24. Chapter 24 - Layrin
Chapter 24
T he boys made sure there was nothing I could possibly need while I was recovering, waiting on me hand and foot. There was almost nothing that I could complain about… except that they really didn't touch me in the way I wanted. Everything was very clinical, and I felt a little cheated.
This was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of living together and having them around so much, but they didn't do a thing. Even when I tried to start something with Ravi, he quickly got up and said that I needed to heal before we did anything. “It’s only the right thing to do,” was what he said.
I would cuddle with one or two of them at night on the couch, but as soon as my lips touched them, they gently pushed me away as fast as they could.
When Roux did our nightly routine of lathering my torso with his special healing cream, which worked wonders as my week-old bruise was now in the brown stage, it was a special kind of torture. Having his strong, thick hands all over me, gently touching my skin even though his eyes screamed that he wanted to do more...
One day, I broke and tried to touch him, to entice him to take things further, and he abruptly got up and left, leaving me frustrated on the bed. It was getting so bad that after five days I was starting to think I was the pervert.
It was annoying. I’d had a taste of the sinful side of heaven, and now I didn't want to go back. What’s the point of having three lovers when they won’t fucking touch you?!
Besides that, everything else was surprisingly easy. I truly thought it would be harder to start living with three guys, but they all seemed to have their roles and worked like a well-oiled machine.
Rion cooked and cleaned while also keeping everyone on schedule. He wasn’t overly obsessive about it; it was more like I could tell when something bothered him. His left eye would twitch ever so slightly when he thought something wasn’t in its place or was too messy. While his brothers seemed not to notice or care, I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to respect his tendencies and show him that I could fit in with the group. Plus, the things that bothered him were easy to avoid if you paid attention.
I noticed that he always did the dishes at the end of the night when everyone else went to bed, so I took it upon myself to clean my dishes and put them in the dishwasher. It was simple and not a big deal, but after the third day of me doing that, he backed me up against the kitchen cabinets, hands fisted next to my head as if he refused to touch me, and gave me a soul-searing kiss. If that wasn’t motivation to notice more of these things, then I didn't know what was.
Ravi was the one that always seemed to deal with people. He went to school and talked to my professors, made small talk with any delivery people, and Rion would occasionally send him out to “shmooze.” When I asked what they were talking about, they said it was fraternity business and alumni meetings. Even with them being in their own house, they were still very active with those kinds of events. Sometimes Rion would go, but it was mainly Ravi, who was the best choice to be in the crowd.
Every once in a while, he would ask for help with an outfit, which I knew was just a ploy to get me alone in his room. He would put on a fashion show for me, and I would pick the one I liked the best. I must be a masochist because watching him remove clothing made my mouth water and my fingers itch to touch. He would wink at me, delivering light touches against my neck or wrists, but then he’d look down at my stomach like he could see the bruise through my clothes. I needed him to get over his guilt about me getting hurt. It was either this or be run over, and I thought he’d made the right choice.
The one I learned the most about was Roux. He was usually in the background, the one who always helped with the tasks, making sure nothing was forgotten. He also left the house more frequently than Ravi and Rion, always leaving at odd times without really telling anyone he was going. Each time, he was dressed in black with a black duffle, mask, and hat. He also seemed to be the resident “healer” of the family. He practically had a pharmacy in his room, at the ready, which I thought was a little odd. Did he get hurt a lot? Did this have to do with why he left the house so often?
I tried to ask him once, to which he replied he did odd jobs for their uncle and left it at that. His body stiffened at the question, jaw clenching before he answered. There was something about it that he didn’t want me to know, but I let it go… for now.
Ravi’s sweet voice sounded right next to my face, waking me up. “Rin, my love, it's time for breakfast.” I still wanted nothing to do with the world, so I turned away from him and tugged the blanket over my head.
His sing-song tone didn't quit when he brought out the big guns. “Okay, I guess the biscuits and gravy with spicy sausage are going to go to waste. Rion will be so disappointed.”
