He pulls away, barely restraining himself. 'Call him,' Marco says gruffly, taking in a deep breath. 'I'll claim you later. Okay?'
I nod. A part of me is relieved to have him off of me, though, and I automatically hate myself for it. I'm still in love with Sebastian, I think as I start dialing his number. Luckily, the part that hates him for what he did to me largely outweighs the rest.
The phone rings once, twice, three times before someone picks it up. My heart is pounding the whole time, but I keep my eyes narrowed for Marco, who is watching me from the side. I can't look weak. I can't
I'm ready to do this, I remind myself as my finger brushes over the cool gun in my hand.
I'm ready to end this.
After another minute, there's a click on the other end of the line. I hold my breath as the anger builds back up inside of me, listening to the phone crackle for one second, two seconds. 'Angel?' The voice on the other end of the line is full of suspicion, but it's definitely Sebastian's. My whole body hurts. Freezes.
Sebastian.
My Sebastian.
The Sebastian who betrayed me.
Who lied to me.
Who ruined my life.
I bite down on my lip, hard, barely resisting the urge to scream at him. My heart pounds faster and faster, and I let myself morph into the person I'm supposed to be playing: the desperate Crystal, the Crystal who needs Sebastian, not the one who wishes he were dead.
'Sebastian?' I keep my voice as innocent and desperate as possible. 'Sebastian, is that… is that you?' I sense Marco smiling at my little performance, knowing this is going to be the end of Marco. I hate myself already for doing this to him, but I know it's right. I know he deserves it.
'Yes, angel. Of course it's me.' Sebastian's voice is so sad and broken and intense all at once that it hurts to hear.
I bite down on my lip harder this time. 'Marco tried to kill me,' I say, making sure my voice cracks for dramatic effect. 'He--he's after. Please, Sebastian. I'm sorry for what I said to you. I'm sorry for leaving you. I was just… I was just angry, but now I need you,' I whisper. 'I need to go back to the house. Will you meet me there?'
There's a pause at the other end of the line, and the phone crackles. My heart pounds faster and faster, but I already know he's going to say yes. I already know he can't say no to me.
The fucking idiot.
'Angel,' he says, and his voice is so innocent, so hurt. 'I'm sorry. But are you sure this isn't a trap--'
'Of course it isn't,' I say quickly, making sure my voice is filled with as much need as possible. I force myself to start sobbing a little, which makes Marco smile. 'Please, Sebastian,' I say in between tears. 'Please, save me.'
'Okay okay,' Sebastian says quickly, his voice filled with concern. 'Come to the house now. I'll be outside waiting for you. I'm sorry,' he whispers, and his voice sounds so broken. 'I love you, okay?'
'Okay,' I say, forcing myself to sob again. 'I'll be there.'
Then, I take a deep breath, and I hang up. Marco slaps me on the back, laughing to himself, telling me Sebastian is a goner, and I feel a small smile tickle across my lips at that, because I know it's the truth. And even in the silence on the other end of the line, where Sebastian's voice just was, all I can think is one word:
Marco parks his black SUV in the street behind Sebastian's safe house, gliding it to a stop. The sky is starting to darken now, and there is no sound but the slight howling of wind through the branches and chirping of crickets all around us. I slowly open my door and step out, feeling the cool pavement beneath my feet. Marco follows my lead, handing me my gun and looking up at me, his face illuminated by a pale streetlight overhead. Even through the darkness, I can see that same vicious look in his eyes, the look of someone ready for revenge. Kind of like me. 'Are you ready?' he asks in a low voice.
I can see that he's ready, too.
I can see he wants to end this as badly as I do.
I check to make sure my gun is loaded, then slip it into my pocket and nod at him. 'I've been ready for a long time now,' I whisper, meaning it. And right now, in the cool night air, feels like the perfect time to do it.
Marco's smile grows. 'Good, my love,' he says. 'I'll stay behind you. You take care of Sebastian, and I'll do the rest. And then, you'll be all mine. Forever.'
I give a small smile. 'I know,' I say, taking a step toward the house. And then, just like that, I'm off.
The front porch lights are on in Sebastian's safe house, illuminating the expanse of green hill. The whole place is at a deadly hush, like the wind is whispering, waiting for what's about to go down. I keep my hand in my pocket, clenching the gun, as I come around the side of the house, through several entangled bushes, and start walking toward the front door, where I know Sebastian is waiting. The quiet sound of leaves crunching under my feet fills the air, and I listen to the monotonous hum it all, as leave after leave gets destroyed.
Marco stays a good distance behind me, not making a sound, and it isn't until then that I realize how quickly my heart is pounding, how much my throat is hurting from the cold, how chilled the blood in my veins has become.
I keep my eyes narrowed, determined, as I come around the side of the house. I take step after step, inhaling, exhaling, trying to stay calm. I know what to do. I've known for so long. And this is right--I know that now--but I can't help but feel so, so nervous.
Finally, I reach the front yard, and my body gets bathed in the intense porch lights of the giant house. I don't squint, though. Don't even hesitate. I just keep walking to the front steps, where a figure is standing. I have to work to hide my smile.
I know it's Sebastian, waiting for me.
Oh, how goddamn predictable he can be.
His face comes into vision as I draw nearer. It's surprisingly calm, although there is obvious worry etched into his features, like he knows what's about to go down. He's dressed in his usual business clothes, his head held high as he stands among the marble steps, two white pillars on either side of him. His blue eyes lock with mine almost immediately, and then something strange happens: he shakes his head.
Doesn't say 'I'm so glad to see you.' Doesn't say 'Are you okay?' Doesn't check to make sure I'm not hiding something from him. He just shakes his head.
'Angel,' he says, watching me with that hawklike gaze, but his voice is almost regretful.
'Sebastian,' I say back. I stop at the bottom steps, just a few feet away from him. Behind him stand my parents, who are watching me intently, who are obviously alarmed. I don't meet their gazes, though. I'm done looking at them. 'You came.'
'It doesn't have to be like this,' he says, his voice full of regret, but it's so quiet it practically drifts off with the wind. The sky is dark, so dark, and only the porch light illuminates his face.
I can hear Marco coming up behind me, can feel that it's almost time to end this once and for all, and even through my furiously pounding heart, I take a deep breath. I lock eyes with Sebastian. I prepare myself.
'Yes,' I say slowly, hearing Marco a few feet to my life, just beyond their line of vision.
'Yes, angel?' Sebastian asks, narrowing his eyes at me.
He knows what I'm going to do. It hits me then. He knows, and he wants me to stop.
And then I force a smile, because I know with every part of me that this is it. This is the moment I've been waiting for. This is the moment it all ends, and Sebastian can do nothing to stop it.
I reach into my pocket, and I pull out my gun, aiming it directly at Sebastian's head. 'Yes, it does have to be like this.'
My mom screams. My dad covers her in her arms, whispering something into her ear. But Sebastian doesn't even seem afraid--just sad. It's weird, how he changed since I called him. It's like he was expecting this all along. He just keeps shaking his head.
Marco bursts out of the shadows then, holding a gun of his own, and I hear my mom crying, hear my dad
