Not That Kind of Guy
Part Sixteen: Stalker!Anakin Skywalker ร femme reader series
Warnings: stalking, weirdo behavior, psychotic/delusional behavior, possessive/protective, sexism/misogyny, sexual content/fantasizing, pervy behavior, panty/scent kink, mask kink(Ghostface), gaslighting/manipulation, public/semi-public, spitting, cumplay, nude vids/pics, masturbation, oral, PIV, dick piercing, forced orgasm, bondage/blindfolds, biting/slapping/spanking/cutting, rape kink, NONCON/DUBCON/CNC, Somno, blood, knife, straight up murder, gun/knife violence, drug use GEN. SMUT [all possible tags, all may not apply]
Info: Ghost is too pleased with you over something he really shouldnโt be. You say things, his feelings get hurt. [diary entries from Ani] extremely not proofread. MDNI 18+
The cool, end of summer winds blew over the bushes you crouched behind. The conversation between Ghost and Adam could be heard in choppy bits, mostly Adamโs side of the dialogue. His pained voice and sharp yelp carried loud and clear over to you. As you heard him shouting for his friends, you couldnโt help but pop your head up despite Ghostโs strict instructions to do the opposite. You couldnโt just ignore the possibility that a group of men might be charging at him any moment now. If you could help, even just a little bit, you would. Though it seemed to be an unneccesary fear, scanning the area quickly you noticed that the yard was devoid of any movement and the living room light in the cabin had been turned out. Theyโd abandoned their friend, no doubt barricading themselves inside the cabin at that very moment. Thinking quickly, you knew they all probably had their phones on them. If they hadnโt already called the cops, they would be calling them soon.ย
Pulling out your phone, you hid it behind your jacket sleeve, turning the brightness down. Once youโd wriggled around enough to safely switch it on and do some quick googling, you discovered that unfortunately for anyone in the area, the average police response time was about forty five minutes. But, as you looked up the county maps, along with the address to your cabinโฆ you realized it might take them much longer to arrive. The lake sat directly on the county line, the county to the left had a police department fifty seven minutes away. While the one on the right had a department closer, yet inaccessible during certain hours.ย
A draw bridge along the river rose up and lowered manually, monitored twenty-four hours round the clock, seven days a week. It took five whole minutes to open, five whole minutes to close, and however long it took a large boat to chug along through the gap. If it were you, being tormented by Ghost and a boat was stopping help from getting to youโฆ well, rightfully youโd be livid. Though you found yourself lacking the sympathy you should be experiencing for these boys. Of course they were horrible people, but violence wasnโt usually appealing to you in the least bit. Youโd much rather Ghost confiscate their phones and drop them off anonymously at the police department on your way back to the city. Whatever theyโve done, thereโs bound to be a shred of evidence on at least one of their cellphones.ย
You mightโve yelled out to suggest it, but you realized that would be very unwise considering youโd already broken your promise to keep your head down. So you stayed down, your phone now shoved back into your pocket with a timer set to vibrate in thirty minutes. You took a moment to strategize in the event that you needed to get the hell out of dodge at the first sign of flashing lights.ย
โBrandon! This guyโs tryna kill me!โ Adamโs shrill voice rang out through the moonlit nightscape.ย Once again, unable to help yourself, you popped your head up, parting the leaves and twigs to peer through. You could barely make out a struggling figure on the ground, the large truck was obstructing most of the view, only allowing you to see beneath the vehicle.
You heard the unmistakable sound of metal singing, a sharp, shrill *schinggg*, followed by a shock-delayed roar of pain. The sounds werenโt quite right, the scream was in its place, but the blade and the squelch were in the wrong spots. You hadnโt heard the blade go in, you were only hearing it come out. You waited for a wet thud, but never heard one. Just rustling of clothes, Ghostโs unintelligible grumbling and footsteps heading away from you. Two sets of footsteps.
He hadnโt hurt him so badly that he couldnโt walk, just enough that he would be lightheaded from the blood loss within the next half hour. Adam stumbled in front of Ghost who directed his jerky, uncoordinated movements by his grip on the back of Adamโs shirt. You lost sight of them when their footsteps changed from soft thuds to louder *clunks*, they mustโve reached the porch.
โSay โHiโ Adam.โ Ghost shoved him toward the door, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Adam struggle to comprehend his simple order. โCan you fucking knock at least?โ
โShit, I guess.โ Adam shook his head and cleared his throat, his arms still ziptied behind his back. He tapped the bottom of the door with his sneaker, kicking just loud enough for those inside to hear. โHey! Brandon! Zach? Zachary! Zach I swear to god if you donโt open this fucking door Iโll deny your membership!โ
They could hear hushed, frantic voices behind the door as his frat brothers tried to decide their course of action. Adam was getting impatient, kicking at the door handle forcefully in hopes to break it off and gain entry by force.ย
โHere, Iโll give it a try buddy.โ Ghost said, patting his shoulder before gripping him by the hair and bashing his forehead into the solid redwood door. โItโs rude to leave a guest at the door!โ Ghost shouted โknockingโ on the door repeatedly with the side of Adamโs head.
โFuck! Open the fuckinโ door!โ Adam breathed in short, shallow inhales as if he might hyperventilate from the stress. His lungs starting to constrict and make his face turn red, a wheezing sound escaping his throat as his breathing became labored.
โDo you have an inhaler?โ Ghost asked with a slight laugh, โBreathing in all that frat boy bullshit caught up to you?โย
โI-I have asthma.โ He wheezed, choosing to save his breath instead of wasting it by feeding into Ghostโs deliberate emotional jab.ย
โAre you gonna die if you don't get it?โ Ghost asked annoyedly, seemingly miffed that he wasnโt able to get a real reaction out of him.
โM-mayโฆ maybe.โ He coughed, dry and raspy, from deep in his throat. Adam was instinctively trying to reach up to hold his neck, unable to because of the zip ties, realizing he couldnโt only made things worse. Being denied the simple instinctive human reaction caused his panic to flare up into a frenzy, the formerly sure footed, bull headed, asshole was reduced to a scared kid on his knees, choking on air as he fought against his own body to breathe.
โShit.โ Ghost sighed and rapped on the window with his leathered knuckles. โFor real guys, get this little shit his inhaler. Open the fucking door or Iโll bust the window.โ He yelled, smacking at the glass with his palm.ย
โYou come in first!โ A voice from behind the door shouted as the doorknob jiggled loosely, practically hanging by a thread from the beating Adam had given it.
โSure.โ Ghost called out, certainly not planning to follow that demand. He grabbed Adam by his shoulders and lifted him up. Forcing him to stand on his own two feet before shouting for them to open the door again.
The door slowly opened just a crack, a fist holding a long knife used to filet fish lashed out wildly, aiming at everything and nothing at the same time. Ghost was thankful for his quick reflexes, as much as he wanted to ensure these guys didnโt live to see the morning sun, he promised heโd only scare them. So, he pulled Adam back and kicked the wrist connected to the hand holding the knife, causing the wielder to drop it with a hiss of pain. Ghost stomped on the blade, drawing his foot backward to slide it out of the way and out of reach.
โGreat job, almost stabbed your buddy here.โ He grunted, hefting Adam up and pushing him forward. โSomebody catch him, get him his inhaler.โ He said in a firm voice, expecting nothing but compliance.ย
Adam fell to his knees and a lamp flickered on before illuminating the room in a soft yellow hue, allowing Ghost to see what was waiting for him behind the door. What he saw made him laugh out loud: the couch flipped on its side, the kitchen table pushed against the couch as some kind of make shift โfortโ and four guys with pots and pans for weapons.ย
โWhereโs Gordon? Didnโt realize I was walking in to Hellโs Kitchen.โ He chuckled, flipping out both his knives, making sure to flick Adamโs blood at his closest frat brother, just for fun.
โWhat do you want man? Why? His inhaler?โ The youngest and most meek of the group, Zachary spoke up, โIf youโre gonna kill us why get him his inhaler?โ
โWho said I was gonna kill you?โ He laughed, wiping the leftover blood on his jeans. โGet the guy his inhaler, please.โ He gritted out.
โAlright.โ Wyatt nodded, coming out from beneath the kitchen table, he warily made his way to one of the bedrooms and returned quickly with Adamโs rescue inhaler.ย
โGreat job,โ Ghost rubbed the two blades together in a crisscross motion before turning one toward Zach. โGet me everyoneโs phonesโฆ keys too.โ
โYeah, okay.โ He nodded quickly, tossing his own phone on the floor at Ghostโs feet. โBrandon, please.โ He breathed out, thrusting out his hand impatiently when his friend didnโt hand it over immediately.
โIโm not giving that psycho my goddamn phone!โ He yelled, shoving Zachary away from him.
โDonโt you fucking call me that.โ Ghost growled, stomping over to yank Zachary back to his feet after scooping up his phone from the floor. โHand it over, like I said, Iโm not gonna kill you. Just do what I say and Iโll leave.โ
โTh-thanks?โ Zachary scrambled back out of Ghosts grip, giving him Wyatts phone before he joined Adam and his other friend on the floor.
โMhm.โ Ghost nodded over his shoulder at him, watching him move to regroup with his friends. He caught movement from the corner of his eye and quickly spun around, only getting clipped on the shoulder by the cast iron skillet Brandon was holding over his head as if preparing to bring it down on him again.
โGoddamnit!โ Ghost yelled, rolling his shoulder and feeling the muscles pinch uncomfortably. Holding both knives in a back handed grip allowed him to swing them closed quickly, holding them in his palms tightly as he wound up to punch Brandon. โTryinโ to be civil here.โ He growled, connecting his fist to brandonโs chin in an upper cut hard enough to make Rocky cry.
His target dropped the skillet and it clamored to the ground in a loud crash, followed by the fool who thought it would be a good idea to hit Ghost with a frying pan. Once Brandon was on his knees, his mouth bloodied and split open, Ghost crouched in front of him and held his hand out. Instead of receiving Brandon's phone, Ghost was kindly gifted a spray of bloody spit over the white of his mask. He breathed in and let out a tired sigh, standing up he brought his knee up quickly and aimed at the same spot, this time getting a bigger, louder reaction from Brandon.ย
The yowl Brandon let out was ear piercing, with shaking hands he tossed his phone to Ghost and cupped his palm beneath his chin, spitting out globs of blood and somethingโฆ meaty.
โYuh mad meh bighth ma tong ov.โ He looked up at Ghost, a sniveling mess of red saliva and sobs, holding up his hand where he held the tip of his tongue in his palm.
โI didnโt make you do that. You made a stupid choice and you got a shitty result.โ Ghost scoffed, and shouted to Zach, the easiest to deal with out of them all, he was the most impressionable. โGo put this on ice.โ He gestured to the hunk of flesh dismissively, groaning in frustration when he heard very loud, very messy, alcohol tainted vomiting coming from the right of him.ย
โYou fuckinโ serious?โ He half laughed, half barked. Shaking his head, he snatched the tongue and walked to the kitchen, thankful that all the cabins here had a practically identical floor plan. Muttering to himself he grabbed a clean solo cup and filled it with ice from the fridge, dropping the flesh into the cup and returning to thrust it into Brandons hand.
โDonโt lose it, they can sew that shit back on.โ He sighed, gathering up the phones he took a seat in one of the kitchen table chairs, facing the group to keep an eye on them
โNot a single one of you called the cops?โ He laughed, scrolling through call history on two phones at once. โWhyโs that?โย
โW-โ
โDonโt say a fuckinโ word.โ Adam coughed, glaring at Zachary.
