He’s So Sassy
Chapter fourteen
He's So Sassy
Ione
My work week has started. I've purchased a phone and placed my number in it so that Athanasius can text me or call me while I'm at work.
That was a mistake. He leaves six voicemails during my meeting, and it's when I'm at lunch with Chloe, after explaining to her that I got sick at the lounge, that I make the mistake of listening to the first one—out loud.
Athy's voice is deep, the phone makes shuffling sounds. “How do I use this thing?" I can hear how he drops the phone and then curses. "Whatever…I’m a primordial…woman! Answer the device!" He growls. "I require those pizza food things, they are folded into squares. Return now and bring them."
Chloe raises an eyebrow and stares at me. "Girl what?"
The second message automatically plays. "Actually it’s been 2 hours, where are you? You don’t have my permission to be gone for so long, when you return…" He chuckles. "You’ll beg for my forgiveness, on your knees and if you’re good—”
Immediately I press the lock button. "I am so sorry you had to hear that."
"No, no." Chloe laughs. "Let it play."
On the way home, I think about what happened a few nights ago.
It still replays in my mind and Athanasius has been his regular sassy self.
If he's acting like the kiss and subsequent heavy petting didn't happen, it's working.
He's practically making me believe that it didn't. His touches don't linger, his eyes aren't as warm and inviting.
It's almost back to the slight flirtation and joking that we first came into this relationship with.
I'm confused. He's still holding me at night and if he doesn't think that I am not very conscious of his hard dick pressed between my asscheeks then he's a fool.
However, when it rains, it pours. Trust me, I wish I was talking about my body but no.
Things can be going well mentally or physically, but emotionally?
No, it seems like everything wants to dogpile at that exact moment.
So, I am surprised, but very upset to see a strange car parked outside of my house.
Who is that? Now, half of me is scared that it's a cop and perhaps Kenneth told the police about some man threatening him.
No.
As I exit my car in my driveway, the door opens and my heart leaps into my throat at the sight of Chris.
"Hey Ione," He holds up his right hand because in his left is a bouquet of red roses. "Took a minute to find you, but folks are chatty, at least your old neighbors are."
Fuck. I should have known better. I gave my address to my old neighbor just in case a package came for me or mail was left. Clenching my jaw, I walk to the end of my driveway. "She shouldn't have done that."
"You always did like to live around old folks, you know they talk a lot." He chuckles. "But damn, no, hello Chris? We didn't have that bad of a breakup."
To him? No. He doesn't think emotional cheating is cheating. I think it is especially when you lie about it and then after the breakup start dating the woman you told me 'not to worry about.'
"What do you want?" I rub my forehead, it has to be money. Money or some favor about a job or something.
"Come on, Ione." He coos. "These are for you." He holds out the roses, clearly purchased from a gas station as the petals are wilting and brown on some of them. No effort. Nothing has changed.
"I'm good," I shake my head. "What do you want?"
Chris raises an eyebrow and moves past me. He walks up the sidewalk and places the roses on my front porch. "I need your help and you're the only one who can do it."
Sure I am. "Figures, but the answer is no."
"Ione." He catches my arm, pulling me into his chest. "Come on now pretty girl, you know how I feel about you."
Do I? My hand pushes against his chest. "Stop, Chris. I said no and whatever it is find some innocent and willing woman to help you."
He scoffs. "Yeah, that's you." Chris doesn't loosen his grip."We were together three years, Ione, and I even tried to give you a ring. Feelings don't die like that, come on, do you wanna see me in jail or worse?"
Emotional ransom. He would stoop that low, typical. Jerking my arm from him, I scowl and answer. "I'm not sure, what's worse?"
"I need to borrow some money, I'm in a bit of a bind." He starts.
Tale as old as time. He already owes me like $4,000 and I know I'll never see it. This is so typical of him. Dress up nicely, get his hair cut, he reeks of that damned Creed Aventus, and now he's invading my space, touching me, trying to remind me of what was in order to get what he wants.
"How long has it been for you? You've never been the type to move on quickly." He licks his lips. "I can pay you back in something else you like." His arm slips around my waist. "I haven't forgotten how you taste, I just need $3,000 baby, please, I have to pay this guy back."
