Chapter Twenty
Charlotte
I knock on the all too familiar door of Lily’s condo. The property sits along twenty-nine other similar looking styles. Small, two levels, and all having their own entrance and one balcony. It’s adorable and Lily has the front entrance decorated with pink and yellow hanging Chrysanthemums.
The door swings open, and Lily’s face lights up. “Charly!” She pulls me in by my arm and hugs me tightly. “I’m not gonna lie, I was totally starting to think you were a figment of my imagination.”
“I still could be,” I whisper into her ear before she releases us from her soul-crushing hug.
“Come on, come sit with me. I got snacks.”
I sit on Lily’s teal couch as she comes over and places a platter of snacks on the glass coffee table. Cheese, crackers, green grapes, strawberries and her delicious, whipped goat cheese dip line the rectangular serving dish.
“And can’t forget these,” Lily says as she returns again with two glasses of Moscato wine.
“Oh man, this stuff gives me such a headache, but it’s so good.”
“So good! It’s worth it, drink up and spill all the tea you got,” she says as she plops down on the couch.
“There’s not really any tea to spill.” She gives me a look like she knows damn well that’s a lie. “Can we talk about you first? How are things with you? How’s Nate?”
She instantly blushes at the mention of Nate.
“Charly, I think I'm in freaking love!”
“Yea? Does he feel the same?”
“I don't know. I think so. I hope so. Everything has been perfect with him. It’s actually kinda scary. It’s easy and we have so much fun together. And he really is the sweetest guy I’ve met.”
“That’s great, Lil. I’m so happy for you.”
“They all seem great at first though, right?” she says warily.
“No, Lily, don’t even think like that. He’s nothing like Jason. You got a good one. I’m sure of it.”
She nods and softly smiles at me.
“And speaking of, how are you doing with Jason’s disappearance? Are you worried he’ll come back?”
I sigh and finish the rest of my wine before I answer.
“I know, Lily.”
“Huh?” she says, genuinely confused.
“I know you reached out to The Bone Reaper.” The look on her face is a mix of shock and fear. “It’s okay. I’m not mad or anything.”
“Oh, Charly. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help you so badly. I didn’t even think he was real! But I had to try something, anything. Jason almost killed you that last time.”
I grab her hands. “I know, I know. I get it, I do. I’m so thankful for you, Lily.”
Her voice softens as she asks, “So, he’s real then? He killed Jason?”
I’m gonna be in so much trouble with Reaper, but I can't lie to my friend anymore.
“He’s real, Lil.”
“Oh my god!”
“But—”
“But?”
“He didn't kill Jason.” Lily scrunches her eyebrows, looking baffled. “I killed him.”
“Charly.” She looks horrified. “What do you mean?”
“I killed him, Lil. I fucking snapped and I killed him. I grabbed the nearest thing which happened to be a hammer from when he was hanging new shelves in the bedroom earlier that day and I… I just couldn't stop,” I confess. Lily places a hand to her mouth, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but there’s still an investigation going on. Things are a bit complicated.”
“Wait, I’m still confused. If you killed him, then how do you know about The Bone Reaper?”
“He showed up that night to end Jason. Only, he showed up a little too late. He found me still sitting on the floor soaked in Jason’s blood.”
“Oh my god, Charly!”
“He helped me. He took care of Jason’s body and the mess. He saved me. And… Well, I’ve been staying with him.”
“What! You're kidding? You’ve been living with the fucking Bone Reaper these past few months?”
“Surprise?” I say with a shy smile.
Lily places her hands on her head and looks at me with wide eyes.
“Charly, I’m fucking trippin’ right now. Is this real? Jesus, how much wine have I drunk already?”
“It’s real. I didn't want to lie to you anymore. You're my best friend and I love you and you are a part of saving me. If you never contacted Reaper, I’d be rotting in jail or dead.”
“Reaper? Is that what you call him?” she asks excitedly.
I laugh. “Yes. His name is Reaper. Well, it’s the only name he’ll give me.”
“But you've seen him? You’ve seen his face? Is he fucking hot or is he some ugly old man?”
“I've seen his face. Not at first though. He wears a mask. A real bone mask made up of the lower half of someone's skull. It’s actually pretty cool. And yes, he is ridiculously good-looking.”
“Oh my god. Charly, this is wild! Okay, okay. Rewind. You killed Jason, Reaper helped you and took you in, and you all have been doing what these past months? Just being good ol’ roommates?"
“If you're implying what I think you are, then yea, just roommates. Nothing has happened between us.”
“Well damn, try not to look so sad about it.”
I grin and I can feel my cheeks flushing. “I like him, Lily. I do. He’s so different than anyone I’ve ever met—”
“Clearly.”
“But there’s something about him that I find so familiar and comforting. I feel like… me around him. He makes me feel safe and after feeling the opposite for so many years, it feels so good to feel this way now. And what he does, helping women like me… he’s just pretty amazing.”
“Girl, it sounds a lot more than you just liking him.”
I cover my face and start laughing. “I can't even believe this has been my life lately.”
“I can't either! I did not expect to hear that you were getting friendly with the fucking Bone Reaper. ”
“You can’t tell anyone, Lily. No one. Not even Nate. Promise me?”
“I got you. Don't worry. Taking it to the grave. Promise. But I still wanna hear updates. If you fuck The Bone Reaper, I want to hear all about it!”
I throw a grape at her, and we spend the next few hours watching movies and eating way too much cheese.
Reaper
It’s late when I arrive home. Charlotte is nowhere to be found on the main level. I haven't seen her since early this morning when we trained. I walk upstairs to her bedroom and slowly crack open the door. The slightest creak sounds along with a sudden shift in the air but it’s enough to wake her. She leans up from the bed to look over at me in the doorway.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. I just got in and wanted to check on you. You were gone most of the day.”
“It’s okay, I only recently fell asleep. Spent the day with Lily.”
“Okay. I’ll let you get back to sleep.”
I start to close the door when she stops me. “Wait.” I open the door wider and step in. “I have to tell you something,” she says.
I sit on the bed as Charlotte flicks on the bedside light.
“What is it?”
“I told Lily. I told her everything. Well, almost everything. She knows I killed Jason and that you showed up that night and that I've been staying with you. But listen, she won't tell anyone. I trust her with my life.”
Sighing, I scratch the back of my neck before standing .
“Okay.”
“Okay?” she asks, confused. “You're not mad?”
“I mean, I don't love it, but I understand. And I don't want to isolate you, Charlotte.”
She seems a bit surprised by my response and I think I’m surprised by my response too. Since I first found her in a pool of Jason’s blood, my reactions with her have been nothing like my typical self. I continuously find myself going against everything I know to help her, make her smile, make her happy. It’s strange and I’m still not quite sure how to feel about it.
“I won’t tell her where you live or anything else about you. I probably won't even tell her I'm becoming a serial killer.”
“I trust you and your judgment.”
“You're being awfully nice right now. I’m starting to get suspicious,” she teases. I run my hand over the back of my neck again as I look down at the floor. “Is everything okay, Reaper?”
“Bad night for me, that’s all.”
“What happened?” She moves to the edge of the bed to get closer to me, and I sit back down next to her.
“Tonight, I was too late.”
“No,” she whispers sadly.
“It's not the first time and it won't be the last. It’s just difficult.”
“You can't save everyone, Reaper.”
“I know. I know all too well. This just serves as a painful reminder of that. Of the first person I couldn't save.”
Charlotte runs a hand over my back in a comforting motion.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not particularly.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll let you get back to sleep now. I’ll see you in the morning for training,” I say as I stand and start walking to the door.
“Good night, Reaper.”
“Night, Charlotte.”