โLet the boy speak.โ Ghost waved off Adam, taking on the torch of authority over the group for the time being.
โI- well,โ Zach swallowed hard, it was clear that the kid was in over his head. This wasnโt his normal friend group, he stuck out like a sore thumb, he was the lackey and being the lackey of the group is just about as well paying as being a doormat. โAdam, I have to. You know I have to.โ
โNo you donโt!โ He lunged toward Zachary, with how they were all acting Ghost was almost positive if he left now theyโd all end up killing each other anyway.
โShut up.โ Ghost barked, making a frisbee from one of the cellphones, catching Adam in the outer corner of his already bruised left eye. He hissed in pain, but gave no more complaints.
โGo on.โ Ghost nodded to Zach, standing up so he could spin his chair around and straddle it, using the backrest to lean against comfortably as he listened.
โWe didnโt rent this cabin.โ Zachary spat out quickly, looking pale in the face as Adam smacked him in the back of the head, muttering something about โstupid freshiesโ.
โThatโs it?โ Ghost laughed, smacking both hands on his knees, rubbing his leather palms against his jeans.
โWe broke in, itโs not ours.โ Zachary nodded frantically, hoping the quicker he spilled his guts, the quicker the ordeal would be over with. โIโm supposed to be gettin-โ
โInducted into the frat, I know, I heard.โ Ghost sighed, standing up and grabbing the back of Zacharyโs shirt. โLook, take a good look. Do these idiots seem like the kind of people you want to be spending everyday of your life with for the foreseeable future?โ
โN-no.โ He shook his head, hands shaking with tremors of anxiety.
โGood choice. Did you drive here?โ Ghost asked, getting a nod in response. โGreat, itโs your car right?โ
โYes.โ Zach nodded again, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact with his โfriendsโ. Ghost pulled out the phones, letting Zachary take his.
โNow, before you leave I want you to make a quick little post and send a few emails, okay?โ Ghost said, pointing to the cellphone screen. โCan I trust you to do that Zach?โ
โY-Yes sir.โ He nodded, โWhat do you want me to do?โ
โIโve airdropped a bunch of screenshots from their phones. Email them to the Dean and the head of your frat house. Probably should take a good look at them yourself. You should know what you were about to agree to partake in.โ Ghost said, kicking his boot straight into Wyattโs chest as he attempted to tackle him. โThatโs enough!โ
Ghost shoved him to the ground, wrestling with him until he could get his hands behind his back. Busy with the wad of zipties he was pulling from his pockets, he didnโt notice Adam had recovered enough to join in on the scuffle. Just as he was pulling the ziptie around Wyatts wrists, Adamโs foot landed on top of Ghost, connecting with the back of his neck. A blinding pain rippled through Ghost, so quickly, so intensely that a wave of nausea washed over him like a tsunami. He felt green as he rolled off of Wyatt and out from under Adam who still had his heel on his shoulder. Ghost stood up, stumbling to his feet he forced himself to swallow the bile that crept up his esophagus. While Adam fell to the floor, unable to catch himself due to his restraints.
Ghost saw nothing but crimson red when he caught his balance, flipping out both knives in a backhanded hold, giving him the use of his fists and the convenience of a downward slash of his blade if needed. With one fist in front of his face, his other shot out to pop Adam on the cheek, tilting his fist to drag the cold steel down his โassailantโsโ arm. Blooming ichor cropped up through the deep split in the flesh, the heat of the fresh wound warming the blade for its next mark. Adam screamed, his hands and arms wriggling in an attempt to hold his bicep instinctually as he took in the sight of the gushing blood, in his panicked state he did what came to his mind first, trying to squish the meat back together by shrugging his shoulder up, tucking his chin there and pressing his arm against the floor.
โListen here you little shit.โ Ghost said, crouching down over top of the wailing guy beneath him. โI promised I wouldnโt kill any of you, I donโt like breaking promises. But, Iโm not above it.โ
โYou wouldnโt!โ Adam yelled, thrashing around, spilling his blood across the floor. Wyatt whimpering near the two of them as he pushed himself away with his feet on the slick floor.
โI would.โ Ghost said, standing up and resting his booted foot on Adamโs skull to apply enough pressure to solidify his threat while he turned his attention back to Zachary. โYou done?โ
โI think so.โ He nodded, handing Ghost the phone so he could approve the email and facebook post.
โPerfect, you should major in journalism. Theyโll be begging for more on this story, might as well cash out.โ Ghost said with a dark, deep laugh. โNice to meet you Zach, get the fuck out.โ Ghost shoved the phone back into his chest along with the handful of car keys.
Zachary took his phone and his set of keys, dropping the rest on the ground. He stood awkardly as though he werenโt positive that Ghost had meant what he said. Scanning the floor he took in the mess of furniture, blood, beer cans, and the quaking forms of the three frat brothers that he would be leaving behind.
โWait. Whereโs Justin?โ Zachary asked, spinning around to look about the room, noticing the last member of their group was missing.
โDo you always travel in a pack?โ Ghost grumbled, shoving Brandon and Adam together, lacing two more zipties through theirs to connect them. Then he brought Wyatt over, attaching him to the other two in the same manner, โWalk.โ
โHow do you expect us to walk like this?โ Wyatt asked, a scowl on his face while the huddle moved slowly toward the coat closet near the front door.
โWell youโre walkinโ arenโt you?โ Ghost growled, opening the door and uncerimoniously pushing them into the closet. He shut the door and grabbed the chair he was sitting in earlier, pushing it beneath the closet door handle to wedge it closed.
โZach!โ Ghost yelled, seeing the boy coming out of the kitchen with a large knife. โSeriously? I was starting to like you!โ
โWait!โ Zachary screeched, throwing his hands up and dropping the knife to prove he wasnโt a threat. โWait, i- i was just grabbing it to pop their tires.โ
โHuh.โ Ghost said, letting his body relax ever so slightly. โOkay well, did you find the other one?โ
The yelling, screams and thumping coming from inside the cabin were too much for you to sit back and allow to go on, unchecked. You had decided after the loudest, most pained scream youโd heard so far rang out into the night, that you could no longer obey Ghostโs strict orders. After shoving your small backpack into Ghostโs larger one, you put it on and pulled the straps tighter to fit your smaller frame. Once it was secure enough that it wouldnโt hinder your ability to move swiftly, you made your way to the truck closest to you, hoping to stay hidden for as long as possible.
The gravel crunched beneath your feet despite the ginger steps you took, occasionally glancing toward the window and the front door of the cabin, willing Ghost to come out so you wouldnโt have to get any closer. After passing the truck, you ducked behind the Mazda, using it as cover when you spotted the front door slowly opening.
Peering through the dark glass of the car window you were able to make out a figure heading your way. Immediately retracting your sigh of relief when you noticed the height of the approaching person wasnโt nearly as tall as what you were expecting. As the figure lifted its head, rounding the corner of the house, your worries were confirmed. It wasnโt Ghost.
The weight of the possibility that Ghost really was the one crying out in pain was a pressure on your chest that went far beyond suffocating. It was chest crushing, lung squeezing, and breath halting. Without thinking you spun quickly, the gravel being displaced under your heel made a noise loud enough to have you clapping your hands over your mouth as you panted in short breaths. The soft rustling of the grass from the strangerโs movements stopped abruptly, replaced by an eerie silence blanketing the area. For a moment it was just you and your uncontrolled breathing, the adrenaline saturated blood rushing through you as your heart beat echoed in your ears.
The illusion of being in a bubble of silent safety was shattered in less than a second. A rough hand grabbed you by the handle of your backpack and pulled you up to your feet and against the side of the car.
โSo it was you.โ The male voice from behind you sneered, squishing your face against the hood of the car. โWhereโs the other girl?โ
โSheโs not here, she left earlier. W-way before I came over here.โ You lied, panicking as you swallowed the rest of your anxiety induced word vomit in hopes that heโd believe the shortened version.
โSo itโs just you and the sissy-boy, huh?โ He prodded, trying to unzip your back pack. โWhat ya got in here? You stealing shit too?โ
๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝNo!โ You wormed your way out of one of the straps, turning uncomfortably in your attackerโs firm grasp to pry the bag from his hands. Itโs one thing to disobey very clear and concise instructions. Itโs a worse thing to get caught because of your disobedience. But it would be more than a metaphorical death sentence for Ghostโs gun to end up in the hands of someone else.
โNo, I havenโt stolen anything.โ Your voice evening out after being raised an octave from the initial startled โnoโ from your lips.
โThen whatโs in the bag?โ He questioned aggressively.
In that moment, you knew you had two choices. You could give it up or have it forcibly taken from you. Though there was a third option tapping at the back of your head, the little devil on your shoulder pulling on your ear and hoping youโd take the chance.
โThis.โ With your decision made, no matter how poor, you followed through. Pulling out the pistol from the bag, pointing it directly at his chest.
โWhoa! Whoa, easy.โ He laughed nervously, putting his hands up and backing off as his eyes darted around, looking for an out.
โThe trunk.โ Your voice stern in a way you hadnโt heard before. โOpen the trunk, get in.โ
You gestured to the back of the car with the gun, watching him closely while he moved with slow, calculated steps. You could practically see the wheels turning in his brain, but by the time you noticed, it was too late. The very second he opened the trunk, he tried shoving you inside.
Wether it was an act of the gods or a a quick tug from your personal imp, youโll never know, but somehow your finger pulled the trigger. A loud blast echoed through the trees around you, the man stumbled back, holding his chest. The recoil of the pistol startled you, though the realization that the gun really had been loaded this whole time, startled you even more.
โShit.โ Ghostโs body flew on autopilot when the crack of the gun reached the cabin. A million thoughts ran through his head at once, but only one stuck out clearly. Only one held his attention. You.
Zach hit the floor, his hands over his head when he registered the sound for what it was, his โfriendsโ shouting in panic behind the closet door. He made not effort to free them nor to move at all, simply frozen in fear as Ghost stepped over him, through the threshold of the front door. Jumping from the porch he hit the ground in a full sprint, only stopping when he caught sight of you, arms out in front of you with the gun still in your hands.
Through the ringing in your ears, you heard muffled words as a gentle leather hand peeled the gun from your grasp. His hands searching you for any injuries, satisfied that the only wound youโd sustained was mental, he scooted you away, shoving his arms under the armpits of the corpse before hefting the body from the ground and into the open trunk behind you. After making sure he really was dead, Ghost wiped the blood off on the manโs jeans and carefully guided you to the side of the car, having you sit down.
โYouโve got good aim for such a little doe.โ He said, trying to lighten the atmosphere just a tiny bit. โHere I was thinkinโ it was deer season.โ
โNo?โ He sighed, patting your head and massaging your scalp with his fingertips before he straightened up. โToo soon?โ
โJust a little bit.โ You said, looking up at him from were you sat.
โDonโt cry, itโs okay.โ He said, noticing the tears welling up in your eyes. โIโll take care of it. Donโt worry about nothinโ okay?โ
โPromise?โ
โPromise.โ He nodded, holding out his pinky finger and waggling it at you until you linked yours with his. โGood girl.โ His voice was rough, but it was clear it wasnโt from anger. His body language was relaxed, like he was relieved.
He walked back to the trunk of the car and hummed to himself, a song that triggered a memory for you. It felt like years had passed since youโd heard it, but the beat came to the forefront of your mind with an image in tow. Followed by another, then another, and another. Ghost was humming the lyrics, but your mind was filling in the the missing instrumentals.