"So, you still gamble." Once again, I'm trying to push him away. "Not my problem, you need to leave."
He's starting to get the hint. I won't budge.
"Ione. Now, don't be like this. I'm asking you cause I know you're good for it.
That money your parents left you? I know you ain't spend it all on this.
" He finally lets go of me to hold his arms out and indicate my home.
"Help me, Ione, I'm asking real nicely, baby. "
The door behind us opens slowly. I know Athanasius is standing there, all 6'5" of him just inside the doorway. "Rabbit." He says darkly. "Why do you always attract strays?"
"Strays?" Chris scoffs. "Who the fuck are you?"
Backing up, I can feel as Athanasius reaches out and grabs my waist, pulling me into the house. "Athanasius Necrothys, the Veil between Worlds, The Withering, Harbinger of the Final Silence." Athanasius looks down at me and back to Chris. "Would you like the same treatment as the other fool?"
Chris holds his hands up and begins to back away. "This conversation is between me and Ione. You don't have anything to do with it."
"On the contrary," Athanasius ducks his head and steps onto the front porch. "Anything to do with my rabbit, has to do with me. I hate repeating myself, so I will ask again," He stands in front of Chris, looking down at him. "Would you like the same treatment as the other fool?"
I'm turned on. I shouldn't be. There is nothing sexy about a 6'5", pure muscle, black haired, red-eyed, tattooed, split tongue Primordial hovering over your ex asking him if he wants to shit his pants every night from nightmares or die where he stands.
"Athy," I call, stepping from the house. "Let him leave. Please?"
Athanasius grunts. "You don't give orders, woman, you know that."
Chris looks confused. "The fuck is happening here?"
"Not fucking,"Athanasius sighs. "Something much deeper, human." Turning around, Athanasius heads back towards the house. "Leave, and if you return, you won't live long to see what happens after."
"Go, Chris." I echo. "My answer is no. Do not come around here again."
"Girl," He's getting brave watching Athanasius walk away. "Fuck you and this oversized goth weirdo."
"Why does every one keep calling me that?
"Athanasius growls. His lower set of eyes appear on his face.
Turning around, I watch as Chris pales, his chest rising and falling heavily as Athanasius shows him his true visage.
"Do I look like a Visigoth to you? You pathetic, whimpering mortal? Begging a woman for coin? Have you truly sunk so low you can't stand on your own feet? There’s nothing bold about leaning on a woman’s purse while calling yourself a man. "
Chris stutters. "What are you?"
I was enjoying the moment, but of course Ms. Taylor is outside at the wrong time again, and she screams upon seeing Athanasius.
Athanasius ignores her and steps forward, the shadows lapping around Chris's feet.
"I am death incarnate, the breath you choke on when the night grows too still.
" The shadows lift Chris from the ground, pulling him towards Athanasius.
"I am the darkness that crouches in every corner your kind pretends not to see—the whisper in your bones that says run, even when your feet won't move.
" Here comes the zinger, because I knew he couldn't just leave me out of it.
"And as for your precious ex? She's with me now.
Screaming my name in the dark—though not out of fear.
" Tossing Chris on the ground, Athanasius backs up.
Ms. Taylor has run inside of her home. I can hear her poodles yapping.
"Now crawl back to whatever hole you came from, and take your pride with you—what's left of it. "
Chris hightails it back to his car, which sputters to life and peels away nearly taking out my mailbox with it. As I stand in the doorway, Athanasius shakes his head at me. "Your elderly neighbor has terrible timing."
"I have no idea officer," I smile at the cop standing outside my doorway. "My ex was here and yes, he had a heated discussion with my boyfriend, but my ex left." I shrug. "No violence, no assault. I would have called you otherwise."
The cop nods his head. "I understand." He sighs." From what your neighbor was saying, ma'am, I—" The cop clears his throat. "I don't know how to describe, but I'm going to chalk it up to paranoia? Hysteria?"
"That might be best." I smile and nod.
"She said he was a monster." The police officer chuckles. "What is that about?"
"He's a cosplayer." I nod. "Sometimes he tests his costumes in the yard and she doesn't care for that."
"Ah," He nods. "I see." He continues to write something down. "Is your boyfriend here? Can I talk to him?"
