Chapter Seventeen #2
Finding a door with a glowing red sign, the words “exit” etched into it, I rush towards it.
My name is yelled repeatedly from behind me but I ignore them.
I need quiet, hoping silence will hush the demons that play ping pong with my heart.
I reach the door and push it open, giving way to a dark alley.
As soon as the door closes behind me, the only sounds that can be heard are that of dripping pipes and the random engine of cars off in the distance.
I throw myself against a nearby wall, using my arms to support myself from falling over.
Vomit rises in my throat quickly before I’m forced to expel it.
There’s a loud bang from behind me and I conclude it's caused by the door I came from. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I turn to face whoever disturbs my internal war. Blake creeps towards me with my jacket and purse in his hands. He moves like I’m a dazed bird he's afraid to spook.
“Hey.” Is all he manages to say. I don't know what I can even say to him. My life is fucked up on so many levels, it would be impossible to put in words. I feel guilt swirling in my gut knowing that if I tell him the truth, it would make him feel used. He’s just a victim to Ghost and I’s twisted situation, or lack thereof.
I sigh while shaking my head. I can’t think straight.
Between the alcohol and my life choices, I’m inebriated.
Drunk to the power that is Ghost. I huff out a breath and hold his eye contact.
“My life is fucked up, Blake. I’m sorry you’ve gotten dragged into it.
What’s been going on with me…it all started before you.
You don't deserve it. Just go and save yourself from my self destructive path I seem to be heading down.” I nearly cry out in frustration.
I just want to be alone again. I can’t keep doing this.
Hoping for something that is just out of reach for a person like me.
“Hold up. You have not even given me the choice to decide for myself. You basically fuck me in the middle of the club, then start dragging me away to the bathroom, before taking off without an explanation. I have stood by you since all this shit started. I did not run when you told me about your past and I do not plan to start now. So do not insult me by assuming you know what I want. Give me the chance to choose for myself.” He breathes a long breath that he's been holding on.
Frustration is evident in his tone and it's warranted, but he wants the truth so I’m going to give it to him.
All or nothing right? I can be the person for him that Ghost refused to be.
Nodding my head, I take a breath and sit down on the cold damp ground.
“A little more than a year ago, I met someone under less than ideal terms. I hated him in the beginning, to say the least. He was arrogant, evasive, and he was constantly challenging me. He got under my skin. No, he burrowed his way into me. Into every part of me, into the deepest parts of my being. I fought it, I really tried. No matter what I did, he claimed another part of me until I was only his to torture slowly. My mind, body, and soul was his. The worst part of it all? He told me he loved me.”
“That’s a bad thing?” He wonders with a head tilt, reminding me of Ghost. I look away like it stings to see.
“It’s the worst thing to happen. To tell me he desires me in such an unconditional kind of way that kills me every time he leaves. That’s exactly what he did, by the way. He refused to give me more and left me. They always do. I am never good enough. Never enough to love entirely.”
“Everly, you are the easiest human to love. You will always be enough.” I almost roll my eyes at him but refrain and continue my tangent.
“Do you know what that’s like? To crave someone’s entire existence and never be able to truly touch them? Just the wisps of their essence in your fingertips, never close enough to reach out and hold on?”
“Yes.” He speaks in such a way that carries more weight than he lets on. I take a card from Ghost’s play book and tilt my head, beckoning him to continue.
“She was my first mark. I was groomed my entire life to kill her. From the time I could walk, I was told she was my worst enemy. My training was constantly changing to match hers. It was not until my first outing that I saw her for the first time. She was sitting on a blanket at the park with her friends. One of them said something funny and she laughed. It was the most beautiful noise to ever have been made. I swear my heart skipped a beat when I heard it. Her hair blew a bit in the wind and I felt like the air got kicked from my lungs. She was perfect, in every sense of the word. From the dress she wore to the peaking skin she showed, I was enamored. I fell in love at that moment but never allowed myself to enjoy that feeling for long. A job is a job. Years went by that I watched her become a powerhouse of a woman that gained a reputation to match.”
“What happened?” I ask, still absorbing his story.