While you were busy trying to connect where and when youโd heard that tune, Ghost was busy cutting the shirt off the corpse of the frat boy youโd shot. With the blood soaked fabric out of the way the gaping wound in his flesh was easily visible. He let out a low whistle as he took in the damage from the close range shot. He shook his head with a little laugh and shifted his weight from one leg to the other, subtly giving his half-hard cock a bit more room.
He steeled himself for the next bit of his task, finding the bullet. He rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms to reposition his sleeves without having to touch them, before he sunk the middle and ring finger of both hands into the wound to pull it apart, lifting one side he dug around and pried open the rip in the muscle.
โGross.โ He whispered, making a gagging sound when he heard the wet tearing of the fascia, feeling the stringy substance snapping under his hands.
โHey, sweetheart?โ He asked in a soft voice, trying to get your attention without startling you.
โHuh?โ You turned your head, only registering you were being spoken to after he snapped his fingers at you.
โCan you get me some gloves from the little side zippy?โ He asked, pointing to the backpack now at your feet. โAnd thereโs a thingy of wipes in the big front zippy.โ
โSweetheart?โ
โOh, right. Sorry.โ You nodded, moving slowly as you came down from the chemical rush youโd just experienced.
โNo, no.โ He quickly shook his head when you stood up to walk over to him. โJust set โem up there.โ He gestured to the back windshield with his elbow, so you did as he asked, recognizing that he was doing something that was most definitely unpleasant to witness.
โThanks doll.โ He nodded, bending down and wiping the blood on his leather gloves onto the ground, dragging his fingers back and forth through the grass.
He stepped on the tip of each glove to pull them off his hands, quickly switching over to the latex gloves to continue the dirty work he shielded you from. Youโd been through enough, he already felt immense guilt for what heโd brought you into, there was no need to add insult to injury. Ghost picked up where he left off, prodding around beneath the flesh, he realized heโd have to dig a bit deeper. Separating the tissue from the muscle he forced his flat hand underneath the left pectoral as far as possible.
โFuck.โ He cursed, his middle finger following the rippled meat until he lost the bulletโs path.
โBad news bears.โ He called out to you, popping his head around the side of the trunk. โI need you to look in the toolbox in the back of that truck. Put on some gloves first though.โ
โWhat? Why?โ You asked, snapping the latex into place on your fingers after pulling out a pair for yourself.
โSee if heโs got some bolt cutters.โ He sighed, taking a deep breath before speaking again. โIf he doesnโt have bolt cutters get me a hammer or crowbar. Itโd be sweet if he has a crowbar.โ
โA crowbar?โ You asked out of curiosity, then thought better of it. โActually, nevermind.โ
You climbed up into the truckbed and lifted the toolbox lid. There were no bolt cutters, only small wire cutters. Two hammers, a plethora of screwdrivers and a random assortment of metal fittings and other equipment. Buried beneath a pile of ratchet straps you found the crowbar.
โOh hell yeah.โ Ghost chuckled, taking it from you as you held it out at a distance.
โUh, probably should cover your ears.โ He said apologetically.
He pulled the corpse from the trunk, letting it thump on the gravel so he could plant his foot firmly on the abdomen, leaning forward with the curved side of the crowbar in his hands, the flat side pressed into the space between his ribs, just beneath the left pec.
Ghost put his weight into the crowbar, sinking it in with one firm, downward shove. It was a difficult process, one that needed a balance between force and delicacy, Ghost was only experienced at one of those attributes. He pushed too hard, going through the connective tissue between the ribs as planned and down into the chest cavity.
A wet, goopy pop met his ears before the blood began to seep out of the punctured viscera hidden in the chest cavity.
โOh, yum.โ He muttered under his breath as he wiggled the crowbar back and forth as he pulled it up out of the soft substance heโd pierced. The noise was similar to the suction of pulling your fingers out of a jar of hair gel.
Ghost left the crowbar sticking up out of the wound to jog over to the stack of firewood lined up against the cabin, grabbing a thickly cut log. Passing it back and forth between his hands as he returned to the body.
Placing the log on the torso as he resumed humming the song from earlier. You made the mistake of looking over your shoulder, seeing his bloody hand on the open lid of the trunk for balance as he stepped up onto the end of the crowbar sticking out of the corpse.
Pushing down on it with his body weight, using the firewood as leverage to crack open the rib cage. You felt sick to your stomach when you saw him jump on the crowbar, hearing the sickening crunch and crack of bone breaking under the force of his movements.
Grateful that you couldnโt see what was happening below the car, only having seen Ghostโs upper bodyโs part in the act. Nauseated, you pulled the pink silk from your face, gagging loudly as you held your stomach and bent over.
โShit, baby you okay?โ Ghost asked, coming around to check on you. He hesitated, knowing his hands were covered inโฆ unsavory substances.
โGet back.โ Your hand out behind you to stop him from coming closer. โJust do what you need to do and let me throw up in peace.โ
โOh, princess Iโm sorry.โ He said softly, unsure of what to do. He was in clean up mode, heโd never had company during this process before. So he did what he knew to be necessary.
He couldnโt have you throwing up and leaving any more evidence of your presence at this crime scene. He grimaced, wiping his latex gloves with a baby wipe from the pack youโd set out. Then unzipped a pocket on his backpack, pulling out a large ziploc bag filled with smaller ones. He dumped the smaller ones out, handing you the bigger, quart sized one.
โIf youโre gonna upchuck, make sure it gets in the bag.โ He said patting your back, nodding at your grunt of acknowledgment and leaving you to your own devices.
With the rib cage popped open, he wedged his hand beneath it, feeling the squishy, slippery surface of one of his your victimโs lungs. He braved it by clenching his teeth tightly to distract himself from the sound and sensation accompanying his methodical squeezing of the organ.
โFinally.โ He sighed in satisfaction when he felt the hard lump of metal buried in the lung. He pinched it to keep the bullet from escaping his hand, not wanting to go through the disgusting process again.
Now with it between his fingers, he was able to dig around with his other fingers to pull the lung out of the chest cavity to access the area with both hands to dislodge the bullet.
โGot it!โ He said proudly, dropping it into one of the small ziploc bags.
He dumped the body back into the trunk of the car, not bothering to removed the crowbar or slide the lung back where it belonged. Slamming the trunk shut he cleaned up his leather gloves until they were good as new, switching them out once more.
He disposed of his latex gloves in the same ziploc bag as the bullet, then made his way to you once again. He was pleased to see that you had not thrown up and the color was returning to your cheeks.
โAlright, letโs get the fuck out of here.โ He said, rubbing your back as he picked up the bag and started walking toward the woods with you.
โHey whatโs that song you-โ You started, thinking if you heard the name of it you might be able to place it with the memory attached.
โZachary, buddy.โ Ghost grumbled, hearing the boys panicked squeal as he emerged from the cabin with his phone flashlight training on the two of you.
โWho is that?โ He pointed to you, causing you to turn fully to face him. โOh my god, youโre that girl.โ
Ghost threw up his hands in frustration, dragging one down the side of his mask. โThis is my lovely lady.โ
โLeaving?โ Ghost asked, putting his left hand in his hoodie pocket.
โY-yeah.โ Zach nodded, moving slowly as he walked toward his car which just so happened to be the Mazda.
โWe still cool?โ Ghost asked, signaling you to stay put while he โescortedโ Zach to his vehicle.
โOh, yeah of course.โ Zach said nervously as Ghost opened up the driver side door for him.
โListen, Iโm sorry for all this.โ Ghost said, sticking out his hand for a handshake as Zach climbed into the car.
โRight.โ He cleared his throat accepting the handshake which gave Ghost the opportunity to pull out his gun from his hoodie pocket, pistol whipping him with his temple as the target.
โI was really hoping this kid wouldnโt get in the way, he was the only decent one out of them all.โ Ghost grumbled, throwing the comment over his shoulder before turning his attention to the unconscious boy in front of him.
He grabbed another zip tie, pressing Zacharyโs finger tips against the plastic before placing his foot on the gas pedal and pulling the tie to secure it in place.
Ghost reached around, turning the key in the ignition and leaning over Zach to put the car in neutral.
โClose your eyes.โ Ghost said sternly, watching you to make sure you were listening. โGood. Turn around, stay there please.โ
โThank you baby,โ He called over his shoulder as he started to push the car, getting it rolling toward the lake. Once it was close enough he put it in park and shouted out to you again. โCover your ears!โ
Taking Zachโs hand he wrapped his fingers around the grip, positioning his pointer finger on the trigger and putting his other limp hand in the left hand cut out in the steering wheel. He pulled the trigger, the bullet ripping through the soft flesh on the underside of his chin and straight through his brain, exiting at the top of his skull, lodging in the dented metal roof of the car.
Ghost let the gun fall along with Zachโs hand before throwing the car in drive and pushing down on his knee to put pressure on the gas pedal. Quickly jumping out of the way as he slammed the door shut. Stumbling back and falling on his ass as the car sped through the yard and straight into the lake, sinking slowly.
Ghost stood up, dusting himself off before punching the air in a little victory celebration before he had to return to โcaregiver to shell shocked girlfriendโ.
Ghost approached you slowly, a soft hand on your shoulder to alert you to his presence. He pulled you into his chest and crushed you in a tight hug, squeezing you as he rocked side to side.
โI know this has been a long, really not so great night.โ He said softly, resting his chin on your head. โBut I need you to tell me something okay, I need you to listen. Can you do that?โ
You nodded against his chest, sniffling while you prepared for whatever it was he had in store for you this time.
โDid you touch anything with your bare hands?โ He asked, loosening his tight grip around you. โThink hard. I need to know so I can take care of it.โ
Your mind raced, youโd touched a lot of things. It hadnโt ever crossed your mind that you mightโve left fingerprints. Fingerprints wouldnโt have mattered if it had just been your original plan. Fingerprints wouldnโt have mattered if you had just listened to Ghost and stayed put.
โChalk and spray cans.โ You said, your eyes wide as if trying to see the various items youโd left evidence behind on. โThe truck. The window. That car, in the lake.โ
โDid you touch anything inside the car?โ He asked, tilting your head back to look at you.
โNot with my hands. I bumped the inside of the trunk with my arm.โ You said, crossing your arms to hug yourself while he held you.
โDid you keep your hood up? Touch your hair or anything?โ He asked, swatting at your hand when your lifted it to touch your hair.
โNo I donโt think so.โ You shook your head, hearing him sigh.
โOkay.โ He took a breath, โhereโs the plan:โ
โYou, sit your ass right here.โ He said, pushing down on your shoulder gently to make you sit. โIโm gonna go get the cans, and wipe down the window. The truckโฆ do you remember where you touched it?โ
โThe side facing the woods, then I climbed up to get that stuff from the tool box.โ You said, holding up your still gloved hands. โBut I had on gloves for the toolbox.โ
โPerfect. Keep those on.โ
He patted your head and went about his tasks, making the clean up quick as he jogged through the yard and picked up the cans heโd tossed in a pile. Taking an alcohol wipe to the window and then using more than a handful as he roughly scrubbed the side of the truck.
Thankfully, it seemed that daddyโs money kept Adamโs car well maintained so he didnโt need to worry about leaving one side of the truck shiny and the other dirty. This trip was probably the only time that truck had ever seen dirt. He used what was left of the chalk spray on that side of the truck just to even it out, throwing everything away in a grocery bag to shove in his backpack.
Everything was in place, everything was handled, everything was fine. It was all fine.
Except for you.
Diary Entry: September 4th early morning
Okay, so here I am, in a goddamn tree, sitting outside your cabin, watching you walk outside every so often to vomit. Your sister and Luke think youโve got food poisoning or some shit like that.