My stomach clenched and my mouth watered at the thought of two buttered biscuits with a healthy amount of creamy, spicy goodness dripped on top. Poking my head up, I asked, “Do you have honey?”
He stood up, cocked his head, and lifted a brow at me. “Do you think we’re crude, uncivilized beasts that don't know the importance of good-tasting food?” He backed up to the door, enticing me to get out of bed. “Come on, my hungry little bear.”
Groaning, I kicked the covers off as he shut the door. I tried to get up and tripped on my shoe, of course, since I was still only half awake. As I was falling, I grabbed the closest thing and steadied myself against his closet.
Well, I’m fully awake now. Taking a deep breath, I straightened up, glad that the knobs on his closet were big and thick enough to hold my weight. Now that I was looking at them, something seemed odd. Why did they have keyholes? What would someone have in a closet that needed to be locked up?
Yanking on them, I tried to open it, but both sliding doors were locked. I wasn’t normally one to presume I deserved open access to another person’s space, but Ravi was the one who’d said his room was completely open to me.
The smell of spiced gravy hit my nostrils, and my stomach gurgled, practically jumping out toward the smell. I filed the weirdness of the locked doors away in my brain for now and went downstairs to join the boys.
Breakfast was divine. I’d worked at a diner, so I knew a good breakfast when I got it, and Rion’s cooking was top-chef-style amazing. Or at least what I pictured those fancy chefs’ cooking would be like.
While eating, Rion went through the schedule, like always, and he mentioned that Ravi was going to attend some fraternity relay event with Roux. Apparently, Roux would be in disguise so he could watch Ravi’s back. It was cute even though I thought it was a little excessive.
Once we were all done, Ravi came over and stared at my lips for a full five seconds before shaking his head and giving me a kiss on the cheek. Roux didn't have that same problem. He just gave me a quick kiss on the head that was more like a hit and run than anything sexual or cute. I wished them good luck, and they smirked at me with those devilish smiles that said they were going to fuck some shit up.
Grabbing my backpack, I settled down in the living room and spread out my work into piles, one for each class, then hunkered down. After a couple of hours, the itch to have a snack came on fast and hard, so I went to raid the pantry.
Most of the stuff in here was either healthy or more for a meal, but I managed to snag an open bag of chips. Happily going back to my work area with my prize, I rolled open the bag, grabbed one of those crunchy golden salty pieces, and popped it in my mouth. Closing my eyes, I savored the junk food.
Hearing a crack behind me, I whipped around to see Rion standing on the stairs. His face gave nothing away as he stared down at me. The only indication anything was wrong was the white-knuckled grip he had on the railing.
“What's the matter?” slipped from my lips. My stomach clenched, and panicked thoughts circled my brain.
He sprang into action, skipping the rest of the steps two at a time, his shining eyes reminding me of a panther advancing on his prey. My pulse quickened at his advancement, but my legs were like steel rods, keeping me in place until I succumbed to the slaughter.
Once he was close enough, he grabbed the sides of my face and slammed his lips onto mine. The chips crushed between our bodies when his chest met mine. While his hands had a firm grip on me, they were still gentle, keeping me in place rather than digging into me. I melted into him, letting him take and take, as he sighed against me. His lips tasted like want and sin fused together, and I needed more.
I swiped my tongue against the seam of his lips, and he immediately responded by deepening the kiss, making it so I didn't know where I started and he ended. I moaned and met him stroke for stroke. My body vibrated with need as the voice in my head screamed, Yes, Finally!
Without warning, he tore himself away from me and bolted up the stairs as fast as he could until I heard his door close. What the fuck just happened? Why is he acting like that?
Lost in thought, I forgot about the chips in my hand and dropped the bag. My eyes widened at the mess of small crunched up chips scattered across the wood floor. Walking around in a daze, I looked for the broom, needing to clean up my mess.
What was going on with them? My bruise was healing up nicely, so good, in fact, that it didn't hurt when I laughed anymore.