Now, in my mind, that would be bad. Very bad.
"Uh,"
"Local law enforcement," Athanasius comes to the door with a towel around his waist. "Have you come to arrest that woman and her foul screaming every time I set foot outside my domicile?"
"He loves Shakespeare." I blurt.
Athanasius looks down at me before continuing. "Everything is as my…lover, has stated."
"The ex, he just left?" The cop is staring at Athanasius like he's some sort of odd specimen.
"Yes." Athanasius answers. "Now, may we go inside? I would like to partake of her body."
The cop blushes and I cover my face. "I am so sorry."
"No, no, thank you for your time." The cop clears his throat. "Have a good evening."
Athanasius closes the door. "Annoying."
"You have to stop changing like that in public." I sigh. "That could have gone worse."
"I would have killed him." Athy replies.
He's gonna get me killed. Then resurrect me. I can't. "He's a cop, Athanasius, you can't just kill him without three more showing up. They are like roaches."
He nods. "Give him amnesia. Understood." He begins to walk back upstairs.
"Can you do that?" I ask, following him closely.
"I can do whatever I want, rabbit—"
We finish the last part together. "I'm a Primordial."
Athanasius is somewhere downstairs, and while I have a moment to myself I take a shower, and find myself in my closet looking through pictures of Chris and I. I don't miss him.
The closet floor is colder than I remember. Carpet, sure—but it can't keep out the ache that settles in my bones like winter. I’ve pulled down the old shoebox, the one I swore I’d thrown out a hundred times. But here it was. Still here. Still waiting. Like it knew I’d come back.
My fingers tremble as I lift the lid, and there he is. Chris. In glossy, too-happy pictures that didn’t age well. That grin, that stupid leather jacket I pretended to hate but secretly loved. We looked like a couple out of a catalog. Curated joy.
I don’t miss him.
But gods, I miss the feeling.
The way it felt to have someone’s arms around me at night, his breath warm against my neck. The casual sweetness of a “love you” tossed over the shoulder before work. That grounding weight of belonging. Of mattering.
Now it’s just me.
And the ache that creeps in like a draft through a cracked window—slow, unnoticed until it’s all I can feel. That first week without him was numbness. The second? Anger. By the third, I had started to forget. And that was mercy. Until today.
Until I saw him again. I loved him so hard I forgot how to love myself. And now I’m here, crawling through memory, picking scabs I worked hard to heal.
I pulled out the letter. The one he wrote after I found out. All apologetic ink and guilt-washed promises. As if ink could undo betrayal. My chest tightened, ribs closing in like a vice. The familiar sting rose behind my eyes.
God, I wish I hadn’t seen him. It was better when he was gone—when he was a ghost. Now I have to rebuild the wall. Brick by brick. Again.
“Pathetic.”
I freeze. That voice. That deep, hollow sneer that sucks the warmth from the air. I look up—and there he is.
Athanasius.
He stands in the doorway of my closet like it belongs to him.
He looks down at the mess around me—the photos, the letter, the trinkets—and scoffs.
"You disrespect yourself when you beg someone for bare minimum things like love, attention, affection, support, and consideration.
You belong to me, rabbit, do not debase yourself in front of me like this again. "
“You don’t understand,” I whisper.
“Don't I?" He enters and quickly picks up the items, shoving them into the box.
Athanasius slams it back on the top shelf, before turning towards me.
"You can't make someone love you by giving them more what they already don't appreciate, stupid rabbit, can you not see this?
" He reaches out, lifting me to my feet.
His upper hands are on my shoulders, cupping my neck.
"I have seen true mates give life and limb for their females and children and that…
" He stutters. "Male is not one of them.
You sit here and pine for what could have never been.
" His touch is gentle, cupping my face. His lower hands cradle around me.
"You deserve someone who feels you're too important to lose, Ione. "
Swallowing hard, I'm trying to blink away tears. What is he saying? "Is it you?"
Athanasius grins, that stupid fanged smirk.
"Rabbit, please don't be foolish, I am beyond time and such concepts.
" He ushers me from the closet. "I was simply seeking to comfort you," Sighing, he opens my drawer and tosses a dress at me.
"Now, my siblings will arrive soon, prepare your delicious food for their avatars. "