Youโre mad because I made you strip naked before I would let you climb back in your window. Youโre mad because I had to bag up your clothes to get rid of. Youโre paranoid because there hasnโt been a peep from across the lake.
Luke made you cry because he was woken up by โreally loud popsโ and heโs โalmost for certain it was a gun, how did you not wake up?โ.
I made you cry because I asked if you were okay.
You made yourself cry because you just had to take one last look as we walked away and you of course thought you saw a few bubbles float to the surface of the lake. โOh my god, what if theyโre still alive?โ
Baby. Theyโre beyond dead.
Speaking of, can I just say that it was fucking hot as hell to see you standing there with my gun like that? Holy shit.
Then realizing there was a whole person you blew to pieces in front of you? Lord have mercy, Lucifer take my soul.
I wish I could say it to your face. Itโs a compliment, but I donโt think youโd take it that way. Youโre just so perfect. Youโre beautiful even in moments like that, with those fearful eyes and that pretty pout. The little blush creeping up your cheeks and the squeak you made when I took the gun from you.
If you werenโt so distraught I wouldโve ravaged you right then and there.
I forget sometimes that youโre just a girl. Youโre a girl that I love and that I just wanted to have a good time with. I just wanted you to have a little taste of danger. I didnโt want you to murder someone on accident. I didnโt want to kill Zach.
But theyโre both at the bottom of the lake and thereโs nothing I can do about it now.
Iโm sorry that I seemed insensitive. I really didnโt mean to. I just donโt understand why youโre grieving a person you didnโt know. The guy you killed was a gross, horrible, disgusting waste of space. Zach was okay, heโs just fucking stupid and had to come out and get a look at you.
You understand right? I couldnโt just let him walk off after he recognized you.
Maybe youโve learned your lesson. When I say something, I mean it. When I tell you to listen, itโs for a reason.
When the little voice in my head says โhey thatโs probably not a good ideaโ I think Iโll start listening. Sometimes.
Maybe.
Diary Entry: September 7th
Iโm picking up the vibe that youโre alittle bit upset with me. Like actually me, Anakin. You texted me that you got home but I was expecting you to come over or ask me to come overโฆ since youโve been gone the whole weekend. But you didnโt.
Are you just that freaked out by the whole thing? I told you itโs not your fault. I donโt know what else to do. People die. Sometimes they just die alittle earlier than theyโre meant to. Thatโs just the way of things.
I was there. Yet I still feel out of the loop.
Cause thereโs only so much information I have you know? I have my side of the story. But youโre keeping yours locked up in the Fort Knox of your mind.
You canโt just ignore me because of one little mistake on your part. Yeah, itโs not your fault but also it kind of is. You shouldโve listened, but if I get back on that thought train Iโll be riding it for the next few stops.
So instead letโs focus on how Iโm going absolutely insane because you wonโt even let Ghost inside your apartment. Iโve never been mad at you but Iโm so close to being pissed. A door stop? Really? New window latch?
If I didnโt have cameras in your place Iโd be worried you found some other guy to do the window latch installation. I was pleasantly surprised (also proud) to see you putting it in all by yourself. If only it wasnโt simultaneously infuriating.
I think Iโm going to have to do alittle research to see how I can worm my way inside without actually causing any damage to the door or window. If youโd just leave the apartment for even a few minutes Iโd be able to go in through the door. But no, of course I wouldnโt be so lucky.
I totally considered throwing a brick through the glass of your living room window but then itโd be a few days before the super would ever even get around to fixing it, youโd have a gaping hole that anyone could climb in through and Iโd be sleep deprived because Iโd be sitting out there 24/7.
The only upside to that would be getting to see you. Although I have a feeling youโd be even more upset if I actually did do thatโฆ so I wonโt, even though itโs very tempting.
Is it completely horrible of me to be driven by ulterior motives as well? Temptingโฆ Iโm all worked up and itโs really difficult to settle for my hand after having felt the flower of Eden between your pretty thighs.
I need you. I need you in a bad way. So bad I very briefly let myself wonder if it would be cheating if I bought a fleshlight and taped your picture on it.
Logically, duh I know itโs not cheating but it feels like it.
Maybe I can invent Clone-a-Coochie. You know like the make it yourself, at home dildo? Great business idea if weโre being honest. A perfect replica of your perfect pussy? Bitch, Iโd put that on display.
โWhat the hell is that?โ โOh this? Yeah, this is my girlโs pussy.โ
Seriously, itโs basically the same concept of the Roman and Greeks always putting flaccid dicks on their statues. Itโs art.
Art that has more than one purpose! I love shit with more than one use. Itโs pretty, it can be fucked, itโs pretty. Look at that. Three whole things.
But even if I did invent it, Iโd still have to get into your apartment to make it in the first place and then I wouldnโt even need it anymore because youโd be there.
Iโm rambling. This is what happens when Iโm nervous. Youโve made me nervous. If I didnโt hate taking pages from notebooks Iโd rip this out because Iโm a fucking idiot and wrote it in ink so now the inner thoughts that shouldโve been kept to myself are in permanent physical form.
Notebook law is that you canโt tear pages from a composition notebook. If thereโs one law Iโm not gonna break, itโs that one. Cause thatโs just disgusting, vile.
Anyway, the B train has been tossing around some thoughts while the A train plowed through the brain car that gets rid of my bad ideas.
B train says I should figure out how to get in your bedroom window. Thereโs no fire escape under it. Youโre on the second floor and thereโs no way Iโm rappelling down the side of an eight story building.
My need for instant gratification said I could commandeer a fire truck. They have really tall ladders. But then Iโd have to worry about hiding a fire truck and that would be practically impossible so honestly, itโs for the best that A train ran that one over.
So I think my best bet is to violate every single safety protocol on ladders and push the dumpster over, stick a ladder on top and close my eyes and hope I make it to your window.
So, if I see you, Iโve succeeded. If I havenโt. Maybe donโt look out your bedroom window.
Ps.
I just donโt understand. Iโm sorry, I donโt. This would be just so much easier if youโd flap your fucking jaws like you love to do. Just open your mouth and speak.
Date: September 7th
Anakin has called, texted, emailed, knocked, unlocked your door and been sent straight back across the hallway.
Unable to look him in the eye after what youโve done, youโve repeatedly ignored and pushed him away. You tell yourself itโs because youโre suspicious of his behavior, because he was spotted by your sisterโs husband at that store. Thatโs why youโre ignoring him.
It has nothing to do with the fact that you killed someone and watched your other (stalker) boyfriend kill another man and stage the scene as a hostage-murder-suicide.
Ghost left those boys in the closet, zip tied together. Youโve watched the news everyday on a continuous loop for the last three days and youโve not seen a single hint of information regarding the crime. Theyโve not been reported missing. Theyโve not escaped to your knowledge.
What was reported on however, was that a group of young men affiliated with the Alpha Sigma Psi Fraternity from the upstate university are under suspension pending investigation into their โhazing practices and illicit activitiesโ. No names have been released, just ages.
It seems that Ghost really did think of everything.
How? How does he know what to do? How did he perfectly situate a very messy crime scene to fit the narrative of frat hazing gone wrong? How did he find the proof and get it to the university? Is there actual proof?
By the time those boys are found everything will have been taken care of and seen as a closed case before itโs even opened:
A young boy, a recruit, was taken out to the lake for a weekend hazing ritual. The last of his โtrialsโ to join Alpha Sigma Phi. All was well, drinking, drugs, strip pong. A bit of good natured, easy to clean up โvandalismโ to get him loosened up before they go into his final initiation phase. Recruit finds out what horrible things his soon to be frat brothers have done and now want him to do, then he attempts to escape, kills in self defense, ties others up and plans to dump the body. Recruit digs around in the corpse to get the bullet to get rid of the evidence, realizes itโs too late for him, feels guilty and kills himself.
The only loose ends are the other guys in the closet. Why not kill them too? And if youโre going to go through all the trouble of taking out the bullet, then shoot yourselfโฆ whatโs the point of taking it out?
Maybe it just shows the panicked thought pattern of a scared kid who messed up, fell in with the wrong crowd and couldnโt get himself out of it without violence being involved. Maybe it shows that a girl and her masked secret boyfriend tried to have a little fun and ended up committing double murder.
Ghost explained that Zach saw you, would be able to identity you if he went to the police, there was no choice. He had to kill him to protect you.
When you questioned him about his gun and if it could be traced to him he told you it was bought third hand, unregistered and given as a gift. Not to mention heโs never handled it with his bare hands and he filed off the serial numbers after he received it.
Because โyou never knowโ. What does that mean? You didnโt ask because you didnโt want to taint your image of him further.
There hasnโt been a linear pattern of thought since that night, thoughts, ideas, monologues, even fully fleshed out daydreams have been overlapping and going straight through each other at an alarming rate. Silence is a distant memory, the constant chatter of your inner voice has become your new normal.
A voice, a real one, called out to you for the umpteenth time today. Pounding on your front door, you didnโt even bother to look through the peephole. You didnโt get up and tell him to fuck off. You even turned the sound off on your phone hours ago, when you checked it you had over sixty messages. Some from Anakin, some from Ghost, Luke and your sister. Even Vigo from the diner. Everyone was concerned about your mysterious absence.
You just had too much going on at once to deal with answering any messages or questions. Too much happening to explain why youโve called in for the past two days. Brain too full to comprehend the email from your English professor, wondering why youโve not turned in your online quiz.
How can you be expected to lead your normal life after killing a living being with your own hands?
September 8th, 8:43 pm
Ghost got into position, feet firmly on the ground with both hands flat on the side of the dumpster, thankful it was on wheels as he pushed the heavy container toward your bedroom window. It scraped along the wall, metal on brick making a horrendous racket that he was relieved only lasted a few seconds.
He didnโt need a 20 foot ladder of his own. So naturally he swiped one from a construction site, planning to return if before the sunrise. After he precariously secured and balanced the ladder against the wall, atop the dumpster, he made his way up to your bedroom window.
Luckily this window also had an incredibly old style of latch and you hadnโt replaced it. So, he was able to use his heavy duty magnet to wiggle the curved latch out of the ring that held the window shut. The only difference from your living room window was that this one was smaller, still plenty big enough for him to fit through, and a bit higher off the ground as well.
The awkward position of the ladder, paired with his teeny tiny fear of heights made it the slightest bit terrifying to enter the window feet first. Head first was the only logical solution. He was long enough to hit the floor with his hands and โwalkโ the rest of himself into your room without harming himself. So he did exactly that.
Bending at the waist he shimmied until his legs were bent at the knee to help him balance, both hands on the ground as he pulled himself forward enough to get away from the wall so that he could drop his feet down one at a time. It was awkward and uncomfortable, however worth it and necessary in his mind.
Once he gained entry and the window was shut and locked, Ghost walked out of your bedroom to hear your shower running. He was tired of waiting. Tired of attempting to give you a bit of space, alittle leeway for your healing and health. He did the only logical thing, pull out a bent paper clip to jimmy pinhole lock of your bathroom door knob.
He cheered for himself internally when he heard the faint *click* signaling heโd succeeded in popping the simple mechanism of the button lock on your side of the door. Carefully and quietly he entered the bathroom, making himself at home on the sink counter to wait until you were finished.
He closed his eyes, listening to the water pelting your soft skin and the sound of your fingertips scrubbing shampoo into your scalp, the product bubbling up to cleanse the day away. The sweet scent was soothing, heโd missed it, now that he was able to smell you, feel your presence againโฆ he was a thousand times calmer. His mind clearing enough to think rationally.
You were living and breathing. You were okay.
