Do you know what’s so funny about fear? Do you know how easy it is for fear to just wholly consume someone? They don’t fucking know how good they had it. They don’t know how simple things could be for them if they did not fucking take what belonged to me. Who do they think they are?
Fear is what will be the death of them. His face when I left the note and the flower, was too perfect. The blood draining from his face was something that I never thought I’d ever actually see.
Like the petals had whispered his name.
Maybe they did. I was careful, I had taken my time. Left it just where it needed to be. On the hood of the car, not the windshield. Something about that would’ve been too obvious, too ordinary. No, this had to be done the right way.Personal.
They got too close. I had to knock them down a peg. I knew that watching the two of them. The added eyes only made my work that much easier. I’ve always had the upper hand. They just didn’t see it before. But now they’re starting to. Now they feel it in every quiet moment, every shadow that moves around them just a little too fast. That’s what I have to do. I take their silence, and I whisper their names into it. I remind them they’re not alone.
They thought they were hunting me. That’s cute.
They don’t understand that this was never their game to play. It’s mine. And I’m not done. Not until I take back what’s mine— every heartbeat they stole, every lie they wrapped in sugar and smiles. They reached into my world and took something that belonged to me.
Now I’m going to tear them apart.
Fear will be their downfall. Not violence. Not blood. No— just the knowledge that I’m still out there, watching. Closer than they think.
This isn’t my final act, but I need them to know that nothing they do will ever keep them safe. Not from me.
Chapter 39
You’re Losing Me
Cameron
Leyla opens our front door, a greasy brown paper bag in her hand, the most beautiful smile on her face. This woman is my absolute rock. “I grabbed us some lunch, baby.” Her slender body coming up to me, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. I can’t help but smile back down at her.
“I’m not–” even before I can reply her finger flies up to my lips effectively shutting me up. My lips quirks up in a gentle smile knowing full well that she’s truly it for me.
“Nope!” Leyla grins back at me, her face morphing into a smirk. She knows exactly what she’s doing, as she pulls me away from my suitcase, dragging me over to the island, and sits me down. “Baby, you need to eat. So, eat.”
The brown paper bag plops down in front of me, though it’s Leyla’s soft floral scent that wraps me up like a warm hug. I can’t help but chuckle knowing how absolutely down bad I am for her.She perches on the stool next to me and passes out the burgers and fries.
“I love you,” I smile softly.
“I love you too, baby.”
Leyla smiles even wider towards me. We fall into a content silence, and I can’t help but picture how the rest of our lives will play out. We won’t ever stop being who we are, doing what we do, but with things being so uncertain, we both decided to take a break from all of this, and take a vacation.
“You finished packing?” I ask as I take a bite of the burger. She smiles back at me, her stunning eyes shimmering in the sunlight that streams through the window.
“All packed and ready to go. I really cannot wait to go to Pennsylvania! I’ve never been!” She beams as conversation just flows between us; it’s like nothing is ever going to change between us. “When are we heading out?”
Her head tilts with a question. The question something that I’ve been contemplating as well. I know that we don’t have the biggest window of when this would make sense for us to go, but I smile softly.
“We’re heading out as soon as we’re done eating, I wanna hit the road before it gets too dark. Plus, I think I saw that there was a storm heading in, so I wanna get ahead of it.”
I finish eating and lean my arms onto the counter, just admiring the woman that I am so fucking in love with.
Cleaning up, we leave the place spotless for when we get back— there’s nothing worse than leaving a mess for yourself in the future. I grab my suitcase and duffle and set it all by the door. I’mso ready for this, I am so ready to take a step back and finally begin this part of my life with the woman that I love.
Leyla pads out of the bathroom, her face lit with unending joy and genuine excitement. The look on her face is something that I will stop at nothing to keep there now. I open my arms to her, she walks briskly into them, and my arms wrap around her, my head pressing into her hair. I inhale deeply and her scent fills my nostrils with this unending sense of home.
“Ready, Cherry?” I whisper into the top of her head, her head leaning up to look at me. She nods gently and pushes off of me.
“Ready, Cammy. Let’s go have some real fun for once.” Leyla’s hand lands on the top of her suitcase, the other shoots out and our hands interlock. We take one more deep breath and then head out the door on what will be an incredible trip that we both need in our souls.
Chapter 40
