“Here we are.”
Arriving at my home with Skoll was terrifying enough, but it was a good thing I did because when the city is at night, serial killers and rapists roam the streets, just as I always imagined this rotting city with its trash-laden streets, like a horrifying horror movie.
We stood outside of the front porch, awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say next, “so…uhm…nice house, right?” I nervously asked, trying to break the silence between us.
Skoll snorted in disgust, “yeah, your house is just ordinary and boring like the rest as I expected it to be.” He crossed his arms, not even staring down at me from his cold eyes, “this place is nothing more than a hovel. I expect better out of someone who can afford a place like this.”
Shit, why did he got to tell me that? I was already afraid of my fucking life being occupied and close to a killing machine, but now he is telling me how ordinary my house is. I was expecting him to be more polite or something along the lines.
“You are right about that,” I agreed so as not to piss him off any further and he grunted, his face softening a bit at my acquiescence. He stared at me for a moment before asking, “do you want me to come inside?” Skoll coldly asked me.
“No, its fine. You can enter my home,” I replied in response, not wanting to deal with the dread of having him waiting outside my house for the rest of the night. In truth, I was hoping that he would leave after saying hello, but it appeared that he was going to stay.
Because I am not comfortable staying with a mass murderer who has no remorse for his brutal killings. Sure, Eve is also one but she definitely is becoming a better person and has some remorse of the things she had done in the past.
But Skoll? The Big Bad Wolf himself has no mercy or remorse of his actions, and that what it terrifies me the most, knowing that he is capable of killing anyone or anything that has the slightest notion to anger him.
I was nervous about this whole idea of staying with Skoll, but I had no choice but to accept him as a useful ally of mine. Hopefully, I can keep him on my leash and prevent any child or any innocent person from be brutally killed because they gave him the wrong look, the wrong tone of voice or even if their body language was interpreted as being rude to him.
We approached my front door while ignoring the fact that we are covered with stained blood. As I opened it with my keys, I was greeted by Clover who was surprised but delightful to seeing me alive, “aye lad! You are alive and well, Eve told me what happened arty,” The Irish leprechaun said, cheerfully as he walked up to us before stopping when he saw a tall and humanoid wolf man behind me.
“L-lad? W-w-ho is that?” Clover nervously asked, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of us in panic. I can tell that he feels nervous and anxious not directed to me but his bloody stained appearance.I quickly explained to him who Skoll was before continuing, “it is okay, Clover. He is not against us, he is one of my…friends.” My answer did little to calm him down after I explained the whole situation to him.
“F-friends arty?” Clover asked, his voice trembling from the very sight of intimidating Skoll, “I do not understand, Eve told me that you are a bloodthirsty mercenary…” He trailed off, muttering to himself as he stared at Skoll with a look of disbelief.
“Clover, Skoll was only a hired assassin until recently,” I tried to explain and ease his worries, “he is not the same man now, he is under control.” I tried to assure him that Skoll is no longer a killer and that we are all in this together.
The leprechaun looked down, contemplating what to say. Sighing in defeat, he raised his head up and nodded in agreement, “alright lad, alright. If what you say is true, then it is not a problem for me.” The leprechaun quickly turned his attention to Skoll and his eyes widened as he stared at the strange wolf man, “you are…a…”
Clover trailed off again, pondering the term that would describe Skoll in a better way. He was about to say ‘wolf man’ but it sounded ridiculous to his mind. For he had seen many strange and mythical creatures while being an assassin, even if they were not exactly what they seem.
“Mutant,” Skoll sternly answered in his behalf, “I am mutant and mercenary for hire, my peers dub me as ‘The Big Bad Wolf,’ you can simply call me Skoll,” he snorted at the very thought of it.I sighed, “why don’t we have a chat in the kitchen?” I suggested and Clover nodded his head in approval. We proceeded into the kitchen where we could speak freely without having to mindlessly stand all the time.
Sitting on our comfortable chairs at the dinner table, Clover opened his mouth to say something but held back. He looked over at Skoll who was staring out of the window with a stoic expression.
“Clover, what is it?” I asked, “you have something on your mind?” I tried to piece together what he was trying to say but it was like he was trying to identify the perfect words to use. “It is about Eve, arty.” Clover said with a hint of worry in his voice, “she is locked in your bedroom and refused to get out,” he sighed before continuing, “I’ve tried to convince her but she refuses to listen.”
Oh…that is bad. Real bad. She is probably stressed and worried about my safety. But she is not the one who is also concerned about.