You were tangible again. He hadnโt gone a single day without you in such a long time that he felt like an addict experiencing withdrawal during your time away. He was finally getting that first hit that soothed the hurt, steadied the shakes and warmed the ice of his veins.
Spotting your robe and towel sitting nearby, he picked up the robe and held it to his chest to transfer some of his warmth to it. It was a simple gesture, one that wouldnโt matter in the grand scheme of things, but you were his everything and heโd been deprived of you for too long. He considered that maybe he needed to start doing more of these micro feel-good acts to keep you satisfied with him.
It wasnโt as good as tossing it in the dryer, but the dryer was at the laundromat and he really didnโt want to have to climb up that ladder again. Holding it to his chest was the best he could do and he hoped it was enough. He hoped he was enough.
The water shut off, the following sound was your hands wringing out your hair, the stream of water hitting the shower floor. Pushing back the curtain you looked down at the bath mat as you stepped out, nearly slipping when you lifted your head and saw Ghost sitting quietly. He gave an awkward, tiny wave and crossed his feet at the ankles, clasping his hands in his lap around your robe.
โHow did you get in here?โ Your voice quiet and distant.
โDoesnโt matter.โ He said while you toweled off, holding up your robe for you to slip on.
You almost refused it. He wasnโt meant to be here, he hadnโt told you he was coming and you took precautions to make sure he wouldnโt get inside your home. Apparently, no amount of security could keep him away from you.
You couldnโt bring yourself to deny him the right to treat you to such a simple gesture. Not when he looked at you the way he did. You could see it in your minds eye, the puppy dog eyes and wobbly bottom lip. He was sulking and his posture screamed it. Sighing, you turned around to insert your arms one at a time. The fabric was warm, a plush cotton hug that you didnโt expect but were glad to have.
Before you could turn around Ghost used a soft touch on your shoulder to make you stand still while he searched the drawer on his left for your hairbrush. The wet strands were plastered to the back of your neck beneath your robe, his leather finger separating it to lay it over the fabric and smooth it out just a bit before starting out at the very ends, working his way up slowly.
He was quiet, it was rare that he go so long without speaking. Almost seeming like he was waiting for you to speak first, but no words would come. What was there to say?
Once he finished with your hair he hopped down from the sink countertop, guiding you to sit atop the toilet lid. He kept a hand on you the whole time he set up your hair dryer and sprayed your leave in conditioner, like he was worried youโd vanish if you werenโt beneath his fingers.
The continuous droning flow of air from the hairdryer was warm and soothing. Like a cozy white noise machine. You couldโve fallen asleep with the way he was brushing through your hair as he dried it, the bristles massaging your scalp with every pass. He was taking his time, an occasional pause to separate and section off the next bit of your hair, a quick swipe of his thumb against your neck, leaning down to simulate a kiss to the top of your head with his maskโs cheek.
He didnโt poke and prod you for answers like you expected. He was patient, seemingly content to be in your presence even without the use of conversation. It was surprising when you factored in all the incessant texts and voicemails heโd left you since you arrived back home.
Taking both your hands he escorted you over to the sink, gripping your hips to boost you up onto the counter top.
โOpen.โ He tapped your cheek, grabbing your toothbrush and toothpaste, scoffing like he was offended when you tried to take it from him.
โIโll do it.โ He insisted, shaking his head at you before carefully cupping your chin and pulling your bottom lip down slightly with his thumb so he could brush your teeth for you.
โReady?โ He asked, rinsing off your toothbrush and passing off the mouthwash to you. Ghost watched as you swished and spit, helping you down from the sink and walking behind you with a hand on the back of your neck.
He picked out your pajamas and helped you into them, treating you as if you were a porcelain doll. It was unsettling to see him so gentle and caring. This wasnโt his normal behavior. He had his sweet moments but characteristically he was moody, broody, grumpy and cynical.
โDo you think you can talk to me now sweet girl?โ He asked, holding your face in his hands and swiping his thrumbs just beneath your eyes.
โYou lied to me.โ You said accusingly.
โNo? What?โ He asked, shaking his head like he was shocked youโd say that.
โYou lied. You said youโd never hurt me, youโd never put me in danger.โ
โBaby, Iโm sorry. I didnโt know theyโd be so violent. I didnโt know they were that bad of people, I wouldโve never-โ His voice was strained, his hands shifting so that one was on your neck, rubbing the column of your throat.
โNot that.โ You scowled, โIโm talking about the gun.โ
โI donโt understand what you mean. I told you I had one, I told you it was in the bag! I even told you to use it if you had to. Whereโs the lie?โ He asked, getting upset at your accusations.
โIt was loaded for real? Like you for real were playing Russian Roulette with my life? You couldโve killed me Ghost!โ You smacked his chest angrily, shoving him away when he held out his arm to comfort you.
โNo! No it wasnโt loaded I swear.โ He said in a panic, standing up and going over to your still-packed bags from your weekend trip. He dug around in the pockets until he pulled out the bullet heโd carved your initials into. You noticed the last initial had been carved over in the shape of a heart.
โSee? It never even touched the inside I swear.โ He said, handing it to you. Heโd saved it for you, tucking it away for you to see when you finally unpacked. You almost felt bad that youโd practically forced him to ruin the gift of the keepsake. An odd keepsake, but still.
โThenโฆ then how do you explain the bullet in there? I never saw you load it.โ You asked, confusion coloring your words.
Ghost sighed, trying to take your hand but you pulled it away. He grumbled, forcibly pulling it over by the wrist, lacing his fingers with yours.
โI havenโt and will never knowingly put you in harms way. You are my everything, without you I am nothing.โ Ghost leaned in, testing the waters to see if youโd calmed enough for him to put his arms around you.
โI would never forgive myself if you got hurt because of something Iโd done.โ You let him wrap you up into his warmth, his large hand cradling your head to his chest. โMy purpose in life is to love you, keep you safe and happy. You becoming mortally wounded isnโt included in that list, not even in the fine print. Quite the opposite actually.โ
โI swear on my life that it wasnโt ever loaded, you werenโt in any danger.โ He whispered, โI loaded it before we went out, just in case. I like to be prepared and Iโm so glad I was.โ His other hand no stroking your hair. โIt was fully loaded, you donโt remember seeing me load in another bullet for Zach did you?โ
โNo.โ You winced at the memory, the sound of the car reving and splashing into the lake replaying in your mind.
โExactly.โ He nodded, his hands fidgeting. โMy little doe, Iโm so sorry. Iโm sorry, I didnโt mean to scare you like that. You shouldโve said something instead of letting it fester up like this.โ
โGhost, this has beenโฆ I donโt know. Itโs been overwhelming okay? I canโt think.โ Rubbing your face and running a hand through your hair. โI ki- I hurt someone.โ You choked out.
โYou did so well.โ He said softly โIโm very proud of you. Iโm just sorry I wasnโt out there with you so you didnโt have to face it alone. I know it was scary.โ
โScary?โ You scowled, โit was terrifying!โ You raised your voice slightly.
โI- I was worried! You said youโd be quick and it felt like it was taking too longโฆ the yellinโ and noise.โ Your voice was shaking and you didnโt even notice it, still speaking passionately. โI was afraid you were hurt! Iโm sorry I didnโt stay put like you wanted but I couldnโt just sit there and not know if it was you that I was hearing!โ
โThere was a whole group of them and your went in there all by yourself like an idiot!โ You yelled at him in a way you hadnโt done before. This wasnโt out of anger or frustration, it was fear.
The concept of you being worried for him was foreign to him, heโd never thought heโd be lucky enough to have you feel so strongly for him as Ghost. He knew it was definitely not the right time to push you down and let your sweet pussy milk his cock dry. But damn it all, if he wasnโt at least able to kiss you right now he may spontaneously combust.
โYou were worried about me?โ He asked so quietly his words dropped in and out of the vocoder. Ghostโs hands coming up to your neck, his thumbs under your chin to tilt your head up.
โGod, youโre so stupid.โ It came out much less angry than intended, more of whisper that trailed off into nothing more than a shallow breath.
There he was again, pouring out emotion without ever showing you his face. His eyes on you were comforting, like an embrace from the first sunny day in spring. The balance between you had always been a fragile thing, but it seemed that just like those sunny spring days encourage growth, something had begun to sprout roots.
Thereโs always been something so fascinating about flowers, one day theyโre nothing more that a seedling, then in a blink of an eye theyโve bloomed and you missed it. The shock of waking up to discover the most beautiful rose carved from natureโs velvet had finally adorned the thorny landscape it had to endure on its path to life.
Youโd failed to see something budding up and unfurling, now the bloom was staring into your soul, asking to be picked.
โHey, I was jus-โ Ghost started, feeling a bit miffed by your words an the quick, almost eerie change in atmosphere.
โI was afraid.โ A statement that could fit many situations youโd found yourself in with him, but it was being put to use in a different context now. โI was worried youโd be hurt so bad I couldnโt fix it.โ
โWhoa.โ Ghost shifted, bringing you closer, โDonโt cry. Iโm fine, Iโm right here.โ
โJust bruised up a little.โ He said, nuzzling into your neck, the cold, hard plastic used to be somewhat of an uncomfortable feeling on your skin, though now it was one you realized youโd miss if it were taken from you.
โYou should see the other guy.โ The grin beneath his mask was so wide it could be felt in the way he tilted his head against your neck.
For the first time in days, you laughed. Tiny fairy bells making music that Ghost felt privileged to hear again, he felt honored to be the one to bring you the first bit of happiness, reprieve, after such a horrifying experience for you.
You pulled back, smiling and eyes shining with tears that youโd have no need to shed. Ghost watched, seeing the wheels turning behind your pretty eyes.
โGhost, I lo-โ Just as you parted your lips to speak, sweet words on the tip of your tongue, the moment was shattered by flashing red on your bedroom TV screen. โOh my god, they found it.โ
Formerly blush pink cheeks quickly drained of color as the news camera panned over a serene lake, the still waters now rippling with movement as the image zoomed in on a car being towed from the depths, the reveal showed something hanging from the drivers side door was followed by a startled yelp of shock from the in-field reporter on the scene. The video paused, the image blurred as the in-office news anchors scrambled to collect themselves. The male cohost held a finger up to his ear, receiving information live from the scene.
โApologies to our viewers, it seems that Rebecca, along with other press on site have been asked to return behind press lines. Investigators have a sensitive development in the case and are requesting all live newsfeed footage to be halted effective immediately.โ The man nervously looked over to his female counterpart, sharing a nod she announced that theyโd update as soon as officials allowed it, directing the camera to join the weatherman for the latest forecast.
โAlright, no. Youโre not watching this.โ GHost stood up, snatching the remote from the bed beside you and shutting the tv off. Going so far as to pop out the batteries and put them in his pocket.
โGhost, this is what Iโve been waiting to see, you canโt just-โ
โOh yes i can.โ He growled, holding up a hand to stop you. โIโll monitor the news. Give me your phone.โ He stuck his hand out in a โgive it hereโ motion as you reluctantly passed it over to him.
โWhat are you gonna do? Hold my phone hostage?โ
โNo, Iโm going to seize your internet capabilities.โ He snorted, pocketing your phone, gingerly pushing your head back and away like an annoyed father whoโs had enough of his kid tugging on his shirt sleeve.
โWhat? What if i need-โ
โTo google when the Byzantine Empire collapsed?โ He crossed his arms and chuckled when you gasped. โIโve been paying extra close attention to your search history. Iโm so glad you filled your time away from me with educational Roman lore rather than researching the est way to die.โ
You couldnโt refute his statement, itโs true. You werenโt depressed so much as you were just bored during your self imposed isolation. โI think itโs completely normal to want a few quiet days after the weekend i had.โ You huffed.