Still not finding anything that resembled a broom, I realized that the guys always got everything for me. I never really went into rooms other than their bedrooms or the communal areas, so I didn't know where the cleaning supplies were or even a linen closet.
Taking this as an opportunity to learn more, I ventured into areas that I normally didn't in search of a cleaning closet. Going down the hall where the downstairs bathroom was, I found a room that looked like an unused office. I kept going further, but all I found was a dead end with two doors. A storage closet full of cleaning supplies was behind one, so that should have been the end of my search, but my eyes snagged on the remaining door.
While the door looked exactly like the storage room door, it gave off this unapproachable, eerie sort of feeling. Stepping closer, I put my hand on the doorknob and tried to turn in, but it wouldn't open. Feeling an oddly bumpy surface underneath my fingers, I had bent my head to look closer when Rion’s voice sounded behind me.
“What are you looking for, Rin?”
I jolted up, trying to keep my face passive since I knew I had been caught snooping. Lifting the broom, I smiled. “Just trying to find the tool to clean up my mess.”
The sound of his steps echoed in the narrow hallway, his eyes taking on a darker shade once I received their full focused gaze. He reached out, and I flinched, which made him frown as he grabbed the broom. “Let me help you. I feel like it was partly my fault.”
A nervous giggle fell from my mouth. “Oh, well, sure. I mean, you did surprise me.”
He nodded and turned around to leave, but my thoughts leaked out of my mouth. “What's that room?” I pointed to the locked door. I thought I saw anger flash in his eyes, but after I blinked, it was gone, his eyes holding their normal dark stare.
He shrugged, his voice even and light, which didn’t match the feeling in the air. “Oh, it's just where we keep all of our dangerous tools. Roux likes to keep the lawn shears and chainsaw locked up for safety.”
Safety? It was just the four of us in here, and we were all adults. Smiling wide, I took steps to follow him. “Oh. Good to know.” He eyed me for a second before leading the way out. I looked back at the door, knowing something was in there that they didn't want me to know about. That curiosity lingered in the back of my mind, and some small part of me added it to a list of questions, right beneath the mystery of Ravi’s locked closet.
Ravi and Rion were always telling me to treat this place like it was my home, that their space was my space. Constantly, they validated my place in this house and with them, even when I told them they needed privacy, the insisted they didn't, yet they were hiding something from me. What could they possibly be hiding from me? Was it something to do with their family business?
I was so intrigued that the next couple of mornings, when I switched rooms, I would pretend to sleep in late while taking the opportunity to look around their rooms. While almost everything was open and available to me, Rion’s computer desk had a locked drawer and Roux’s closet was also double locked just like Ravi’s.
I caught myself thinking about it often, bouncing between logic and feelings. Logically, I knew they might have things they didn’t want me to see, and I needed to be respectful of their privacy in their home, but that just didn't match up with their words.
We had been living together for almost two weeks, and it felt like I was getting closer to them, learning more and more about each of them as the days passed. It was a crash course in learning the differences between the boys I'd known inside and out and the men they’d grown up to be.
One thing I knew for certain was they wouldn't harm me.
They were always so gentle, so caring, so attentive. Growing up the way I did, I could tell by just the look in someone's eyes if they held ill intent, and I would steer clear of them. I’d never gotten that vibe from any of these boys, so maybe their secret was something that I didn't really need to know… Or something I shouldn't know.
I tried to text Cin about it, but she hadn’t contacted me back, which was weird but not alarming. She had been like this for the past week, not picking up my calls or answering texts right away. Her replies were coming within twenty-four hours, and she was never able to talk for long. She explained her mom was in town, and it was a big deal for her family.
Now, it was Saturday, so we were having a movie night. Ravi got buckets of popcorn from the movie theater and all the candy and drinks we could want. Each of us was to pick a movie, then we would watch them until I fell asleep and one of them carried me to bed.
