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Light flashes up on your phone screen dimly lighting up the room with a blue hue, squinting you peek up at the device on the bedside table.
Your arm snakes out from the warm comfort of the duvet reaching for the phone just as it starts to vibrate. Turning the screen towards your face you read that the incoming call is from a withheld number. A quick glance at the bedside clock tells you it’s 1:43am.
Finger hovering over the answer key you play with the idea of letting the call ring out before realisation hits you that the other side of the bed is still empty - Thomas hasn’t come home from the party yet. You wonder if perhaps he’s stuck out so you decide to pick up.
“Yes.” you answer lazily moving the phone to your ear whilst sitting up very much expecting to hear Thomas’s drunken voice on the other side. You mind drifting to the oftentimes he called you in the middle of the night when he was drunk to tell you how much he loves you. You decided a while ago to find it…charming.
The silky sheets slip down your bare shoulder taking the strap of your nightdress with them. The winter night air kissing at your exposed back vanishes rapidly as the silvery tone on the other side of the line greets you.
“I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Your stomach sinks at hearing his voice again. You feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you try to suppress a shiver. Shifting in your spot you move your other hand to fix the strap back onto your shoulder. “No.”
“Are you alone?” he continues casually as if he’s just making conversation with an old friend. Both of you know very well he’s not; the inquisitive nature of his tone comes off somewhat satirical. Instinctively your eyes scan the room from door to window. Nothing. Last thing you expected is to receive a call from Lyutsifer Safin ever again. Hoped- at the least.
“Yes.” you urge yourself to answer to him deciding to go with the truth. There was never much point in lying to him anyway.
“Good.” he hums, not bothering to hide the satisfaction in his voice.
Silence settles on the line as you wait for him to speak again.
“I saw you with him today-.” he finally starts coldness returning to his tone.
“You promised you will not spy on me.” You cut him off pulling the sheet over your shoulder again drawing your knees closer to your chest.
“It was not my intention” he breathes out with a hint of annoyance, but you can imagine the trademark smirk gracing his face. Just as no doubt he imagines you rolling your eyes at him.
‘Lies’
“Seeing you again made me realise I was wrong to ever let you leave” he adds hastily before you have a chance to reply to him.
His urgent sincerity catches you off guard. You know it took a lot for him to admit that. He was not a man to ever make mistakes, nor admit to ever making one.
Sucking in your bottom lip in between your teeth you bite it hoping it will stop tears from pricking at the corners of your eyes. Memories - good and bad - flash before your eyes of all the moments that have led to this. “If you care for me you had to” you just about manage trying to reason with him.
“Tell me” he counters “Does Thomas take care of you like I used to?” His voice now low, etched with venom makes your breath hitch as the words permeate under your skin. Coming into contact with something locked away and forgotten making it wake again as you try to push the feeling away before it develops into something dangerous.
“Answer me.” he prompts you uncharacteristically softly. His tone disarms you. You’re used to the harshness of a man. Know how to deal with it. This. This is uncharted territory.
“No.” you whisper your confession, more to yourself than to him. Big hot tears blur your vision just before they escape past your eyelashes, the wetness finding its way between the phone screen and skin of your cheek.
“Of course not.” he begins, his accent thickening “He doesn't know you like I do”
You hear Primo’s familiar voice in the background trying to get his employers attention. Lyutsifer’s voice grows distant for a moment as he dismisses him before getting back to your call “What do you think he’d do if he found out all the things I used to do to you?” His tone thickens with possessiveness as he continues “The things you did for me.”
“Lyutsifer...stop-” you plead him, but it falls on deaf ears.
“Then there are the things you did with me, when yo-”
You can’t take it anymore as you hang up the phone letting it slide down your sheets. Hugging your knees you hold back a sob. The dark of the room hiding your small silhouette. Dull vibration comes through the blanket as you expect him to call you back, but instead a message flashes up on the phone screen. You know you shouldn’t look, but you do.
‘I know where your heart truly lies. I will have you again. I promise’
Light permeates through the bedroom curtains as you hear a helicopter now nearby.
Jumping out of bed you scramble to the pile of clothes discarded on the chair as you pull them over your nightdress.
Thomas was clearly not coming back. And even if he was, nothing good would come of it.
Running to the wardrobe you grab your backpack as you stuff spare clothes in it. Then standing on your tiptoes you open the vent where you hid a spare gun. Checking the clip you curse to yourself sliding it back in the gun before you shove it at the back of your jeans.
Ripping the bedroom door open, you run down the stairs. Quick glance towards the window tells you there’s cars arriving out the front.
As you turn to go towards the back door you hear him call your name.
Abruptly stopping you turn to face him.
“I’m glad you’re already packed” he teases lightly, the light from outside illuminating the side of his face as you see the corner of his mouth twitch upwards into a half smile.
Staring back at his amused eyes you feel the tense atmosphere abruptly vanish.
Something inside of you flips. You should be angry, upset, scared. But you're not. Knitting your eyebrows you try to untangle the emotions inside of you, but before you can, you hear yourself agreeing with him.
A giddy smile appears on your lips as you feel your legs take you to him.
“I’m hoping I can rescue you from the ever so boring life you subjected yourself to these days.” He leans in close to you, his eyes trying to appear serious and failing miserably as they glint with mischief.
“Let’s see if you can” you stand on your tiptoes as you plant a kiss on his lips.