Yea baby, I just… So much has happened, and if you would’ve told me this literally a month ago, I would have laughed at you.” Her voice is laced with nerves that are written all over her face, though you can just tell she’s trying to keep herself together here, a drastic change from how she was just minutes ago.
“Beautiful, there’s nowhere that we wouldn’t go that I won’t be right by your side. You are my everything, and I promise you that from this day on, I will always keep you safe.” I lean over and gently kiss her on the cheek and head off towards the house.Ourhouse.
Leyla sits on her phone in the passenger seat, scrolling through social media.
“Holy shit… Is this you?” Leyla holds up her phone to me with the headline reading:
6th Body Found in Maplewood Michigan: is this the Work of The Notorious “Whispering Killer?”
I pinch my brows together trying to read the headline while still keeping my eyes mainly on the road. A deep unsettling feeling sits in the pit of my stomach.
“No, that’s not me. My dad– he used to be known as The Whispering Killer. This new killer that they’ve had all in the news recently has to be a copycat with the same motive as what my dad used to do.” I’m sort of ranting at her at this point. Every time I’ve seen headlines pop up that I know aren’t me, my blood kind of boils. While I appreciate having a helping hand out here in the world of cleaning up the trash, they should get their own identity. I shake my head. “I never wanted that name, even though I do exactly what he did.”
I’m nothing like that monster. I’m not my father.
“Detective Alex is convinced that this is you.” Leyla’s voice sounds more timid now. My heart ready to beat out of my own chest thinking about the fact that Detective Alexandra thinks that I am The Whispering Killer. This isn’t Leyla’s problem, and I’ll make sure it stays that way. I’m making a mental note to talk to Zack later andmake sure that we scrub the database, checking what information the detective has on me. I turn my attention to Leyla, a placating smile on my lips as I reach for her hand giving it a gentle comforting squeeze.
“How do you know that?” My tone is smooth, betraying nothing of the extreme panic that is now coursing through my body. I keep my face neutral, waiting for her answer. The trees blur by us down the side road as we drive towards the house.
“She started to… Alex started telling me when I met up with her a while ago. And I mean like, she knows The Whispering Killer case better than anyone Cam. She was there from when my parents were killed, and she has been there every step of the way…” I watch her brows stuck knitted together, her chest rising and falling so quickly that it kills me that I’m making her feel this way.
“It’s okay. Hey, Cherry– look at me.” It takes everything to not pull the car over and pull her into my lap and make sure she knows that she’s not alone at this moment. “Breathe with me.” I squeeze her hand again as she nods.
“Yea– okay, I can–” Her eyes close and the softness enters her face once again and I feel the air shift again as we continue taking slow breaths together.
“Good girl.” My voice comes out more breathy than I intend it to be. I want to hold her, make sure that she knows that she’s loved, safe and that I will never let anything happen to her again. Her grip on my hand lessens and I feel so much better seeing that stress fade off her face. “Cherry, I need you to know that nothing bad is going to happen to you ever again. That includes anything with the past. I’m yours, and you’re mine.”
“Promise?” The trepidation in her voice sends a rush of pain through me, and it makes me realize just how fragile this whole situation is, and what this all means for Leyla.
“I promise you Cherry, forever and always.” Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, a small smile forms on her lips giving me the feeling that no matter what happens next, we are forever. She’s mine to keep, and I don’t plan on ever letting her out of my sight ever again. We will change the world together, and she will be the one to fix the wrongs.
And through it all, she’s mine.
