First kill
There it is - that comforting, familiar sound of the door unlocking. It’s like music to my ears, the cue that tells me he’s home. Colter, dear old weary-eyed Colter, dragging himself through the door after a grueling twelve hours at his own company.
>I greet him with a smile and a chipper, ”Hi, Colt. How was work?" I watch as he shrugs off his jacket, his broad shoulders rolling with the movement. He doesn’t answer, just turns to look at me. I can’t help but frown, ”Are you okay, Colter?" I ask. Like a predator stalking its prey, he fluidly moves towards me. He grabs me by the waist, pulling me close, and plants a kiss on my neck. I can’t suppress a giggle as a flurry of butterflies take flight in my stomach. Before I know it, we’re on the couch, with him on top, pinning me gently underneath him.
"Babe?“, I ask, barely above a whisper. ”
"I fucking missed you so damn much.“, he murmurs, his head nestled in the crook of my neck. I feel his deep intake of breath, followed by a groan, and then a long exhale. ”I hate when you cuss and you know that.“, I retort, feigning anger. He laughs in response.
"Fine. I missed you, baby.“, he says, his breaths starting to slow and even out. He’s falling asleep. His warmth envelopes me, and I give in to the pull of sleep as well.
There I was, sitting in our usual dinner spot, savoring the taste of my rice when Lucille’s words broke the silence. ”You’re a lucky one, having someone like Colter! The man’s head over heels for you, it’s plain as day!" She exclaimed.
I couldn’t help but giggle at her statement. ”And what about you and Riley, huh?" I probed, curious about their recent rollercoaster of a relationship.
Lucille sighed, ”That girl’s giving me the silent treatment again."
Just as she finished her sentence, Simon, ever ready to jump into the conversation, chimed in. ”You’re leagues ahead of her, Lucille! She’s clueless about what she’s missing."
I gave her an encouraging nod, trying to lift her spirits. ”She’ll come to her senses soon enough."
Right on cue, Lucille’s phone buzzed. ”Speak of the devil! It’s her." She announced excitedly before heading off to the restroom for some privacy.
Simon let out a groan, clearly unimpressed. It was then that I noticed he wasn’t his usual self. His normally vibrant demeanor had faded to a sickly pallor. His mixed Asian and black heritage usually gave him a healthy glow, but today, he looked pale, almost disheveled.
I turned to him, concern etching on my face. ”Simon, what’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!"
"It’s nothing." He dismissed my worry with a wave of his hand.
"Are you sure?" I pressed. ”
He met my gaze, ”Of course. I wouldn’t lie to you. Or Lucille, for that matter." I could see the sincerity in his eyes, but something was still off.
Reluctantly, I let it go. After all, we’ve been friends since our diaper days and I trusted him. But his recent change wasn’t lost on me. His usual chatter had dwindled, his energetic aura dimmed and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was keeping something from us.
"Promise you’ll tell us if something’s up?" I found myself whispering, my worry resurfacing.
He grabbed my hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. ”Always, beautiful." He said, his voice steady and reassuring.
With that, he let go and we fell back into our comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts, the sounds of dinner conversations surrounding us.
Once Lucille came back, I knew something was wrong. Her words hit me like a freight train, “She’s dead. She’s dead!” she sobbed into my shirt. I frowned, glancing at Simon as we both stood up. “Whoa, slow down Lucy, who’s dead?” I asked, trying to make sense of her sudden distress. “Riley’s.....DEAD!” she cried out. I could’ve sworn the restaurant got a degree colder as she said that. The curious eyes of the dining crowd bore into us, whispers filling the air.
Feeling a surge of protectiveness over Lucille, I bellowed, “WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT!?” Simon and I made our exit, me holding Lucille close. “I thought she....was ghosting me....she got murdered!” she screamed into the night, her grip on me tightening. I squeezed her back, my heart aching for her. “I’m so sorry, Lucy..” I whispered, helping her into the car.
Lucille’s voice was small and broken when she asked, “Could....I just crash at your house right now?” I nodded and she continued to sob. Simon was eerily silent, staring at me through the rearview mirror. I quickly turned away and dropped him off before heading home with Lucille.
Once we arrived, I sat her down on the couch and held her. She sniffled, “....she told me she loved me just two days ago..” I rubbed her back, trying to offer what comfort I could. “You’re lucky...you got to spend your time with a woman who loved you.” I wanted to lighten the mood, but I couldn’t bring myself to fake a smile.
As she laid her head on my knee and sighed, I could tell she was emotionally drained. “Love you always,” she mumbled, her eyes closing. “Love you more,” I responded gently, watching as she fell into a deep sleep. “Sleep well....” I whispered, tucking a nearby blanket around her before retreating to my bedroom. As I lay there, staring into the dark, I wondered what to do before Colter came home. In the end, I just fell asleep, the events of the night replaying in my mind like a bad movie.
