a/n: prob way too cliche. sorry. ily guys.
“when i was fifteen, i had an older cousin. his name was jared.” i nodded, letting him continue. “he… he lived life dangerously and never on the side lines. i looked up to him. i really did. whatever he did, i wanted to do.”
“i remember you saying something about him once,” i said quietly. you nodded and i let you continue once again.
“but he wasn’t exactly a role model. he was everything but that. he was terrible. he was cruel and i didn’t know it,” you sighed. “i didn’t know he was trouble until i saw him get into a fist fight with this older guy that was way more muscular than he ever was. i remember hiding behind this wall and i remember jared saying, “is that the best you’ve got?””
i rubbed circles along your palm. “he ended up killing the other guy not soon after. he snapped his neck and i was surprised. jared saw me and told me to run, but i didn’t. i was fifteen and i didn’t know all the concepts to murder and gangs, or anything. i remember walking to jared when i was suddenly grabbed from behind.”
i frowned. “so… he was a part of a gang?”
you nodded slowly. “i-i didn’t know. i mean, i knew he was shady and everything but i didn’t know he was capable of killing.”
“did he kill anyone else?” i find myself wondering out loud.
“he’s killed over seven people, val…”
i was struck with fear and i looked at him to continue. “when i got grabbed from behind, it was from one of the guys jared knew in the gang. he told me he’d kill me because of what i just witnessed, when jared backed me up. he said i was his cousin and they let me go after a bit of a fight. but what i didn’t know, was that they continued to watch me.”
my mouth went agape.
“when jared got murdered, i guess they wanted someone to follow into their footsteps...”
“so they went after you?” i asked quietly.
you nodded. “he got murdered a week before of my disappearance.”
prickly tears filled in my eyes and i went to wipe them away.
“so you obliged?”
“if i didn’t, they’d come after you.”
“how do they know of me?”
“they saw me walking with you one day, they had photos of you and your house and…” you trail off, gulping loudly. “t-they threatened me that if i didn’t go with them, they-they would…”
fear struck my bones and i looked at you with wide eyes. “but…” you held up a finger.
“they forced me not to tell anyone and they took my phone. they made it look like i was missing,” you gulp. “every day i thought of you and coming back home, and each day i thought i’d come home the next day, but a year later and i was still there.”
“you’re here,” i whisper.
“i escaped,” you said weakly. “i escaped them and i guess they’re coming back after me. i found the nearest telephone and i called you.”
heavy silence fills the room and so many questions want to be asked, but so many are answered.
“… that’s the reason of your disappearance and your random stabbing? to join them to protect me or…?”
you nodded sadly.
“you never told me…” i trailed off.
“i couldn’t,” you said. “or—“
“they would’ve got to me,” i finished, staring off into the distance.
“they still could, val. we’re not safe yet.”
“so the stabbing incident…” i trail off.
“it was like a warning,” you say.
i’m silent. “how did the… the bad people… know?”
you blew out a breath. “i told the cops, val.”
“that’s good—“
“no,” you defend. “it isn’t. if any of the cops or investigators goes to them, they’ll know i said something and it’ll be hell, val.”
your eyes were teary and it made me cry, too. i grabbed you and held you. “we have each other,” i say, patting down your messy raven hair. “we’ll be okay.”
“i killed people, val,” you whisper in my shoulder. i still and close my eyes tightly.
“i had to,” you defend. “i didn’t want to, i—“ you start to sob and my shoulder is drenched but i don’t care.
“you’re okay,” i repeat over and over until we’re fast asleep cuddled into each other, when all our troubles are gone for just a little while.