“Too many mistakes. I tried killing her but my hands defied me. I could not take her life. She was the reason for my existence and without her, I served no purpose in this world. I needed her and it was not until later that I found out how badly we needed each other. I found a way into her life when I had no business doing so. That was the only mistake that I have ever made with her. Promising her a man, I could never be. In the end, I lost her. I finished the job, no matter if it cost me more than I had to offer.” His voice almost trembles at the memory.
To kill the love of your life, would be the worst kind of torture.
I ponder on the idea that if Ghost had successfully killed me on that rooftop, I would be at peace rather than in turmoil.
Plagued by each breath I take. Blake’s history pulls at my heart.
Knowing he had to stand by his duties regardless of the consequences that follow him everyday.
I reach out my hand for his. He takes it without hesitation.
We share this moment as two lost souls, broken by our love for another.
“I wanted to show you something. Would you be willing to come with me? It is a bit of a drive.” I nod in response and we walk towards the limo, hand in hand.
The drive takes about thirty minutes before we turn down a dark road.
My intrusive thoughts drag me to the idea that Blake is actually a serial killer planning to make me his next victim. What a way to go.
The road stretches until the trees beside it give way to a dark structure.
As we inch closer, the image comes into view revealing the house I looked at all those months ago.
I give Blake a questioning look but he only responds with a smirk.
The limo pulls to a stop and Blake hops out first before offering me his hand.
I take it as he supports me while making my own exit from the vehicle.
Suddenly, the entire house illuminates at once.
The pathways and driveway light up by the cast of lanterns.
The fountain behind us kicks on in spits before settling into a heavy stream.
“Happy Birthday, Everly.” Blake states fondly. I’m frozen in time, trying to process the entire situation.
“You…bought me…a house?” I drag out as my thoughts play catch up.
“No, Love. I bought you the house.” He corrects by adding emphasis to the word “the.” All I can do is nod while he gently guides me to the front door.
“That’s not all. Come?” He asks. I agree while continuing to follow his directions.
We walk through the house until we are standing on the back patio, the dark garden sitting before us.
Lights flood the area until the area exposes the focus of his attention.
Sitting in long wooden frames are black flowers arranged in rows.
All of the flowers he has brought me over the months are showcased on display.
Still in awe, I walk towards them jutting my hands out to run the tips of my fingers along various petals.
Looking back up at him, tears threaten to seep from my eyes.
”We both have our experience with people that are not ours to keep.
We can either stay frozen in time, allowing them to haunt us or we can try to start a new future.
One that is ours to choose. Well, Everly, I choose you.
Everyday, every night, now, and always. So what do you say?
” My heart pounds in my chest at his words.
Am I ready to let Ghost go and make a new future with Blake?
One that doesn’t include him leaving, fucking with my head, or lies?
That answer is undeniably yes. I don't think I’ll ever be rid of Ghost but I have to at least try to let him go.
Running towards him, I leap into his arms. My legs involuntarily wrap around his waist and I pull him into a heated kiss. We bite and suck at each other’s mouths, fighting for dominance. Both needing something bigger than the demons we face, both happy to give.
“Take me inside, Blake.” I tell him, finalizing my decision.
He carries us inside to the living room.
Gently, he places me down on a fur rug in front of the already burning fireplace.
I mentally question who lit it and how it’ll stay lit once it's just me here.
Maybe, I'll have a staff of my own. Refocusing on Blake, I reach for his shirt, plucking each button in my path to expose his skin.
My hands come up and slide the fabric off of him.
I explore his chest, taking note of the necklace he wears.
It is the same one Ghost wore the last time we were together.
It hurts a little less to think about now.
I need this desperately. He kisses me softly but I crave the passion and heat I grew accustomed to.
The growing ache settles in my bones like an earthquake.
“Stop being so gentle with me.” I tell him in a demanding tone.
“As you wish.” He chuckles as he reaches down for my dress.
Grabbing the material covering my breasts, he rips it from my body in one motion.
I moan at the aggressive action. He pulls me up by the front of my bra until I am positioned on my knees.