Rion’s phone buzzed, and he excused himself while we were all yelling at the screen. Roux wanted some old slasher movie even though it looked so fake. At least it was fun to make fun of, Ravi and Roux seemed into it too.
A familiar urgent feeling came from my bladder, so I excused myself to go to the bathroom. Ravi made a motion like he was going to follow me, but I lifted my hand, palm up. “I can go to the bathroom myself.”
When he opened his mouth, motioning to my torso, I quickly cut him off. “It's fine. Roux’s cream is magic, so it doesn't even hurt anymore. Promise.”
Roux snapped out his hand and hit Ravi, glaring at him before he threw condescending words over his shoulder. “Go ahead, princess.”
I glared at him, knowing that little nickname was sarcastic. I blew Ravi a kiss before turning my back to them to the tune of Ravi mocking Roux for not getting a kiss. I really didn't need Ravi to be so attentive, but it was sweet.
Going fast, I relieved myself, washed my hands, and came back out to Ravi and Roux in a heated argument about the reality of blood spatter and how it wouldn't look like what they’d just seen. Smirking at them, I looked around and saw that Rion still wasn’t back. Instead of sitting down with the guys, I went to find him.
Hearing a low voice in the living room, I figured he was finishing up his conversation. If he wasn't, then I would just turn around and not bother him.
Keeping my back against the wall, I heard his clipped, forced tone.
“Roux finished the job. It might have been a little messy, but you know he cleans up his jobs. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
He paused, and I adjusted myself, trying to hear better. Maybe I could learn something about what Roux did.
His voice took on a harsh, cruel edge. “She is nothing . Someone to pass the time with. Once we’re done, we’ll get rid of her ourselves. No reason for you to get involved.”
My heart screamed, and it became difficult to swallow. Did he mean me? I was the only “she” they had around… right? Clutching my stomach to keep myself from hurling, I tried to take small, slow calming breaths, but the rise and fall of my chest kept getting faster and faster. I needed to get away before I completely broke down.
Making sure to keep my steps light, I backed up the way I’d come, but my head was dizzy and my eyes blurred. What did he mean, get rid of?
That old voice had been dormant for weeks, creeped up from the back of my mind. You thought they cared about you? Wanted you? Would make you theirs? Pathetic. You will always be alone. You are unlovable. Dispensable. A discarded thing that no one wants, including the Ambros triplets.
Digging my nails into my skin, I needed something to distract me from the pain radiating from my soul. I never should’ve trusted them. In the end, they were just like everyone else, leaving me with broken promises and false dreams. Darkness settled into my soul, something thick and corrosive, choking out the pieces of me that had held hope.
“Rin?”
Why did I think this would be any different? Because I had known them before? They were just boys, but now they were men with obligations and expectations. Of course, they couldn’t be with some orphan girl from a backroads town in Virginia. They needed someone to match their level, and that was never going to be me.
“Rin?!”
Someone shook my shoulders, and I jerked back, sneering at the person until I realized it was Ravi, his face filled with shock and concern. Flicking my gaze behind him, I noticed Roux getting up from the couch.
“What’s wro—”
I cut him off, massaging my forehead while giving them a wince. “I have a massive headache. I think I’m going to go to bed early.”
I turned around, smacking right into Rion. He lifted his hand, moving to touch my forehead, and I fisted my hands, trying to keep from pushing him away from me. He hesitated, his eyes narrowing on me before he moved to the side. “I hope you feel better after some rest. Please let us know if you need anything.”
Mumbling my thanks, I scampered off, but not before I heard him growl, “What the fuck did you two do?”
“We didn't do anything!” Ravi screeched, but I ignored it and went up the stairs. As soon as I got to the top, I went straight for Roux’s room. Even if it was Rion’s night, I couldn't keep being fake all night long while he held me. Was all of this a lie?
Tears sprang into my eyes, but I sucked them up. This was why I wanted Roux’s room. He would sleep on a blow-up bed like last time, saying that he didn't want to be tempted by lying next to me. At first, I was offended, but now I was grateful.