“I need to go and see her,” I stood up from my chair, unexpectedly. While Skoll stoically did not care about our situation, Clover was concerned and looked at me with worry. “Arty…I hope you can make her come out of her shell, something is wrong with her,” his voice trembled and a shudder went down my back.
I know…I know. And it is my fault because of her troubling state. I should be ashamed of myself, and I am not trying to defend myself. But I cannot help it, I like her, almost as if my whole life is part of hers. I do not have any reason for letting those bad thoughts go, my world is a mess and I do not want to return to that dark place.
“I will go and see her,” I said to Clover, “will you stay here with him?” I obviously can sense in his concern about the situation, and it was making me feel even more guilty of having him leave him with someone like Skoll. However, the end justifies the means and my goal is to save Eve from her own darkness and drive away her demons.
“Take care of yourself, Adam.” Clover nodded at me while I took a deep breath before walking up the stairs and knocking on the door of my bedroom with gentle knocks of the hand.
No answer.
“Eve, it is me. Adam,” I tried to open the door but it was locked. However, calling her out made Eve respond to my voice, “Adam?” Her voice sounded strained and uncertain, as if she is not sure that I am really here.
Her voice sounds stiff, almost as if she is crying for my safety or worse, having a mental breakdown because of me. I could hear the nervousness in her voice.
“I know you are inside, please open the door,” I turn the doorknob a few times. Magically, it opened and when the door was halfway open, I can fully see her.
Oh my god, Eve. What have I done to make you so upset?
She is sitting up in the middle of the bedroom. Her long blonde hair was messily scattered around her shoulders and the robe she was wearing was drenched in tears. My eyes glance at the horrifying detail, her wrists were bleeding and in one hand, she was holding a knife. “Eve…why did you do that?” Her hands clenched into a fist, shaking as if her fingers are numb with cold. Her eyes were wide and vacant, looking at nothing but her own mind.
I did not waste anytime, I immediately run up to her heartbreaking form and grabbed the knife, throwing it on nearby wall. Embracing Eve, I tried my best to comfort her.
“Eve…” I whispered loudly to her, “I am so, so, so, sorry for having you worried about me. I did not mean to leave you like that. I swear to the very bottom of my heart…”
Her head slowly moved from side to side, still silent and unmoving. Her eyes were wide with the watery tears rolling down her cheeks. “I…love you, Adam. I love you so much, that I would be so unhappy without you.” Her voice is barely a whisper.
Hearing those words, I sobbed out of relief, holding her close and closing my eyes as if that was all I needed. “I love you too, Eve. I am so sorry for what I did. I promise that I will never leave you like that again,” I cooed.
“I-I…don’t want to be alone.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper, “I want to be with you always…I just do not want to feel the darkness anymore…”
I gritted my teeth despite the tears that were forming in my eyes. The coldness of the air around us was making me feel numb. I did not want to see her like this, but there was nothing else I could do for her. What I had done was unforgivable, leaving someone who genuinely cared about someone like me is never okay, no matter what the situation.
“I am so sorry for everything that I have done to you,” I sighed, standing up with her in tight embrace, “I will never let you go this time, Eve. Never, ever again. Because I have someone to rely on now. You.” Her head was moving from side to side as she is trying to understand what I had just said to her. Her eyes were wide with the watery tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Oh Adam…I love you too,” She replied, “do you love me as well?”
Is it time? Am I ready to confess my feelings to her? No, no I should. I am comfortable enough to allow her in my life now. She was with me all the time, when there is no one else I can rely on; Eve was the one that I could depend on in my darkest times.
“I do,” I finally whispered.
She looked at me with her watery eyes, “Really?”
I nodded, “Very much. I do love you and I hate to keep questioning about it. Everything that has happened between us, there is finally someone I can trust in this world.” She smiled, “I am so happy, Adam…” She grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards her face, “I have been waiting for so long for you to say those words to me.”
It was like a flash of lightning, she kissed me on the lips. It was a soft, tender, gentle and passionate kiss that I could not get enough of. Her lips were soft and warm as they caressed my skin, slowly yet deliberately taking my breath away. It was nothing like what I had expected.
Not a sexual pleasure, more of the fact that it belongs to someone that I now love and care for deeply. For the longest time, having another lover who I could share with is something I had not anticipated in my life. Now that I have found her, I would protect and care for her.
“No more lies,” She whispered, pulling away from our kiss. “No more games or playing hide-and-seek with me. You are certain for our open relationship?” Eve asked, gazing at me in curiosity.I smiled, “Yes, I am.”
