DUNCAN POVSolid 24 hours have passed since we left what was now the remains of what used to be Crystal’s refuge, but Crystal’s sorrowful eyes still accused me with every ticking second, burned in the back of my mind. The sound of her disgruntled cries had filled the whole neighborhood and my brain, infesting themselves in what felt like a grotesque turmoil of umbrage and simmering vehemence and bubbling through my veins. The look on her, the hopelessness on her face danced behind my closed eyelids as I stood in the middle of our living room in Rosehill, a space inundated with deep grey hues and white touches, my hand gripped right around the small device on my ear, my jaw ticking so hard I felt my pulse picking pace. “Let me know if you find anything.” Was all I grunted before cutting the call and throwing the phone across the room where it collided with a solid wall before kissing the hard ground in a loud rattle. I turned around and gripped the strands of my hair with both hands,
CRYSTAL POVThe rest of the day crawled by with me casting a black cloud over the whole house with my sappy face stained with tears and snot piled up in my nose. But no words could possibly describe the heaviness in my chest and the painful heaving of air as it wanted out of me. The only thought I dreaded before my next breath was being with Duncan in the same room, that’s why I found ways to keep myself busy and occupied whenever he stepped into the room. I was scared. Of many things, but one thing that reminded me of the porcelain was the idea of my tummy being filled with something. I wanted to believe it was just nerves playing tricks on me. After all, anybody in my position would either be in ER after fainting from shock and pain or simply dead. I succumbed to oblivion that the heavy fist of nausea was just a natural reaction against shock and pain and that with time, it would all go soon. But when Duncan prepared mac’ n’ cheese for me -my die-for dish that always had my moth
CRYSTAL POV My heart almost leaped out of my throat when Duncan switched lanes, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel like it was a lifebelt, an anchor gluing him to sanity. The way he held it was so rough I was afraid it break it into halves. My heart continued thumping in my throat, my mind reeling trying to break the heavy tension in the car, to find words to make this hurt less, just a little less.But what do you say to a man whose daughter is about to get killed by his crazy ex-wife? What words could possibly measure the kind of pain that rattles his brain with every breath he took, while he knew deep down that death was dancing in the vicinity of his daughter’s precious life?I wanted to be strong for him, I wanted him to know He wasn’t alone in all of this and that together, we were going to make it through. But I didn’t trust myself enough to save him, probably because I was drowning in my own sorrows while lurching on the little remaining normalcy in him, drin
DUNCAN POV Terror! Pure complete terror in its glory.Blood roared in my ears with a sudden rampage of heat, my heart thumping in my chest creating a haunting sound that blanketed my head in hot fiery licks of scorching fear. It thumped so hard I couldn’t even start counting the beats, I didn't know when the last one stopped before the next followed, it was a rapid throb that flipped my consciousness upside down; so hard that I became dizzy. My eyes glossed as I watched the waves of the air carrying them, saltiness stinging the insides of my eyes. “Crystal…” it was merely a whisperTheir bodies collided with the surface of the green, causing it to ripple around them in white bubbles as they disappeared into the green of Trinity River. A horrified gasp rocked me and before my eyes caught the slightest of the movements, I had my legs over the railings ready to jump. “SIR.” Strong pairs of arms came from all sides before yanking me back.“LET ME GO!” I roared, yanking myself from thei
CRYSTAL POVSomebody said death is peaceful. It is as still as the night, filled with nothing but darkness. They say it is a reprieve from pain, suffering, and strife that life has graciously granted us, unrequested. I was a fool to believe them. Because none of what I felt was anything close to it. The green water was a living hell, yet icy cold and chilling. The moment our bodies pierced the surface of the water, I was an inch from the arms of the Grim Reaper. And when I felt my lungs giving up on me, I knew it was time to kiss the precious life goodbye. With the little remaining strength and breath I have been holding, I pushed Aurora upwards while I succumbed deeper into the dark green abyss beneath my feet. I watched the little angel kicking through the water, a feeling of pride tugged at my heart. She was so beautiful, just like her father who has shown me more love than anybody else in this world. I watched with sad eyes, praying that she would break through the green doom t
CRYSTAL POVOne more time. Just a little more time.With the little time I had on my hands, thanks to Duncan’s absence, I took my moment to bathe in fragrant oils and bath salts he had bought for me. I scrubbed my body until I could see the white appearing beneath my caramel skin, trying to remove the feel of the green algae as it dragged me down the deep abyss. By the time I stepped out of the tub, my skin was silky soft smelling like belladonna and sunshine. I had enough time to think my plan through, and I wanted to make this night as memorable and as pleasing as possible. Not just to me, but to the man who now had the keys to my soul. I swallowed down the rising emotions as I selected the skimpiest attire of them all. It was a black lace thing resembling a bra while baring my nipples outside and a matching thong that covered everything except the wet slit between my legs. The material was soft on my skin, kissing me gently and hugging me like a second skin. I added just a tinge
CRYSTAL POV“Are you sure everything is okay?” Duncan drawled eyeing me from the corner of his eye as I helped him into his black suit coat. I swallowed the rising tiny knots of guilt down my throat and pulled on my best smile as I beelined around him and placed myself before him, smoothing the tie and failing to look into his eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to look into those beautiful blues because I was going to break. I was barely standing on my own feet right now as I used the remaining strength in me to hold my shit together. “You should try and stop being skeptical and just enjoy the ride, mister. Can’t I take you to dinner?” I attempted a smile before leaning on my toes and kissing the corner of his lips, lingering a minute longer so I could get the taste of him. For the last time. My throat tightened with unshed tears as the future flashed through my eyes. How would I wake up on a cold empty bed? I wasn't used to it. I was no longer used to a life of solitude and loneliness.
CRYSTAL POV It hurt. It hurt to a point where I felt like my soul had been ripped into tiny little shreds. The tears coating the apples of my cheeks mingled with the cold night, entrapping me with a cruel sensation that resembled walking through a scorching tunnel of hell.I bawled my eyes out until a snort bubbles out of my nose, and my chest heaved uncontrollably with soul-shattering sobs. When Uber finally dropped me off in front of Dom's house, I was nothing but a ghost shell of what I used to be. This pain that rattled through my body, tearing my senses until I felt bloated was too much. I wanted it to stop, to go away even for a second so I could breathe.Before I could even take a step into the white picket fence, Anna came spilling out of the house and charging towards me. She didn’t need to be told, one look at me and she knew that shit had hit the fan. The look of concern on her face was enough to snap the last strap of restraints around my heart. And when she pulled me in