I needed to get a good night's rest, to reset and collect my thoughts before I brought this up to them. I could be jumping the gun, but I really didn't think that was the case.
Slathering on Roux’s cream, I put on my pajamas and settled into bed. Taking the next thirty minutes to think about everything, my mind ran ragged until the door creaked open. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Several footsteps sounded, and I could feel it the instant all three of them circled the bed, looking down at me. I steadied my breathing, keeping it just audible enough not to tip them off that it was fake. Everything was silent until two sets of steps sounded again, getting further and further away.
I willed myself to sleep now, knowing that I was going to be watched, so the best course of action was to actually sleep.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I would hear them out, figuring out what was going on, and then I could make plans for my future. It was the only thing I had going for me.
I tossed and turned the whole night, nightmares plaguing my dreams. When I woke up, it was around eleven AM. Fuck! I had blown away my whole morning, and I had things to do. Grabbing the first set of clothes I saw, I flew out of the room and down the stairs, right into the three of them. They were huddled in front of the front door, all looking slightly disheveled, and the vindictive side of me relished their unkempt look.
All three of them turned to me with varying degrees of agitation, and I almost backed up a step. “Rin, our uncle came into town earlier than expected, and we have to go meet him. It should only be a few hours, tops. Can you stay here on your own for a bit?” Ravi cringed, shoulders slumped and mouth pinched in frustration.
“Sure,” I heard myself say before I thought of anything else. Maybe that would give me more time to figure out what I wanted to say and build up my walls to make sure I didn't get hurt by their words.
They gave a collective sigh, which would be incredibly cute if I wasn't battling other larger feelings about them. I just wished I could find something that would confirm my thoughts before I did anything drastic.
Ravi and Roux wore hats, masks in their hands, ready to go out. All of them would be gone at once. Glancing back up at their rooms, a thought entered my head, but I couldn't start to execute it until they were gone.
“Don’t worry about me. I'm fine. You don’t have anything being delivered while you’re gone, right?” They looked around at each other, shaking their heads, and I smiled. “See? Nothing to worry about.”
All of them grumbled but shuffled toward the door. Ravi burst forward, circling his arms around me, clutching me so hard I could barely breathe. His normal jovial voice turned sad and full of longing. “I miss you already, Rin. We’ll keep this nonsense as short as possible.”
For just a blip of a second, my stomach knotted as he squeezed so tightly. Was I making the right choice? His warm grip felt so true, so strong. I leaned into him, finding it hard to be mad at him in this moment when he was so ardent.
Roux circled his arms around the both of us, mumbling next to my ear, “Be back soon.”
I patted them both, my voice running dry. It didn’t matter since I couldn’t figure out what to say back anyway. They detangled themselves from me, stomping toward the door like children that didn't want to leave but were being forced to.
Biting my lip, my emotions warred. Was I only going to make this all worse if I broke their trust? Should I give them the opportunity to explain themselves first?
A calloused hand cupped my cheek, bringing my attention up to Rion. He stared down at me, assessing me in a cold, detached manner. A chill ran up my spine, and for once I was not met with a kind, tender gaze. This time, he pinned me down with it. “We won't be gone long. Please don't open the door for anyone, just in case.”
Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, “We’ll talk about what’s bothering you when we get back.”
I stiffened, and his hand clenched my jaw as his eyes watched mine like a hawk. I could see his mind already working on the possible reasons for my reactions and how he was going to countermove. I wasn't looking into the eyes of the man I had met recently. These were the eyes of the young boy who’d threatened another with a knife to the throat, always ready to take it to the next level as long as he knew he would win. Somehow, I’d forgotten about that boy, but I remembered him now.
Even though my body trembled, I smiled brightly, trying to convince him and myself that everything would be fine. I cupped his hand in return and gently tugged it closer so I could kiss his palm. “I will be here, waiting.”