Grabbing my hair, he pulls my head back until I am looking up at him from hooded eyes.
He eyes me hungrily and I bite my lip at the sensation.
“Turn around, now.” I oblige and swivel until my back faces him.
His hand knots into my hair to an almost painful level.
He forces me down until my head hits the ground.
I groan at the low sting in my cheek, but it only adds to the ache deep inside me.
Suddenly, there is a sharp smack to my ass and I let out a sound that is caught somewhere between a moan and a cry.
He leans down and begins placing small bites on each cheek before moving to my upper thighs.
Next thing I know, his tongue dashes between my folds and I cry out at the contact.
He nips at my bundle of nerves causing me to jerk forward.
The tension on my hair rises as the motion causes further pulling on my hair.
His tongue pushes into my hole, moving in and out rapidly. It’s not enough, I need more.
“Touch yourself.” He demands from his position.
Moving my hand, I make work of rubbing my clit quickly.
The feeling has me climbing to a new height as my orgasm threatens to take over.
He sucks me of my juices while still fucking me with his tongue.
My climax comes quickly and I explode in spasms. Crying out, I shake from the waves of the orgasm still taking over my body.
“Oh my god-,” I’m cut off by him talking.
“Lay on your back.” He says dismissively. I look back at him with an arched brow.
“Do not make me tell you twice, Everly. I am not done with you.” I do as I am told and move to laying on my back.
Before I can speak again, he grabs my jaw and pries it open. He opens his mouth as a long strand of saliva slips from his mouth and lands in mine.
“See how divine you taste? Now be a good girl… and swallow.” He says in a low husky voice. I close my mouth and swallow my juices mixed with his. The flavor of us together has me nearly feral. My eyes roll into the back of my head on impulse. This man is going to be the death of me.
His hands reach up and remove my bra. He tosses it away from us and then hooks his arms under my knees before picking me up.
I throw my arms around his neck for support while he stands up.
I pull him in for a kiss as he walks us towards somewhere unknown.
Coldness against my back causes me to yelp as I turn to find its source.
I am pressed against a window while he holds me in the air.
The feeling of his cock nudging at my entrance is all the warning I get before he presses into me.
The intrusion causes me to let out a long moan.
He begins thrusting rapidly like his life depends on it.
As fast as he moves, my orgasm builds faster.
The noises I’m making are strained and bounce off the walls.
A dull ache builds in my tailbone as he slams me against the window.
His hands are the only support I am offered against the assaulting glass pressing against me.
He continues to thrust into me until I start to see stars and my head falls back.
My orgasm peaks and I come in a crescendo of throaty screams. He stalls and growls as he finds his own release deep within my depths.
Our foreheads rest against one another while we catch our breaths.
After a while, he lets me find my wobbly footing on the ground.
Taking my hand, he guides me over to the couch and lays on it while pulling me down with him.
He lays a blanket over us before gently stroking my hair.
It’s such an innocent action but leaves me nearly in tears.
This is what Ghost could never offer me.
Intimacy without sex. Comfort without only words.
It’s something I deep down knew I needed, but never thought I could have.
A smile creeps onto my face as I snuggle into his warmth.
Sleep finds me quickly as I dream of a future filled with love and realities.
Ghost POV:
To watch her slowly fall in love with another entity is like my own destined hell.
So why do I sit here and watch her sleep?
The same reason I have every night for the last year, I am a selfish man who is a sucker for personal punishment.
I crave her essence. Her very existence gives me painful peace.
Watching her sleep soundly is the only kindness I allow myself to have.
I have shattered her into a million pieces.
There is a solid chance that when the truth comes out, I will lose her for good.
Eventually she will know just how depraved I am.
How utterly inhumane a human can be to someone they love.
My love for her is unworldly. It’s a cosmic notion of the true divine's wicked creation.
To love her is to walk the cosmos, jumping from galaxy to galaxy.
It is gravity. It is the elements. It is necessary for life to continue.
I will never not love her. Even when my bones turn to dust and I am just a whisper in the wind, I will shift the ground from my love for her.
I will watch her until she takes her last breath and then I will follow her into the next life. She is my home.