Misery Business

Chapter 7: Honest

'You're gonna say that I'm lying, when I tell you everything that I felt, was honest and sincere in that you were different'

I stripped the tape from my knuckles and tossed it in the trash. My hair was matted to my neck and forehead from the sweat I had worked up in the gym and I felt absolutely gross with the sports bra sticking to my body. Stepping into the shower for the second time that day I still couldn't help but observe the obscene size of the bathroom. No one needed something this big no matter how rich. This was excessive.

Stepping out, I wrapped the fuzzy towel around my body and held it securely against my chest with my arm pressed over it. I made my way into the closet where I pulled on an oversized black hoodie and some red silk shorts that were very cheeky. The bedroom was very warm and I was still overheating from the angry workout but refused to put on a tank top. Not today.

I opened the sliding door to the balcony and settled into one of the plush patio chairs. My legs were tucked underneath as I folded my hands into my lap and focused on the cool breeze ruffling my damp hair. There was a part of me that wanted to try and make the situation bearable by talking to Ace and getting to know him, but another part of me had come to see how dangerous it was for the two of us to be together. We were two very strong personalities that would ultimately clash continuously. I was used to living with Kathy who was wild and outgoing and goofy; she helped me lighten up and kept me on my toes in a good way. Ace was different. He kept me on edge and took life seriously which was never something I was good at. Even when I was in the business, I liked to have fun with my job. I needed to keep some form of lightheadedness in my life when all I did was kill, I might've been The Reaper but I was still Carson underneath it all. As I thought about how to best handle the situation I was in, the door slid open beside me. I looked up to find Ace standing over me, his hair dishevelled and damp. He was in a simple pair of grey sweatpants and shirtless to top it off. He had a large tattoo covering his right shoulder and another large one on the left side of his torso. I couldn't lie, he was very attractive.

"You shouldn't be sitting out here in shorts. It's a little too chilly for that." He mumbled, his eyes fixed on my bare legs.

"Then maybe you should put on a shirt." I fired back, standing up and pushing past him. I heard him sigh from behind me, his footsteps following me into the room.

"Tell me." He pleaded. I stopped and turned to look at him, arms crossed over my chest tightly.

"Tell you what?" I snapped.

"Tell me what I need to do for you to be happy." He clarified.

"Why?" I pushed.

"Because I know you are a very spunky human and I will not have you going stir crazy as my future wife." He admitted. I nodded once and looked away. All I really wanted was to go back to living the life I loved with Kathy.

"Is Kathy okay?" He scrunched his brow at my question. "Is she home?"

"Yes. Unharmed just like you asked," He nodded.

"Does she know about our deal?" I asked.

"Yes, she still thinks I'm holding you against your will because you're in her words 'too fucking stubborn' to accept my offer so easily." He chuckled.

"She knows me better than you think," I mumbled, focusing on the carpet under my cold toes. His joking demeanour fell and he stepped closer to me.

"I know this situation isn't what you had in mind for your future, but I never half-ass my deals and as your fiance, I am not going to let you rot away in a mansion or lose any of that fire you showed me when you killed my bodyguards." He tried to grab my hand but I backed up a few steps.