His eyes widened for a second, like he hadn’t expected me to make that move, then he did something equally as confusing. Stepping forward until our bodies touched, he rested his forehead on mine, inhaling like he was breathing me in. His eyes closed, and a soft smile graced his lips.
He was only like that for a few seconds before he let me go and turned away, leaving me stunned. He didn't need to say the words. I knew from his touch what he was trying to tell me—sorry and thank you all in one. He was trying to be better, more , for me, but as soon as that door clicked and the silence of the house took over, his words from last night rang in my head.
Going to the window, I played my part, smiling and waving to them in their blacked-out car, knowing they were watching me before they left through the gate. As soon as they were gone, I turned around and looked at the space in silence.
They were hiding something from me. I’d always felt it and kept burying it, but now I needed to acknowledge it. That dark voice, the one that kept me in despair but also alive, crawled forward. You need protection. You need leverage. Find what they’re hiding.
The basement door immediately popped into my head. Rion didn't want me near that door, and I needed to find out why. What were they hiding behind it? Why did it seem so different from all the other doors?
I bolted to my backpack because I knew I had what I needed. Shoving things around, I searched my bag. When the boys left the orphanage, I went through my rebellious stage, and I liked to steal things. Enrolling in the school of hard knocks, I joined this little band of street kids and learned very quickly how to pick locks. Doors, dead bolts, and desks, simple stuff with spring or pin locks were my specialty.
At the bottom of the front pocket, I found a bobby pin and slid it into my hair, then I ran to the stack of homework on the living room table and found a set of papers with a paperclip. Sliding that off, I headed back for my intended target.
Snaking down the hallway as fast as I could, I came up to the door and stood there. If I crossed this barrier, there would be no going back. No playing the naive innocence card. I would know the truth, and whatever that was could be a curse or a burden. Was it worth knowing?
My hand shook, my body hesitating, but my mind was a truth monster that demanded I see this through to the end.
Crawling on the ground, I looked under the handle, thinking I would find some kind of pin or hole to unlock the door, but all I found were eight small black buttons with numbers on it. My suspicions skyrocketed. Why would they need such high tech? What could they possibly be hiding behind this door?
I tried a few numbers that I knew, like their birthday, the day they were adopted, and even the day they came to the orphanage, but none of them worked. The door would beep three times and stay locked. This was getting me nowhere.
Knowing that I wasn't going to get any answers from staring at it, I got up off the floor. Maybe there was something in their rooms that had a sequence of numbers I could try.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I started off in Rion’s room. I made a beeline for his desk, shoved his chair out of the way, and yanked at his drawers. Most of them opened, revealing all the normal things I saw before, no papers with numbers or anything like that. It wasn't until I remembered that the last drawer on the right was locked. Maybe I would find what I needed in there.
Settling in, I unfurled the paper clip, bending the tip to a forty-five degree angle, then took the bobby pin out of my hair. You always needed two items, one to be used as a tensioning tool, the other like a rake pick.
It was a little dark under the desk, so I pulled out my phone and turned on the light. I secured it under my chin, balancing it against my collarbone, pointed the light in the direction of the lock, and began my work.
I was a little rusty, not having done this since I was a teenager, but when I finally felt the spring release and heard the familiar pop of the lock opening, my heart seized up.
Slowly, I made my way to the front of the drawer, hesitating because once I did this, there was no going back. I would know what they were trying to hide, and I needed to be prepared for the fallout. You need to know. The thought kept circling as I pulled the drawer open.
I didn’t know what I thought I was going to find, but a jewelry box and a file was not it. Taking out the file first, I realized the first page was my birth certificate.
My heart began to beat faster.
Leafing through the papers, I realized it was a mixture of handwritten and formal documents. Some of them were written observations from when we were kids—things like my schedules, things I liked, things I disliked, hopes and dreams. Anything and everything that I said to them was recorded in chronological order. Then there was a gap in the information, picking back up when I was nineteen with all my medical records and government documents. Things that I'd never even had copies of. Everything, my whole life, was reduced to these pages.
