Page 56 of Vexed
But then, another confession clawed its way out of him. “And all those times when you felt alone? When you thought I’d left you? I was always there. Watching. Making sure no one hurtsyou. Patching things up when you fall. You wouldn’t have even noticed me being around, but I always was.”
A fresh wave of tears cascaded down my face. He’d always been there. Even when I didn’t know it. Even when he was supposed to be gone.
He raised his hands, palms facing me. The air crackled with a strange energy. This was it. The moment he erased me from his life—he had to erase himself from mine.
“I will always love you, Lily. In this life and the next. I will find you again. You will always be mine,” He softly says, his words breaking my heart even more, piece by piece.
“I…” I started, my voice trembling, “I love you too, Vex.”
His eyes widened, just the slightest flicker of surprise. Then, before he could say anything, I reached up and pulled his face down to mine.
His lips were cold at first, but then they warmed, softening against mine. Every touch, every stolen glance, every shared laugh crowded my mind, a desperate attempt to hold onto the fleeting memories. It was the perfect kiss. A kiss that could destroy me and define me at the same time.
His hands moved, cupping the back of my head. I felt the surge of power, the cold tendrils invading my mind. He was taking them. Taking him. Takingus.
The pain was unbearable, a searing white-hot agony that ripped through my consciousness. Images flickered and faded, faces blurred, voices silenced. He was pulling the threads, unraveling the tapestry of our intertwined lives. He was taking away our memories.
I clung to him, desperate, as the last vestiges of our shared existence dissolved into nothingness. Then, darkness. Pure, absolute darkness.
The first thing I felt was the cold. Not just a chill, but a teeth-chattering, bone-deep kind of cold that seeped into my very core. Then came the pine needles stabbing into my back, and the damp earth clinging to everything. Groaning, I pushed myself up, my head swimming. Where was I?
Sunlight dappled through the trees, illuminating a seemingly endless expanse of forest. Panic bubbled up in my chest. The last thing I remembered was walking through the field near my apartment, picking daisies as I watched the stars. How the fuck did I end up here?
“Okay, Lily, deep breaths,” I muttered to myself, forcing my shaky legs to stand. No phone, no keys, no clue. Just me and a whole lot of trees. Figuring the best thing to do was head in what felt like a vaguely eastward direction, I started walking.
The forest felt off. Not just the disorientation, but a heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the crunch of my own feet. Finally, I saw it—the familiar grey of my apartment building peeking through the trees. Relief washed over me so intensely, I nearly collapsed.
My heart hammered as I fumbled with the knob, the metal cold and unfamiliar in my hand. I pushed open the door and practically fell inside.
“Lily!”
Hannah launched herself at me, nearly knocking me off my feet. “Where have you been? Oh my god, we’ve been so worried! Everyone’s been looking for you! We filed a missing person report three days ago!”
Threedays? I stared at her, completely blank. “I…I don’t know. I don’t remember. I was just… in the forest.”
Hannah pulled back, her brow furrowed with concern. “The forest? Lily, you look terrible. And you smell like dirt and pine needles. I’m calling everyone to let them know you’re okay. Go take a shower and I’ll get you something to eat.”
I numbly nodded, shuffling towards my bedroom. The image of my own reflection in the hall mirror confirmed Hannah’s words. My hair was a tangled mess, my clothes torn and covered in mud. I looked like I’d been dragged through hell. There’s no doubt my mom is going to give me an ear full of what happened.
Probably going to have me go back to therapy. Which, to be honest, doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
As I stripped off my filthy clothes, my eyes are drawn to a specific object. Sitting on my bed, propped up against the pillows, was a grim reaper teddy bear.
I stared at the teddy for a long moment, a shiver crawling down my spine. With a dismissive shrug, I continued removing the filthy clothes that cling to my body. Before turning to head to the bathroom, I see my childhood diaries splayed open on the desk.
Frowning, I quickly flip through them and notice most of the pages have been scribbled on. Some sentences completely scribbled out. That's odd. I don't remember doing that.
With a shake of my head, I close the diaries and place them all in the top drawer of my desk. I can dwell on that later.
I was exhausted, confused, and definitely needed a shower. I grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom, determined to scrub away the dirt, the smell, and the unsettling feeling that had settled deep in my bones.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Vex
“Fuck sake. It can’t go on like this,” Adimus groans from beside me as we stand in front of the Altar. The ornate carvings seem to mock my current state, each swirl and flourish a reminder of the joy I clearly can’t access anymore. I’ve never felt so empty, so miserable, so fucking broken.
“It’s been two months and we have had more problems in this time than when he was fooling around in the Human Realm,” he says to Thalia, pointing to me like I’m some kind of misbehaving pet.
