We should be wondering why instead; why was the relationship bad? Why are we reducing ourselves to nothing when we should be basking in greatness, that we are free from the clutches of the devils that haunt us?
"You're everything to me."
"Are we forever, Aria?"
"I love you more than life itself. I'd die for you if I had to."
"Will you show me how to be a good dad?"
I'm trying to push myself, tightening my grip on the handle of the blade, but I'm overwhelmed with so many emotions, I can't see or think clearly.
There are so many memories with him that are crushing me.
But they are all memories I shouldn't be thinking of. I should be thinking of all the things he has done to me. But no, all I can think about is the good side while I contemplate wiping him from the Earth, from my life—forever.
Tobias Mitchell is hot and cold, the assistant, the dimpled psychopath, the dark-haired asshole, the guy I fell in love with when I should have been running in the opposite direction.
And now, I'm sitting with him between my legs, his hands in my hair, my lips fused to his, seconds from driving a blade into him.
I want to save him; I want him to want to be saved without having me as a possession. The few and limited positive qualities he holds aren't enough for him to have a normal life with me or his kids, but enough that he can live, to get help, treatment, anything that doesn't require him to be six feet under.
Can Ireallykill him? Am I capable of that type of heinous act?
With lungs screaming for oxygen, I feel the burning sensation in my chest, in dire need for them to fill, but I'm frozen in time. My twisted, traitorous heart begs for the dark love consuming me, pleading with me to give into it, to embrace it.
And my mind is exploding with every passing second I have the knife pressed to Tobias' back, my fingers twitching as I brace myself to take someone's life...to take his life.
His breath whispers against my pale skin, his lips grazing my neck. "Breathe. You can do this. Do it for both of us. All of us."
I feel myself imploding with a suffocating heart and a reeling mind urging me to continue, but it's as if our possessive souls are interlocking, dark meeting light, existing side by side, and I drop the blade with a painful sob catching in my throat. "I...I can't do it."
I'm not a killer.
"Do it," he orders me with a touch of anger, his hands tightening around me until I feel my lungs start to scream. "You need to."
"Why?" I sob, tears burning my eyes. "I can't hurt you. I can't."
Tobias huffs in frustration and pulls away from me, gritting his teeth. I can see the shift, the rage, the confusion. "How can you protect our kids if you can't take out the biggest threat, huh?" He slaps his palm against his chest, trying to control his breathing. "Me, right here. I'm that. How can I trust you to protect them?"
And just like that, gentle Tobias is nowhere to be seen. I feel my heart twisting in my chest as I watch him, his stance changing to defensive, his fists clenching at his side as he blinks.
Gulping a painful lump, I lower my voice to a soft whisper. "You need to calm down."
"You don't get to tell me what to fucking do. You're nothing to me. All you ever were was a good fuck gone wrong."
I frown in confusion, trying to mask the hurt. "Gone wrong?"
He nods, prodding the inside of his cheek with his tongue. "You weren't supposed to get into my fucking head." I stay silent, watching him have yet another inner battle with himself. "She's tricking you. She's tricking you," he says repeatedly as he paces the length of the small office, my body freezing as he bends down and grabs the blade from the ground. "Take her back. I need to take her..."
Grabbing me by the arm, he drags me out of the room, ignoring my pleas as he pulls me down the narrow corridor and tosses me onto the floor next to Kaleb's lifeless body, his eyes wide open next to my face.
I scream, pulling myself to my knees and scurrying away until my back hits the wall, my heart nearly blowing through my chest at his blue lips and paling skin.
"Aria!" Gabriella yells, and I snap my head in her direction, panicking, her face pressed against the cage door. "Are you okay?"
I nod once. "Y...yeah."
"Did he touch you?" she asks with tears streaming down her face. She looks relieved as I shake my head, her eyes closing as she releases a breath.