โYes, it would be different if your weekend had been a drunken rager,โ He said, swatting your hand away from his waist when you decievingly attempted to wrap your arm around him as a front to steal your phone back. โItโs highly concerning and i think i had a right to be worried considering your weekend involved double homocide.โ
โI guess thatโs fair.โ You conceded, knowing you probably had done a real number on him. Everyone else was worried and they had no idea about the reasoning behind your temporary hermit-hood.
โIf you desperately need to know anything else regarding Ancient Rome during your no internet time, call me.โ He said, crossing his arms.
โAnakin has a phone and a laptop. I bet heโd let me use those.โ You countered, raising an eyebrow to see if heโd budge.
โOh Iโm sure he would.โ Ghost nodded, leaning back on your dresser with his arms still crossed. โBut you arenโt going to ask him are you?โ
โSo what if i do?โ Your eyebrows pinched together in annoyance. You didnโt like the tone he was taking with you, it was so accusatory.
โWell I wouldnโt do anything to stop you if thatโs what youโre asking.โ He said, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. โGo ask him if youโd like.โ He gestured to the bedroom door flippantly, challenging you.
โNo.โ You glared, frustrated that he was winning a game you werenโt prepared to play.
โWhy not?โ He asked, is hand on his masks chin as if he were stroking a beard in thought. โIt wouldnโt have anything to do with you ignoring the poor boy since you got back would it?โ
โN-no.โ You snapped back at him.โEven if it was, itโs not y-โ
โTell me your love life is not my buisness one more time.โ He grabbed you by the upper arm, turning you to face the door. โAnd Iโll march my happy as over there and introduce myself.โ
โYou wouldโve done that already if you really wanted to.โ You wriggled free from his grip, rubbing your arm.
โLetโs go then.โ He said, pushing you toward your bedroom door and opening it with a dramatic flourish just to pick at you a little more.
โAnakinโs not even home, heโs at work.โ You lied, at least you thought you were lying.
โYouโre right.โ Ghost nodded, โMy bad, Iโll wait til our schedule lines up.โ
โThink he can pencil inโฆ lunch on Wednesday?โ He continued, pretending to seriously look at the desk top calendar on your bedroom desk. He missed the way your lips down turned in a frown as he teased you.
โWhat do you mean Iโm right?โ You asked, turning him by his shoulder to face you once more.
โHuh?โ He he questioned, not having heard your question because he was distracted by the Rubix cube heโd swiped off your desk.
โStop that, pay attention.โ You scowled, taking it from him and rolling you eyes when he clearly seemed annoyed. โYouโre worse than a child.โ
โNo, Iโm actually pretty good at solving them, here let me-โ
โOh my god can you please just back track for a second?โ You huffed, watching him reach for it again, this time your facial expression stopped him before he got half way.
โSorry.โ He mumbled, pulling out your desk chair to sit in, manspreading and leaning back. โWhatโs so important?โ
โWhatโd you mean Iโm right?โ You asked, gesturing to the door. โAbout Anakin not being home.โ
โWell, heโs not home. You said so yourself.โ He shrugged, reaching back out for the rubix cube. You left his hand empty, crossing your arms and walking away for a moment.
โDo you know where he is?โ You asked, not turning around.
โUm no.โ He laughed, standing up and appearaing behind you to wrap his arms around your waist, pulling your back to his chest. โWhy? You afraid heโs gonna come barging in or something? We could give โem a little show.โ
โStop it. Iโm serious.โ You snapped at him and it took him back for a moment. He slowly released you, putting his hands in his hoodie pocket.
โSorry doll, i didnโt mean to make you upset.โ He said in a hurt tone, wondering what exactly heโd said that had went too far. Heโs said much worse things about himself to you and heโd never gotten a reaction like that.
โYouโฆ you didnโt.โ You sighed, turning around and glancing up at him for a moment before grumbling frustratedly. โIโve just been thinking too much. I- I donโt know Iโm just worried. I havenโt seen him, I donโt know if heโs home orโฆ and Iโve been in my headโฆ itโs been so much and-โ
โSweetheart.โ His voice was low and warm as he addressed you, like a soothing balm.
โYou know where I am.โ He said softly, the weight of his words settled in your chest. You couldnโt put your finger on it, a strange tug pulled at your heart, telling you there was more to be said between those words.
Ghost sighed, returning to his spot behind you, tentatively reaching for you, giving you time to push him away again if you wanted. When you showed no signs of objection he pressed his half-hard cock against your ass, making you lean forward slightly to give himself better access to push up against your clothed cunt. A low grunt escaping him as he felt the warmth between your thighs.
โFeel that?โ He asked, breathing raggedly, his hands coming to rest on your stomach before slipping one up under your shirt to settle in the valley of your breasts. โItโs me baby.โ
โIโm here, Iโm right here.โ His voice soft and sweet, an odd comparison to the obvious upset in his voice just moments before.
โI can fuck it all better.โ His gloved hand leaving your stomach in favor of honing in on the bundle of nerves hidden in your panties.
How could he expect anything other than enthusiastic consent when he spoke to you in that tone? The textured leather of his middle finger circling your clit in a feather light touch. His cock twitching, the rumble of the groan trapped in his chest resonated through you as he held you close. This wasnโt the normal experience with Ghost, this didnโt feel like a thrill or the promise of something new.
This felt meaningful and it scared you.
You nodded, not trusting your own voice, too afraid to speak your thoughts and feelings into existence. He let out a sigh of relief that you agreed, though internally he was preparing himself to hold back. Heโd been so pent up, so needy and now he was here and you were vulnerable in a different way than ever beforeโฆ he couldnโt in good conscience fuck you like a sex doll. Not even if he really, really wanted to. (He did.)
โSit, get comfy.โ He promoted you, tapping your ass with two fingers to prod you along so that he could turn off the lights and close your curtains. โUh, I got rid of your pink silk thingyโฆโ he said apologetically, hating that he had to use the rough, black cotton bandana on you again.
You didnโt answer, it was too difficult to separate your inner voice from your flow of spoken dialogue, having the two mixing right now would be disastrous. You just nodded, keeping your lip tucked away behind your teeth.
Ghost gingerly tied on the blindfold so he could remove his gloves and touch you with his bare hands, warm palms and rough fingertips dancing across your flesh as he removed the pajamas he put on you earlier. He was taking his sweet time to put you at ease, but it only served to make you feelโฆ anxiety.
โCanโt see nothing, right doll?โ He asked, smoothing his palm over your thigh, rubbing the blunt point of the maskโs nose through your folds, making you jump at the unfamiliar feeling.
โMm-mm.โ You shook your head, chewing your cheeks while a wave of nerves washed across your abdomen, feeling him lift up slightly to removed his mask.
Soft lips met yours after feeling his bare chest move up your body, settling his muscular body over yours. His pierced tongue sliding across your lips, clacking your teeth on its descent into your mouth to caress and lick the sweetness inside. His boxers barely containing the warm length pressed firmly against your wet core.
Rough, careful hands brushed over your tender flesh in the most sensual manner possible. It was nearly unbearable, the tingling heat that formed in the pit of your stomach from just the simple act. Ghost rutting his hips against you to give you the friction you so badly desired, his cock twitching when you moaned against his lips.
He hummed lowly, nodding in understanding as he kissed and nipped his way between your thighs to nestle his tongue into your sopping entrance, licking and slurping up the slick mess gathered there. The bridge of his nose bumping against your clit, the pressure deliciously fleeting. Those strong hands of his massaging and kneading your breasts, moving down your sides to your hips, one staying there to hold you in place while the other slowly twisted two fingers into your cunt, pumping them deep before withdrawing almost completely, just to do it all over again.
โGhost?โ You panted, mewling pitifully. He couldnโt answer verbally, not when you were so close, he didnโt want to risk losing his rhythm, he didnโt want to risk you identifying his voice without the mask. So instead he reached up his unoccupied hand to cup your cheek and brush his fingers over your lips.
โSโgood.โ The soft, slurred praise dripping with something more.
He smiled, wide and smug as he wrapped his lips around your clit and flicked his tongue rapidly, coaxing those warm and fuzzy tendrils to wrap around you just a little tighter before snapping and bringing you the rush of ecstasy he knew you needed. It took an unreasonable amount of self control for him not to poke fun at you for cumming so quickly, having to stifle his snicker in the fat of your thigh.
After youโd released him from the iron grip of your legs, he lifted up, not bothering to wipe his face before he put his mask back on. Forcing your legs back apart despite the quiver in them, he tugged down his boxers and nudged the tip against your clit, sliding it through your folds until he notched it in the dip of your cunt.
โDonโt whine darlinโ.โ He chuckled, hearing you squeak from the sensitivity as he pushed inside slowly. โI know itโs been a couple days since youโve had a proper fuckinโ. Iโll take care of you.โ
With a shaky inhale he plunged into your depths, bottoming out just to circle his hips, making sure you felt him in every corner of your tight cunt. He leaned down, resting his maskโs forehead on your collarbone, moaning loudly at the feeling of your velvety walls fluttering around his throbbing length.
Ghost had never fucked you like this before. Heโd never been gentle, yet here he was, treating you with the utmost care and only the most tender touches. His calloused thumb finding its way between your bodies to circle and roll your clit just enough to have you bucking up against him.
โWhyโre you beinโ so sweet tโme?โ You breathed out, eyebrows pinched together and upturned.
โI wanna give you what you need.โ He nuzzled the cold plastic of his mask into the side of your neck, rolling his hips to drive himself deeper, to angle his cock perfectly.
โYeah?โ You whimpered, arching your back, your breasts pushing up against him.
โCourse I do, my little doe.โ He cooed, sliding an arm under you to press you even closer to him. โAlways.โ
He had you so needy, so willing. Wet and panting, a mess of sweet sweat and slick. There wasnโt a thought in your brain other than him. His hands, his cock, his voice, his lips. Ghost was drawing inhuman noises from your kiss bitten lips, each and every breath bringing a new form of praise to his ears.
Ghost had you so fucked out, so blissful and beautifully undone that it crept up your throat and clawed its way out. Youโd thought it, over and over and over again, the lines between your inner and outer voice were crossed and was something that could never be taken back.
โGhostโฆ love you.โ Your soft lilt reaching his ears, his movements halting in disbelief.
โWhat did you just say?โ He asked, his voice cracking under the weight of your confession.
โI- Iโm sorry I shouldnโt have-โ You started, grabbing his wrist to stop his shaking hand from removing your blindfold. โN-no donโt.โ
โBut-โ He stuttered, unsure how to handle the fiery mix of emotions that rammed through his chest. โI want you toโฆ donโt you want to see?โ
โI want to.โ You admitted softly, though you shook your head. โBut I donโt think I can.โ You whispered, feeling the hurt and confusion that filled him up and spilled over.
โIโฆ I donโt-โ He seemed at a loss for words, stuttering over the syllables until it was a jumble.
You heard rustling, felt his weight lifting from the bed and the creak of leather as he put his gloves back on. His socked feet shuffled across the floor so he could retrieve his boots and stomp his feet back inside, not bothering to lace them or even tuck the laces inside. He tossed your clothes at you, the fabric landing on your stomach with a dull *thwack*. You heard something clatter against your nightstand and before you even had time to form a coherent thought, he had slammed your bedroom door shut. Leaving you naked, alone and in the unforgiving darkness behind your blindfold.
