COCONUT RUM -corpse husband-

CHAPTER ONE

TW: abusive relationship

Lila wasn't allowed to leave the apartment often, but when she was able to sneak away for awhile she opted for the roof. She enjoyed looking at the ground, far from her, and completely capable of ending her life if she just happened to slip and fall.

It reminded her to keep going, somehow.

She was tired, too tired to continue being angry.

She pushed the door open, the echo in the stairwell spooking her slightly. Stepping out, she was surprised by the cool air against her legs, and briefly considered going back to change. She decided against it, knowing she probably wouldn't have a chance like this for a long while. Not after the way she yelled.

She stopped.

Now wasn't the time to feel guilty. She was right for being upset, she just shouldn't have yelled.

Yes, she should've.

No, she wasn't allowed.

Lila was confused, her thoughts full of remorseful ways to apologize, planning each word down to the syllable. She was prepared, knowing she would have to take whatever punishment Justin decided to deal her. She shouldn't be thinking about it now, she decided.

Lila was surprised to glance up and see a tall man, clad in all black with a hood pulled over his head, staring at her. "Oh, sorry," she apologized quickly, snapping her head down in submission.

Don't look up at anyone. You are nothing, you don't deserve to be seen.

She flinched at the intrusive thoughts immediately clouding her judgement.

Justin had taught her how to cater to people, how to be social, and what was polite and what wasn't. She was grateful he had warned her of what people would do if she wasn't treating them properly. She couldn't imagine. Justin punished her so harshly sometimes; she was grateful it was light compared to what someone else might do to her. She had never been punished by someone she didn't know, and she didn't want today to be that day.

Lila didn't recall what her life was like prior to Justin. She couldn't remember if she had always been this... weak.

No, she wasn't weak; she was obedient. A good listener. Justin said she was good.

She sighed, considering returning back to the lonely apartment. Glancing up, she realized the unfamiliar man had returned to the ledge of the building, seemingly uninterested in her.

Lila carefully walked to the far right of the man, staying as far as she could from him without sitting on a different wall. She scooted herself nearly off the side, keeping her head down, gazing between her swinging legs and down into the abyss of the earth.

Her back hurt in this position, but she was able to ignore the pain, masking it with the pleasure of feeling the wind course its way through her long hair. She would need a haircut soon, but she surely wasn't asking Justin to take her. She didn't know what he would do then.

Justin loved her long hair. He made her wear it down every day, saying it made her more pose-able, and more lady-like.

Lila didn't understand why, but it wasn't her job to do so. She wasn't meant to ask questions; only listen.

Sitting out there for a long while, she was finally snapped from her trance at the sound of the pebbles shifting below feet. She turned slightly to see the dark figure of the man make his way to the exit door, and leave the rooftop.

She met his eyes briefly before immediately looking back down.

—

Oddly, Lila was surprised that Justin had locked the door. She tried the handle once more, pushing on the door harshly. It didn't open. She considered knocking, hoping that Justin would allow her to come back in.

She beat her fist against the door lightly, loud enough to be heard from the inside, but soft enough that it wouldn't disturb any of their neighbors.

Lila had never met any of their neighbors, but she heard them sometimes from inside the apartment. When she first moved in with Justin, she would watch them from the peep hole out of boredom, but now, she didn't have time. And, now there were less people on the top floor of the building. People rarely moved in and out, at least from the top floor.

Lila huffed, hearing nothing from the inside of the apartment, knowing this was part of her unfortunate punishment. Being locked out for the night.

Justin had done this once before, but not for very long. He kicked Lila out, and before she could even consider peeling herself from the floor mat outside of their door, he was rushing to pull her back inside and put her to bed, apologizing profusely for letting himself get so angry with her.

Justin hadn't apologized for anything since then. Justin also hadn't taken back any of his punishments since then, always meticulously following through with each of them.

Lila huffed, sliding down against the wall next to the door. She would at least wait before begging to be let in. Maybe Justin had gone out for food and planned on returning soon.

It had been quite dark when she left the rooftop, maybe 11 or 12. The moon had been high in the sky. She was aware that Justin was probably sleeping in his bed, and wouldn't let her in until morning, but Lila tried her best to ignore that reality, and hope for the best.

She was nearly asleep when the sound of a door closing snapped her awake.

"I'm literally walking out the door now, Tina."

Lila was immediately intrigued by the deep voice coming from down the hall. Her intrigue was immediately hindered by debilitating anxiety. She curled up as tight as she could into a ball against the wall.

She was sure the man was the same one from the rooftop, except now she was able to his curly black hair. It was neater than she would have expected a man's hair to be, and it was particularly beautiful.

Lila didn't dare make a sound, watching intently as the man, with a phone held to his ear, carefully locked his apartment door, too engaged in his conversation to notice Lila sitting only a few feet from where he was standing. He was not in the apartment directly across from her, but he was only one door down and on the other side of the hall.

But he would have to pass her to exit the building and descend down the stairs. Lila shuddered at the realization.

This was it. This would be the day she would get punished by a stranger.

Lila planted her head between her knees, refusing to look up at her surroundings. Her legs were covered in goosebumps, but she was unsure if it was the chill from the air or absolute fear.

"Hold on, Tina," she heard the man say quietly. His voice got impossibly deeper the quieter he spoke.

"Um..."

Lila gasped at how close the man was to her. She could see his shoes, standing directly next to her.

She shivered, hoping that he wouldn't touch her and try to drag her away from her home. She had no idea what people would do to her.

Lila's eyes immediately swelled with tears, hearing the man's knees pop as he squatted down to her level. "Are you okay?" He asked, so quiet, Lila barely heard him over the sound of her beating heart.

She refused to look up, knowing it would only make the punishment worse.

Lila kept her lips sealed shut. Justin didn't allow her to speak to anyone, let alone a stranger. Was this a test? Did Justin arrange this to make sure she was following all the rules? Was Justin watching her through the peep hole, deciding if she could come in or not? If she acted good, would he let her back inside?

Before she could get her head on straight, the man had sighed, stood, and left down the stairs.