I’m sat on a floor cushion around a floor mat with Kate rests on my chest. My arm is around her, circling her shoulder while the other one rests on the floor to support both our bodies in this position. I will be gone tonight and she wants to make the most of it. If only I could make the most of it with the person I actually want to be with right now.
I tilt my head to the side and lower my head to give her a kiss on her hair. My hand gently pats her shoulder before squeezing in. Kate giggles, circling her arms tighter around me.
“You stay safe when I’m gone, okay?” I whisper to her, my head directly over hers.
She hums a reply. “I’ll miss you.” Comes after.
This is when I let out a sigh. “Me too.” I murmur under my breath. But I won’t be able to do the needful if I’m stuck here. At least, we’d meet each other again soon, that most I’m sure about.
My eyes ascend up to the entrance when I hear footsteps. People are finally making their way here. It was Kate’s idea to have this game night tonight. Normally, I find it childish to be involved in such but then I remember she’s no better than a child. A mature one at least. I owe it to her, being her legally engaged fiancé.
Surrounding the floor mat are floor cushions for everyone to sit on and on the floor mat are a lot of game cards and an empty bottle. At the corner of the room, not too far from us and pressed against the wall is a table filled with snacks, from fruit snacks to regular ones.
I keep my eyes at the entrance as everyone makes their way in, waiting for someone in particular. She hasn’t come in yet. Everyone is already making themselves comfortable on the floor cushions. I let out an exhale, still looking out for her. Liam walks right in. Behind him is Hazel. She looks at me momentarily before averting her gaze to my brother. I swallow.
I suddenly don’t want to be in this room. But I guess I have no choice than to stay. Liam and I have not spoken since our encounter at the outdoor shower, I’ve barely spoken to anyone really but that was needed to enable me to clear my head.
My blood lust is running wild and it aches to be quenched. Everytime I think of what I’d do to the person I hunger to kill, I feel a lot calmer. I’m just giving her time. A false sense of hope before I find her. Now that I know who she is, there is no where on this earth she can run to without me following. Like a serial stalker to his prey, I will always be a step ahead of her, and also a step behind her. So I’ll let her run, till my patience runs out. Google seaʀᴄh Novᴇ(l)Fɪre .ɴᴇt
“Killian!” A soft, feminine gasp makes me lower my gaze to the woman leaning on my chest. “Do you want to play?” Kate asks, whispering to me. I shake my head gently.
“Not this time, I’ll just be here with you.” I say to her, my tone just as low as hers. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate even if I accept to participate in this game. I already have a rough idea of what this game night is about to be, either the typical spin the bottle and asking questions or dares written in the cards, or truth or dare and trust me, I am well past the age to interfere with such stuff.
“Okay, thank you.” Kate whispers back, her tone welcoming and warm.
I squeeze my hand gently on her shoulders, signifying care. This is when she begins to explain the rules to everyone else. I let my mind wander as she spoke to them. Kate is also someone I have to put into consideration during my endeavours. Our marriage contract is just as complicated as my life, well, way less complicated, but she needs my assurance of protection no matter how things end up between us, or else. . . her enemies are going to end her at the slightest chance they get. I will not and cannot let that happen to her, not when I’ve sworn her safety.
Although right now, I’m starting to think there are more things I need to protect. Especially now my old friend is on the loose. I sink my hand into my hair, combing it backwards softly. My hair falls back into place the moment my hand gets off them.
I have too many enemies, but having them have never been the problem since I always knew how to use their hatred to my advantage. The problem now is Owen, and possibly, Asami. I don’t know where she is but her silence cannot be a good thing.
I don’t even want to think about it. Those two have every reason to come at me and whatever I hold dear. Because they can. Because they have access to things no one else does. We may not have been in contact for years, but that does not mean much has changed around me since then.
I need to start changing things but how far can I actually go?
How far am I willing to go? That depends on how much I love and care about the things and people in my life. It also depends on how much I consider their affection towards me. I’ve never been afraid to lose myself before, knowing everyone, back then being just Liam, was safe, I did not care if I died or not. But now, I don’t want to be that way. I find reasons to want to live for the people that care about me and I know that would be my downfall.
I dart my head to the ceiling. The ball is something I look forward to. Allies need to be made. Something tells me that things are about to get dangerous and I don’t know why.
I lower my gaze back to everyone around me. There are only three people in my midst that I deem important to me and out of these three, two of them are vulnerable. Maybe I’m not even afraid for me, maybe I’m afraid of what would happen to them because of me. Liam’s words keep replaying in my head like a bad omen.
One step at a time, Killian, I remind myself, I have to take things a step at a time.