September 8th, 9:54 pm
Anakin was overly tired and much too distracted to pay attention to what was going on around him. He wasnโt expecting anything other than the droning of his bedroom fan and the occasional creak of the floorboards in the apartment above his.
Perhaps it was complacency, maybe it was his overconfidence, or it may have been that he was simply distraught; he failed to do his after Ghost routine. Yes the mask was under his dresser. Sure, the backpack and his boots were hiding in the top of his closet just beneath the crocheted monstrosity his mother called a blanket. But his hoodie and jeans were crumpled in the floor, inside out, but it didnโt really matter, after all they were black like rest of his wardrobe.
Even worse? Heโd left on his socks. His long black socks with lime green toes and heels.
โWhat the fuck do you want man? Iโm busy.โ A male voice grumbled.
โCan you be un-busy? Iโm out.โ
Anakin heard a sigh, then the low din of the bar in the background as his friend conferred with someone else.
โApril? Can you be me for like 30 minutes?โ Trevor asked. โCโmon, itโs Anakinโฆ No, you canโt take it to him. I donโt care! You owe me for yesterday and you know it. Youโre sure? Thank you babe, Iโll be back quick I promise.โ
โI can be un-busy with time constraints.โ Trevor said with a slight laugh. โWhat are you wanting? Iโm walking to my car right now.โ
โA quarter.โ Anakinโs voice was scratchy, he cleared his throat and swallowed hard. โWhatโฆ what else have you got these days, huh Trev?โ
โAnakin you better not be telling people that I-โ
โNo, you idiot Iโm asking for myself.โ
โI thought you didnโt do anything other than smoke?โ Trevor asked, the slightest hint of concern seeping past the curiousness in his tone. Anakin no longer heard the constant background noise of the bar, instead it was the crunch of gravel and the loud slam of a car door.
โI donโt!โ Anakin snapped, quickly correcting his harshness. โI- I donโt. I was just curious thatโs all.โ
โWhatever.โ Trevor snorted, starting up his car. โWell Iโll just bring my whole bag in case youโre more than โcuriousโ.โ
โAlright, yeah thatโsโฆ okay.โ Anakin nodded to himself and cracked his knuckles, holding his phone between his cheek and his shoulder. โWhen you get here Iโm on the right side of the building, Iโll be out on the fire escape.โ
Anakin opened up the large window and left it open, the cool air flowing in and clearing his apartment of the nervous energy heโd let build up. He paced the floor, talking to himself under his breath while running both hands through his hair. It was a short drive from the bar to the apartment building, Trevor dusted off his hands and climbed the drop-down ladder until he reached the landing, walking up the stairs to where Anakin sat.
โDamn. You look like shit.โ Trevor scoffed, holding out his hand to clasp his with Anakinโs, pulling him up to his feet.
โI know.โ Anakin grumbled, climbing in his window and standing with his hands on his hips.
โHuh,โ Trevor looked around the living space, a tiny smirk in the corner of his lips. โDidnโt take you for a girly girl.โ He snorted, picking up a large Kuromi Squishmallow.
โFuck off.โ Anakin snatched it back and held it in his crossed arms against his chest. โItโs a pillow.โ
โOh, sure.โ Trevor snorted, a big grin on his face while he unzipped and searched through his bag to pull out the correct ziploc bag with the quarter of weed Anakin asked for. โSโokay. I wonโt tell.โ
โI believe i deserve a discount for possible emotional scarring in the event I come to work tomorrow and your little girlfriend starts laughing at me.โ Anakin snatched the baggie from him and laughed.
โIโll let you have it for free if you let me take your picture with it.โ Trevor grinned, pulling out his phone.
โThrow in some K and weโll call it a deal.โ Anakin said with a smirk.
โDone!โ Trevor snapped the picture and cackled to himself, tossing his phone in is bag and doling out two pills, dropping them in the ziploc bag of weed Anakin opened.
โGet out before I kick you out.โ Anakin snorted, shoving Trevor toward the window, watching him leave before he turned around and hurried to his bedroom. Grabbing his large glass bong from his dresser along with his cigarettes and a lighter, he returned to the fire escape to grind and pack a full bowl of pot. Packing it in with the butt of his lighter before lighting it and taking a long rip. Holding his breath for a moment, letting out a cloud of smoke as he leaned back on the rusted metal steps.
Rolling one of the pills between his forefinger and thumb. Anakin stopped for a moment crossing his feet at the ankles and looking up to the nighttime sky, light pollution in the city was alm,ost always too great to make out many of the dimmer stars. Though after the last few days it seemed luck had finally turned around, even if it was only just the clear sky, it was better than nothing. Hit after hit, Anakin let himnself melt into the warm fuzzy feeling while searching for constellations.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
You tried to relax, to think rationally. It would do no good for anyone if you went looking for trouble. Life was already complicated enough, it was bubbling up day after day and you didnโt want to be the one who let it boil over. Your little devil was back and itโs whispers were louder than before. Rightfully, you felt you deserved the truth. It couldnโt be that bad. After all, youโd already ruined everything by not keeping your mouth shut.
Ghost did it all the time.
You moved quickly before your confidence ran out, finding him on the fire escape after using the key heโd entrusted you with long ago when youโd given him a key to your apartment. You were startled to see him, Ghost had said he was out and you hadnโt planned on him being home. This was supposed to be a quick in and out, a bit of snooping to put your mind at ease. The space reeked of weed even though heโd closed the window, or at least partially closed it.
He hadnโt noticed you yet, too busy relighting the bowl on taking another long rip. It was almost unfair how easily he distracted you. He always looked so pretty in everything he did. The way his adamโs apple bobbed in his throat when he tilted his head back to blow out the smoke, his eyebrows pinching together with the deep inhale from the bong, his hands flexing as he struck the lighter and brought it to life.
He seemedโฆ preoccupied enough. Sneaking around couldnโt be that difficult, could it? Heโd never know if you did it quickly enough, you were already here, you may as well try it.
Staying closer to the wall you went to his kitchenette, youโd learned one of the best ways to tell if a man has been cheating is to check the fridge, trash and sink. If thereโd been another woman in here, youโd most likely find evidence there and not have to venture any farther. Surprisingly, it seemed Anakinโs normally well kept space was seeing less attention than usual. Youโd never seen more than a cup or two in his sink at once, now one whole side of the sink was stacked with dishes. You picked up the glasses, looking at the rims for any sign of lipgloss or lipstick, but found none.
You kept glancing over at the window, making sure Anakin wasnโt gathering his stuff to come back inside. There were no โgirlyโ drinks in his fridge, other than the ones youโd left there and none of them were missing. The wine bottle youโd gotten a week ago was still there, unopened. The trash showed no signs of anything suspicious, not even the dust from the vacuum held a clue to any wrongdoings.
It wasnโt enough. You knew in your gut that there was something going on, regardless of another woman being involved or not. The thought of Anakin cheating had given you plenty of time to reflect on things you wouldโve otherwise not given a second glance to.
Another look toward the window proved that Anakin was still busy, engrossed in his own world. Swallowing your guilt with a thick gulp, you made a quick dash across the line of sight from the window. Once you safely reached the samll hallway, you stood between the two doors on either side of you. The courage youโd gathered up to sneak in was wearing out and fast, the bathroom would be the quickest, the bedroom would possibly hold more than you could bare to digest at the moment.
Taking a deep breath you opened the bathroom door and closed the door, standing in the dark for a moment before flipping on the light. After your eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, you got to work, nothing in the trash. No changes in the shower products, the cabinet hidden behind the mirror had been rerarranged but it seemed like it was only done to clean the shelves. The cabinet below the sink held itโs usual cleaning products, extra shower stuff and towels. Nothing seemed out of place and you were beginning to feel even more guilty than you were origionally. Closing the cabinets you moved on the two drawers along the side closest to the door. The top one opened up just fine, nothing but jewlery for his piercings and his cologne, along with other random bits and bobs.
Pulling out the bottom drawer you found that it stopped halfway, getting jammed by something and preventing you from pulling it all the way out. You wiggled it and shuffled through the items inside the drawer, feeling around to see if you could dislodge whatever it was that prevented it from being opened. You reached the back of the drawer, nothing inside seemed to be the cause, so you decided to reach a bit farther and feel along the back of the drawer and the walls. Thinking that maybe something had fallen from the top drawer and gotten jammed in the tracks for the bottom drawer.
Then, there was a noise. The window. Quietly shutting the drawer you listened, hearing Anakin muttering to himself and his footsteps stopping, the clunk of his bong hitting the coffee table and the sound of him plopping down on the couch. You had no choice but to pretend like you meant to be here, you were here to see him.
While you were busy preparing your โi missed you, Iโm sorryโ speech, Anakin turned on his tv and Xbox, waiting for it to boot up and load Fallout. He wasnโt ready for bed, he wasnโt willing to be completely alone with his thoughts, so a distraction was in order. He jumped up from the couch and slunk into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge and returning to the couch. Kneeling in front of the coffee table he used the beer bottle to crush up one of his pills, sliding his wallet over to him he pulled out his debit card and chopped it finely, lining it up on the edge of the table. He cracked open the beer bottle and took a swig, holding it in his mouth while leaning down to snort half the line. Swallowing the beer to help with the bitterness of the powdered pill, getting ready to start the process over again.
You slowly turned the doorknob, stepping out into the short hallway to see Anakin kneeled beside the couch, his head tilted back sniffing and wiping his nose like it itched. He swallowed, letting out a sigh and a hiccuped laugh, bring the bottle to his lips for another drink.
โAnakin?โ You gasped. His head snapped over to the side, bloodshot eyes wide and confused as he stared at you, choking on his beer, coughing and spitting it out accidentally. He stood up slowly, keeping his balance by laying a hand on the couchโs armrest.
โH-hey sweetheart.โ He gave you an awkward, sheepish smile, eyes darting around from the embrassment of being caught. Caught doing something you didnโt ever expect to see. โI missed you baby, โmere.โ His words slightly slurred and his actions not quite right as he beckoned you over.
โI-i had a whole apology speech planned outโฆ i didnโt-โ You stuttered, looking him up and down, โYou- are you okay?โ
โOh, donโt worry โbout it darlinโ.โ He casually waved your concerns away as if it were silly of you to ask such a thing. โJust uh, well it doesnโt reall thing. โJust uh, well it doesnโt really matter anymore now does it? Youโre here now and youโre all i need.โ
โNo, you canโt just brush this off Anakin.โ You said, walking over to him and looking down on the coffee table and what was left of the white powdery substance. โWhat is that?โ
โBaby,โ Anakin sighed, running his hands nervously through his hair. โIโm sorry okay? I just needed something toโฆ to take my mind off stuff.โ
โWhat stuff?โ You asked, eyebrows furrowed in irritation at his vagueness. โUs stuff?โ
โWell, yeah.โ He nodded, his jaw set in a hard line while he shifted on his feet. โWhereโve you been? You disappeared on me.โ He whispered, reaching out to take your hands in his, though you swiftly shut down his attempt.
โWhere have you been?โ You turned the attention back where it belonged, on him.
โHome.โ He said, gesturing to his living space. โCalled Trevor.โ He motioned to the coffee table and the various paraphernalia. He tried reaching out for you again and was rejected once more.
โWhat did i do?โ He asked, his face scrunched up in pain from your reluctance to touch him.
โI donโt know. You tell me.โ You crossed your arms and stared him down.
โPlease, baby just talk to me.โ He whined, gently grabbing your shoulders and making you sit down. โYou left for your trip and you were fine, you come home and you treat me like Iโve got the plague.โ
โWhat is that stuff?โ You pointed to the table angrily.