My hands shook as I closed the folder. What could he possibly be doing with these?
Looking down again, I saw the jewelry box and snatched it. As I opened it, I found a mixture of Layrin Smith labeled bags filled with thumb drives with dates and locations on them. I picked up one of the bags labeled “December fifteenth, nine years old, fell out of a tree.” Inside was an old bandage soaked in blood, my blood. I dropped that bag, not understanding why he would keep something like that.
Unable to help myself, I picked up another. This time, I was staring at the first molar I’d lost. A memory flashed before my eyes, Rion telling me that I had to leave it under my pillow for the tooth fairy. I told him I didn't believe in that stuff since she’d never come before, but he was so insistent that I did it. That morning, I found a whole dollar under my pillow, and I became convinced she was real.
Staring at the tooth, my heart stopped. His deceptions had started way back when I first met them, when I trusted them implicitly.
Digging around, I found a lock of hair and an old napkin that said “used” on it. I put those down, feeling sick as I picked up the thumb drives. The labels were all more recent, including dates and locations. The one that stood out to me was the one labeled “ATM at Washington Rd and Breaker St.” Those were the cross streets of the apartment I’d left to come here. So, he knew where I was all this time?
Shutting the box, I stuffed it all back inside his drawer and slammed it shut, scooting away from it as fast as I could. It was like I was inside that drawer. Everything that was me, other than my soul, was in there. The feeling that I didn't quite understand surged forward as I clutched at my necklace. The three points dug into my palm, keeping me present.
Fear, betrayal, understanding, pain, delight. Logic and my heart were warring with each other inside of me. My insecurities had latched on to the proof of his obsession like a declaration, while my mind was telling me this was wrong, so wrong. He’d betrayed me, left me to the wolves and watched as I suffered.
Shaking my head of these confusing thoughts, only one thing rang clear. I needed to see what the others were hiding.
Scrambling up, I ran to Ravi’s room and went straight to his closet. While this door had two locks, they were easy to open now that I had practice and proper modification.
As soon as the spring let go, I shoved both doors open, and my eyes went so big I thought they would fall out. In the middle of his closet was a collage of pictures, looking like they were taken from far away or from a security camera, but they were zoomed in and cut up, like they were waiting to be put together.
I noticed some of them. Me walking down the street to work, going to the library, heading to the grocery store. Some of them were even from when I was inside the store. All of the pieces lay together on top of this small desk with a candle in front. In the center were the panties he’d ripped off in the changing room, making this whole thing seem like a shrine.
In the corner of the closet, there was something large, but I couldn't make out what it was. Picking up my phone, I turned on the light again and pointed it at the corner of the closet. I gasped, covering my mouth before I went in and yanked it out. It was a full-sized body pillow of me in the outfit I had worn the night Vivian and I went out.
All I could do was stare at it. My breath came out hard and fast, and the pounding in my head grew from a dull ache to actual pain.
Do they know what happened that night? Did they see it happen?
Thoughts swirled and swirled as my world crashed down piece by piece. Tears sprang into my eyes, and I stared down at the pillow. I didn't know what to think of all this. I didn't know what all this meant.
Were they obsessed with me? Rion was collecting pieces of me in that drawer while Ravi had captured just as many moments to obsess over? I didn't get it. Was this a fetish? Some sick game?
The more I thought about it, the more upset I got. What the fuck were they doing with this stuff? Slamming my hands onto the floor, I got up, knowing I still wasn't done.
Stomping my way to Roux’s room, my anger reached its peak. My skin burned as I tried to focus on the lock. Who the fuck did they think they were, spying on me like that! I bet they all felt bad for poor Layrin, the girl who was left behind. They snuck pictures and stole my information, keeping me just close enough to satisfy whatever needs they had, but what about me? What about what I had to go through while they were peeping in on me and my life? Did they pity me?
