Unhinged

18

Oliver

"How do you know how to do this stuff," I ask as she does her eyeliner in the mirror. She shrugs.

"Sometimes I see other girls and I like how they do it so I just try to copy it."

"From memory?"

She nods. I raise my brows. I lean in on the doorframe of the bathroom watching her get ready.

"Close your eyes," I demands gently.

She do so. I chuckle softly, pinching her chin lifting her face, looking at the batwing she's drawn on her lid. "Clever. You know you may have a talent for art."

She opens her eyes, her lashes fluttering. She's stunningly gorgeous. Heart stoppingly so. Not model gorgeous, that's so rigid. She strays the lines of beautiful. Sometimes she's so soft, others she's sharp and deadly.

I lean down and kiss her cheek softly. She smiles and lines her lips.

"You're beautiful," I murmur.

She pauses, looks into the mirror. "And...?"

I raise my brow. "And?"

"I'm beautiful and...? And what? Is there anything else I am?" She asks softly. "Is that all I have? All I am?"

She waits for my answer, but I'm quiet for a moment. She lets out a breath, and wipes her lashes with something dark, making them longer.

"Never mind," she says softly.

"Soft. But strong. Incredibly intelligent. Intuitive. You adapt so easily, or take it one, either way it's a talent. And you are talented. I think you're an artist. You're incredibly fashionable, too."

Her eyes lock on mine. And then she smiles, just a small smile, and she gets on her toes, and pressed her full lips against mine, hesitantly.

I put my hand on the small of her back, and enjoy the feeling of her lined lips against mine, my little murderess who dragged me kicking and scream from the road of redemption.

I've fallen down to hell for her, at her insistence. She wanted me. Oh she wanted me badly, and insulted to have me.

And now she does. I smile and pull back, touch her face. She looks away with a small smile. She has a crush on me, I think. A childish crush, probably her first. I wonder what may happen when she grows up and realizes...I'm just some guy.

I'm probably not meant to be her one true love or anything as impactful. And maybe she won't remember me much, in the grand scheme of things.

"I like you," she whispers.

I nod because I know that.

"I made you do terrible things, I did terrible things to you, didn't I, Oliver?" She whispers.

I shake my head. "Hey, don't say that."

"You would've never been involved in this if it weren't for me—"

That's not true. He was not the first man I've killed. I clear my throat and smile softly. "I want to be yours. Is that so bad? I got caught up in you, Maurya. It's true you have your issues. But so do I."

She scoffs. "The woman you left?"

I close my eyes. "That. And many many other things. I'm not the good man you seem to think I am. I just want to be good to you. Being good to you will be my redemption, I think."

Maurya looks away. I force her gaze to meet mine. I have my secrets, of course I do. And when I look deep in her eyes, I want to tell them. I almost think she can handle them.

But I purse my lips and keep my secrets secret.

"You're just a man, Oliver. Whatever you're hiding can't be as bad as I am. I mean...killer, cannibal—"

I lift her face. "You haven't anyone yet."

She scoffs. "Gold star for me. I think that's normal, not eating peoples eyes."

"I think it's texture thing for you we'll find something similar maybe jello based—"

"And you take it all in stride. Like it's just silly quirks about me. Like I like eggs too much, or have rainbow everything. Just a little bother. Nothing serious."

Is it wrong I consider it all apart of her light? Like red and blue make purple. Murder and pink make her and take one away...you've got a different color. I don't want to dim her light.

"I adore you, Maurya and I don't have a good reason, really. I could say it's because you're pretty, or smart, or pink, but it's because it's you," I whisper. "I'm weak to you and I have been since we've met."

She smiles softly and turned around. Her lipstick is smudged on my lips, tasting of cherry. Now I'm pink too. She lines her lips once more finishing with gloss.

"You told me to get dressed, but where to?"

I smile. "We're going for a ride. You and me."

She smiles softly and bites her lips in anticipation.