โKetamine. Your turn, tell me whatโs going on.โ
โoh my god, no you canโt just expect me to let that go so easily Anakin!โ You huffed spotting the other pill in the ziploc bag. โMore? Really?โ
โDonโt judge me, itโs been a long time since Iโve done this kinda thing.โ He said angrily, pulling it from your hands and fishing out the pill. โLook, Iโll get rid of it.โ
He grumbled, standing up and dragging you by the arm along with him toward the bathroom where he held the pill in front of your face, dramatically lowering it down over the toilet and dropping it in.
โThere, flush it.โ He crossed his arms, nodding toward the plunger. You rolled your eyes and pushed down on it, watching the little white pill disappear. โSee? No big deal, itโs not like Iโm some kind of pill head.โ
โNow. Your turn.โ Anakin walked on jelly legs back into the living room, sitting down on the couch with his hands behind his head, manspreading in his boxers and tshirt.
โIโmโฆ I donโt know I guess Iโm mad at you.โ โIโm mad at myself.โ You sighed, kicking off your shoes and sitting beside him.
โMe? What did I do?โ He made a face, pulling up his bottom lip and licking one of the hoops in his snake bites.
โDid you go to a sex shop?โ You asked flatly, narrowing your eyes.
โWhile you were gone? No.โ He snorted, wincing when you smacked his shoulder. โOw! Fuck.โ He groaned, running his hand over it to roughly massage it.
โCrybaby.โ You huffed, crossing your arms.
โJesus someone shit in your cheerios didnโt they?โ He grumbled, rolling his arm in a wide circle with his arm bent at the elbow.
โI meant like in the time weโve been together. Have you been to a sex shop? Laurenโs husband swears he saw you at one.โ You accused, watching him closely for any telling body language.
โYeah I did.โ He nodded, looking at you like youโd grown an extra head. โAm I not allowed to buy stuff for our sweet love makinโ?โ
โWhatโd you buy? I havenโt seen anything new.โ You asked, ignoring his ill-placed tease.
โSome lube, jewelry for my dick piercing. Sโgot a little vibrate-y thingy.โ He gestured to his crotch.
โThatโs it?โ You asked, still uncertain. โWhy didnโt you say something?โ
โIt was a surprise! Gods whatโs your deal baby?โ He asked, getting up, steadying himself with a hand on your head before he walked off to his bedroom. You tracked his movements without following. Glancing down at the floor you did a double take.
โSee look? Here.โ He came back, holding up the two items and shaking them. The jewelry hadnโt even been taken out of the package yet.
โDid you get new socks?โ You asked, looking from his feet to his face and back again.
โWhat are you the fucking FBI now?โ He scoffed, obviously getting agitated at your insistence on questioning him. โYeah theyโre new. Would you like to see my receipt officer?โ
โI donโt like your attitude.โ You scowled.
โYou donโt like my- oh, you know what?โ Anakin stomped back over to you and grabbed you roughly by the jaw. โI donโt appreciate being interrogated by a bitch half my size.โ
โAnakin Skywalker!โ You gasped, pushing his hand away. Heโd never acted like that with you before, it was startling, confusingโฆ could one pill have really made that big of a personality change so quickly?
โI think Iโve earned the right to be a little bit of a dick donโt you think?โ He asked, staring you down as he pointed at your chest, poking you aggressively as he toward over where you sat on the couch. โYou planned a trip without me, didnโt tell me until you were getting ready to leave. Youโre gone all weekend, youโve been back a few days and havenโt even spoken to me and then you show up to my place and start questioning me like Iโve done something wrong!โ
โWhat about you huh?โ Anakin yelled, getting upset in a way youโd never seen him do before. โI think I should be the one asking you questions!โ
โAni! Ani calm down itโs okay!โ Frantically you tried to calm him down, standing up and putting your hands on his chest in an attempt to soothe him. โIโm sorry Anakin I- I shouldnโt have done that. Iโve justโฆ Iโve been on edge lately and thatโs no fault of yours.โ
โDamn right itโs not.โ He muttered. Walking the room in a quick back and forth line.
He breathed in deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. Suddenly he dropped both hands down to his sides and sat down on the couch. Leaning over with his head between his knees as if he felt nauseous.
โIโm sorry.โ Anakin sighed, clearing his throat, clasping his hands together behind his head, resting them on the nape of his neck. โIโm really sorry princess. That was uncalled for.โ
โAnakin, letโs just take a second okay?โ You said quietly, making your way to the fridge to grab yourself a water. By the time you unscrewed the cap, Anakin had already chugged the rest of his beer.
โCan weโฆ how about we just forget it? Letโs just pretend I got home today.โ You suggested, a hopeful look on your face, your plan having been so horribly thrown askew that you knew there was no salvaging it.
โWe can start over.โ You suggested quietly. es, you were terribly upset with him but it was **so hard to stay that way. Especially when he had every right to be angry right back at you. โIโm sorry too. Please? Let me make it rightโฆโ
โYou shouldnโt be the one apologizing. It should be me.โ Anakin whispered, a lump forming in his throat.
โYou gotta know that I love you princess. I love you so, so, so much.โ He led you back to the couch, holding your hand and pulling you into his lap. โIโd never do anything to hurt you, never. I know that youโre disappointed in meโฆโ
He looked up at you with glacier blue eyes, ones that had started to melt. Salty tears filling up to the brim and ready to flow over in a hot trail down his cheeks. He was holding his breath like he was scared to breathe, like he was afraid that if he did, heโd be pushed over the edge.
โI made a really bad choice and Iโm so sorry.โ He said quietly, his voice small and fragile. โIt was wrong of me. I know that.โ
โHey, itโs okay.โ You frowned, carding your fingers through his hair. โItโs alright, it was just this once right? Only the one pill?โ
โThatโs notโฆโ Anakin sniffled, hiccuping before he tilted his head back on the couch cushions,covering his face with his hands. He let out a few half-sobs, stopping himself by forcing them down and holding his breath. โI donโt, I didnโt mean to do it okay?โ
โI didnโt mean to. Iโm sorry. I couldnโt help it.โ He spoke through short, shallow inhales, his head jerking with each labored breath. โItโs bad. Iโm bad.โ
โAnakin no, no youโre not bad! Why would you say that?โ You shook your head, eyebrows pinched together. โYouโre the best thing to ever happen to me.โ
โBut it- I never shouldโveโฆ I shouldnโt have done it.โ Anakin swallowed, his adamโs apple bobbing in his throat. He started to bounce the knee you werenโt sitting on, pressing his forefinger and thumb over his eyes and using his other fist to rhythmically pound on his thigh. โIโm so sorry. I donโt deserve you, I never have. I never will. Youโre too good. Youโre so good.โ
His voice was squeaky, chopped up and uneven. The large, strong hands youโd come to love settled on your hips and waist, squeezing slowly, rubbing up and down as if he were trying to comfort you.
โCโmere.โ He hiccuped, keeping his eyes closed as he wiped his cheek on his shoulder, pulling you flush to his chest. โI love you. Please donโt leave me.โ
โPlease, I promise Iโll be better. I swear.โ He whispered, his words hot and breathy against your skin as he buried his face in your neck. โDonโt leave me.โ
โAnakin Iโm notโฆ Iโm not leaving you over something so, well I donโt want to call it insignificant. Because itโs not, itโs serious.โ You said calmly, your own tears threatening to break through. It was so difficult to see him so upset, it was clear he felt immense guilt for this. โBut itโs okay, Iโm here, Iโm not going anywhere. Youโre safe. Youโll be just fine.โ
โYou wonโt go?โ He sniffled, squeezing you tighter. โYou promise?โ
โCourse I promise.โ You nodded, the guilt of your previous thoughts, your original plan for coming here, all the things youโve doneโฆ it all came rushing to the forefront.
โWhy donโt you take a shower, itโll help you feel better.โ You suggested, really only wanting a few minutes of peace to sulk alone. โJust shout if you need help.โ
โI donโt need your help to wash my ass.โ He snorted, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands, taking in a stuttered breath.
โI donโt know Ani, youโre really wobbly.โ You said sympathetically.
โYou can shower with me as much as you want, but you will not be showering me.โ He glared at you, a small smile tugging on his lips. โSponge baths are the only exception.โ
โOh my god.โ You rolled your eyes, thankful that he was always able to lift the weight of heavy emotion off of any situation, with just a few words.
Anakin just smiled and ruffled up your hair before trudging off to the bathroom. Youโd never seen him switch up emotions that quickly and so fiercely. His guilt ridden sadness was so intense you feared he may have went into a full fledged panic attack if you hadnโt have been able to de-escalate it fast enough. Then, not too long before that was his flip of the switch anger and aggression.
The moment the bathroom door shut you cleaned up the coffee table, wiping it down to make sure none of the pill powder was left behind. You moved to put away his bong but thoughtโฆ maybe you deserved a hit after all the trouble youโve had. So you had one, only one. Someone here needed to be sober and Anakin was obviously not the man for the job.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โSo what do you do there? When that happens?โ You asked, pointing to the tv screen while Anakin was playing Fallout 76.
โWhat? Get rad poisoning?โ He asked, sitting comfortably with his feet propped up while you laid your head in his lap. โI can find a doctor, eat some fungus.โ He snorted. โBut Iโd have to find them first so I just use RadAway. This little thingy right there.โ
He pointed, showing you what he was talking about, explaining it and the different functions of the Pip-Boy his character uses to track radiation, inventory and the like.
โOkay but youโre wearing a radiation suit right?โ You asked confusedly. โSo why do you still get poisoned?โ
โBaby, itโs just like real life. The suits only withstand so much, plus mines already damaged so itโs not as effective.โ He chuckled, looking down at you to play with your hair for a moment while he waited for the next room to load after picking a lock.
โOh. Okay yeah that makes sense.โ You giggled at yourself, enjoying the way he gave you attention even when he was preoccupied.
โSo whatโs the quest?โ You asked, shifting a little bit to get more comfortable.
โUh gotta figure out what happened to this lady and her Order.โ He said nonchalantly, โthereโs supposed to be some kind of jewelry along the way some where. The Eye of Ra I think?โ
โWhatโs that do?โ You asked.
โThatโs a great question. I donโt have a fuckinโ clue.โ Anakin hummed under his breath, practically trashing the room he was in while searching around.
โYโknow, this game is kinda cute.โ You grinned, obviously trying to tease him.
โItโs not cute. Itโs apocalyptic, how is that cute?โ He laughed, looking down at you and tugging your hair playfully.
โItโs all the retro stuff! Itโs cute.โ You shrugged, pointing to a few different random items on the screen. โI like the music too.โ
โI know you do.โ He laughed, glancing down again before refocusing on his tasks.
You stayed quiet for a while, just listening to him self-commentate and curse under his breath, it was nice. Normal. The most normal interaction youโd had since before your trip to the cabin. Even after the argumentโฆ disagreement? Youโd just had, Anakin still made you feel safe and secure, loved and cared for. Even when he was in his own little world, focused on something else, he was still doting on you with soft touches and quick glances of adoration. He was so easy to forgive, he made things easy to forget.
He made it easy to be at ease.
Curled up next to him with a comfy blanket tucked around you, his thigh for a pillow. The warm cedar scent of his soap and the soft scent of his laundry. It was all a big, cozy bundle of security.
While he waited on another load screen, you began drifting to sleep with his hand in your hair and his soft whispers of sweetness. Your eyes fluttering shut, a blissful and serene peace lighting up your face; only to turn pale and ashen as your body jolted awake at a familiar tune.
Youโd finally placed that song. Youโd heard it here, right here.
Part Seventeen
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