That thought stilled my whole body as I connected the dots. The scholarship, the one I didn't remember applying for. My eyes shifted from side to side, probably making me look like a crazy person, but I knew Rion had the skills to crack into the school’s system. I bet he could’ve made a fake scholarship, luring me out here because he was sorry for me.
Was that what I was? A project? Something to save because they felt guilty?
The lock clicked, and I shoved the doors open, so angry that they rattled. The clink of glass came from inside. When I saw what waited inside, I fell backward, slamming my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming.
In front of me were rows and rows of glass jars filled with a clear liquid. Inside each jar, something floated. My damn curiosity got the best of me, so I slowly crawled toward the shelves. A floating orb was in the first jar, and when I drew closer, I realized it was a human eye.
My stomach turned, but my mind was fascinated and disgusted. Each jar had a handwritten label. This one said, “Man, twenty-five, first kill on job.”
Those words swirled around in my head. There were so many of them. Did he kill all of these people? There were at least twenty jars in here. My skin crawled and my throat closed up, but my curiosity continued to win. I carried on in my exploration until I found a name I knew.
“Raina Herbs: bitch,” was all it said, and when I looked at the jar’s contents and saw a toe, my mouth dropped open. Why was my high school bully’s toe in here?
My eyes quickly looked at the one before it, glancing at the label. “Jake Grinder: thief.” Two thin, fleshy-looking pieces floated around, and I thought back to what I remembered of Jake. He’d said that some psycho had skinned off his lips. He had to have major surgery to make them look remotely normal again. Staring at the thin pieces of flesh, I realized what they were.
I scrambled to find another one I knew. A set of nails floated inside of a jar labeled “Kenneth Parish: thief #2.” He was the guy I’d given my first blow job to. Seeing a connection to all of these, I thought back to the last one, the one who got hit the worst, and frantically searched for his name. Up at the top, like it was a prized possession, there was a jar with the shaft of a chopped off dick labeled “Trevor Monic: the worst of them all.”
Stepping back, I thought about all of these people. After their interactions with me, they had freak accidents. Glancing at the wall of body parts, I realized that it wasn't me that was the dark cloud, the cursed child. It was Roux, but knowing how close the boys were, I knew it wasn't just him. They all orchestrated this and, in the end, let me suffer the consequences. All of my suffering, all of my teenage pain had stemmed from his actions.
A sob broke through my lips as I clutched myself, trying to hold in my grief so I wouldn't break, wouldn't fall apart. Why would they do this to me? I said it over and over as I rocked in place, my mind disappearing into the vast abyss of pain and despair.
Something inside of me switched, and I hysterically looked around. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. Everything that I held dear, everything that had made me happy in this life was a lie, a farce.
I needed to get out. Get away. I needed to run.
Snatching up my phone, I bolted, running down the stairs, to the side panel next to the front door. I pressed the gate button and threw open the door, not caring that I’d left everything open, left all my things behind. Their secrets laid out bare for them to see. Now that I knew, there was no going back.
The innocent and pitiful Layrin Smith they had known was dead, and now, with my eyes opened and my soul wrecked, I was leaving them for good.
Tears tracked from the sides of my face, flowing back into my hair as I ran, sobbing between big gulps of breath. I didn’t know how long or how far I ran, only that I needed to get as far away as my feet could take me. When my body couldn't keep up, shaking so hard I thought I would collapse, I slowed down, taking in a long measured breath before realizing that I was clutching my phone. Angrily swiping at my tears, I called the only person I could.
The phone rang and rang, but Cin didn’t pick up. When her voice message kicked on, I spilled everything. “Cin, you were right. You were fucking right this whole time. I—”
Someone kicked at the back of my knees, causing my phone to fall out of my hands as I went down. Pain radiated from my knees to my spine. Thick arms circled around my throat from the back, choking me despite my frantic clawing at their arms.
Gasping for air, I knew it was over when black spots filled my vision. Fingers ran through my hair as a voice cooed next to my ear, “Shhhh. Don’t fight it.”
My eyes rolled into the back of my head, and everything went dark.