“You mean her favorite clothes? Selene’s? I’m not her, Sir. I’m Luna, her daughter,” I plead with him to listen to my words, but he just shakes his head as he runs a hand over the side of my face.
“No, you don’t see it yet, but you will. I told you the last day I saw you that I may not get you in that life, but I would in the next. Now, I know that you are Selene returned to me. Why else would you look so much like her? Be her mirror image, without all those flaws that came between us before?” He smiles as though his words make all the sense in the world, but they don’t to me. I doubt they would to anyone, but him. Why does he keep repeating himself?
He releases my hand, and moves over to the staircase. I heard him slide the lock in place when he closed the front door, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get out through another way. The minute he’s distracted, I bolt. I don’t know the layout, or what room I’m headed to, but all I need is a door between me and him.
He grips the back of my hair with a roar, before using his grip to send me flying through an open doorway, and right into a full length mirror. My head hits the frame as the mirror shatters, raining glass down around and over me, as I slump to the floor.
“Why do you keep trying to run from me, Selene? Didn’t you learn from last time? You can’t escape me, I will always find you.” He looms over me and the intensity in his eyes is chilling me to the bone.
“You killed her.” It falls out of me in a sob as my body shakes. I already knew, but I didn’t want to believe it.
“Shh, no. Because you are right here. Don’t you see? You’re my second chance. I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you. I wanted to take you with me, but I couldn’t raise you, because then I would never get this chance. So, I left you with her, my Selene. But now that you’re here, I know deep down, you are Selene returned to me. All I have to do is get the paperwork finalized and it will be official. And there will be no one left to stand in our way.” His hand glides over my cheek, and across my jaw. It takes all the strength I have to not recoil from his touch.
“Why did you kill her, I mean me?” My voice shakes and the flash in his eyes settles when I say me.
“She wouldn’t come back with me, she just kept on running. And to that ‘worker’ who didn’t deserve her, she knew that too. Why else wouldn’t she add him to the birth certificate? But it doesn’t matter anymore, I have you now. And once Maria is gone, and a suitable amount of time has passed, we’ll be married.” He places his forehead on mine, as bile rises up my throat.
“What about Emmet? You promised me to him, what if he tries to take me away?”
He seizes me by the throat and slides me up the broken mirror, as I tuck my arms behind me. I can feel the broken shards digging into my arms, cutting through my skin, but I welcome the pain. It reminds me I’m still alive, that I still have a chance. No matter how small.
“Emmet won’t be an issue. Seeing as he hired someone to murder my dear departed wife. He never approved of Maria, and losing you just topped him over the edge. As well as killing the doctor and your bodyguard, he’ll never see the light of day again. How fortunate I am that Thallon is here to take over. I mean, who could blame me for stepping down and removing myself from the public eye after all the heartache I have been through?” His mouth pulls down into a frown and even I am nearly fooled by the devastation that is written across his face.
“But... D-Darius is okay. He’s w-waiting for the...” My head drops forward as the weight of his words hit me. That’s why he had Matthew stay behind, so he could take care of the loose ends. My soul shatters, destroyed by the blow of Darius’ death. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same again.
“Why would anyone b-believe t-that E-Emmet would do that?”
“All the texts on the phone registered to his name, of course. This plan has been in place for a long time. Why do you think I put you in his path? His obsession with you has played out perfectly, but you were never his. You were always destined for me.” He uses his free hand to lift my head back up, and the look in his eyes is terrifying.
He’s insane. There’s no doubt about it, and if I don’t play the part, then my fate is destined to turn out just like Selene’s. I don’t want the past to play out again, I don’t want to die, especially at his hands.
“Sir...”
“No! I am Arthur to you. We’ll be married soon, my sweet Selene. You’ll never have to call me Sir again.” He kisses the corner of my mouth and I shake all over.
My stomach is threatening to bring all my food back up, as the idea starts to take shape in my mind. I don’t have any other choice, I have to play into his madness.
“Why hurt Maria, can’t you just divorce her? Please, don’t hurt anyone else,” I beg, as I search his eyes for any trace of humanity.
“Death is quicker, it gives me the perfect excuse to disappear. Two birds with one stone, with Emmet gone I won’t have to worry about losing you again. I know you grew to care for him, but you were aiming it at the wrong person. I am the man you should love, not him.” One of his hands falls on my thigh, and I can’t hold in my whimper.
“Oh Arthur, you really do love me.” My hand shakes as I raise it to his cheek, and he leans into my touch. “I always thought there was something between us, but I didn’t dare hope you felt the same way. I’m sorry I tried to run, I won’t do it anymore, I promise.” I’m hoping the fear that is making my voice higher will sound like excitement to his batshit crazy ears, and that he won’t see through my poor ass acting skills.
“You never have to doubt it again. I knew you were right for me from the start. My sweet, innocent Selene. You are different now, but in all the best ways. You no longer curse and I always knew it was because you didn’t want to disappoint me.” His mouth captures mine and I whimper against him. The bile surfaces for a second time, but he pulls away before I can vomit all over him.
“I’m scared the world won’t understand, that they’ll try and keep us apart,” I say softly, as I stroke my thumb under his eye and they flutter shut as his hand falls away from my throat.
“It’s all taken care of. No one ever saw what you girls looked like, and we will stay hidden until enough time has passed. Nothing will keep us apart again. And I will destroy anyone who ever dares to try.” His voice darkens as his eyes narrow, and I swallow hard as I realize what I have to do.
“You’re pretending, do not humor me!” he screams, as spittle flies from his mouth, and his hand moves to my throat. “Don’t make me do this again, Selene. There may not be another chance for us to find each other if you do.”
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to live with my actions, but I know I can’t live the life he has planned out for us. I’d rather be haunted by this moment than spend a single second by his side.
I cup his cheek as I stretch up on my tiptoes, his eyes widen as his pupils dilate. I close my eyes and picture every one of the guys who owns a piece of my heart. After this, at least two of them will be gone for good. I fight against his hold on my throat, and his hand moves down to my chest, right above my heart.
I capture his mouth with my own, trying to forget who I’m kissing, as I bring my right hand out from behind my back. I open my eyes slightly to see that his are closed, as I bring my hand up to his neck.