Page 86 of Shadows Within

I pulled her shorts back up and looked around for a blanket. I didn't see one.

I walked out of the room. My hand lingered on the handle before I closed the door. I never wanted to leave her, but she didn't know me like I knew her. I didn’t want to scare her. So instead, I waited for her.

I pull Elliot up by his hair and bring his face close to mine, so he can feel my spit on his face.

“Finish that fucking sentence, I dare you,” I repeat.

He smirks. A small laugh escapes his mouth, and in that moment, I decide it will be the last sound he’ll ever make.

I grab a larger fist full of his hair and bash his head off the ground. I don’t stop—I can’t.

Blood pours from the back of his skull as I repeatedly hit it off the ground.

Then, I see her. Standing over in the corner, watching me. She doesn’t look away. Now, she sees all that I am and all that I’ve become. The pain in her eyes brings me back to that night—the pain I swore she’d never feel again.

I let go of him and my hands fall at my sides. Blood pools underneath my feet. I slowly walk over to her.

She stands motionless as I approach her with my bloody hands. Her face is frozen in a permanent state of shock.

“He’s dead.” Her eyes trail upon Elliot’s lifeless body.

“I had to,” is all that I say.

She doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t have to. Instead, she reaches up and strokes the side of my face. Even after I showed her the worst parts of me, she still treats me with such kindness and love.

“I couldn’t hide it forever, now you’ve seen all of me. You have me, forever.” My blood covered hand reaches for hers.

I pull her in close.

There’s a passion between us that I’ve never felt before, and my heart picks up as she steps closer. Love and lust combine as I place my lips on hers. The fire that lives in me ripples through our mouths, creating harmony.

Just as I begin to get lost in her taste, she pulls back.

“Callum, what are we going to do about…” She nods toward Elliot’s body.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I can help, I just—”

“No, I don’t want you involved. You’ve already seen too much. I didn’t mean for you to see all of that, but when I heard him laugh, a rage built inside of me that I couldn’t hide. After all he’s done to you, he needed to pay.”

I touch the back of my hand to her cheek, calming her.

Her eyes grow as she meets my gaze.

“Callum—” She covers her mouth. “It was you.” Her words rock me to my core.

“It was you that night that stopped Elliot. You dragged him off of me, and then you brushed the back of your hands on my face, but they were cool?”

“I had my gloves on.” She remembers. I don’t react.

I search my pocket for the small pack of sour gummies I placed inside.

I pull out a yellow one and hold it up to her mouth. She looks at me as she opens it—there’s something sexual about it.

I break our eye contact and walk over to Elliot. He’s stopped bleeding.

I sigh. “Good riddance,” I mumble.