Page 112 of Never Die for a Sinner
“Please don’t speak like that,” Ava says softly, and I can’t lie, there’s a heaviness in my chest that I don’t care for at the sound of tears in her voice.
“It’s the truth, sweetheart. We have to talk about it. I’m not going to be here much longer, and I need to know you’re going to be okay after I’m gone.”
“I don’t want to talk about that,” Ava whispers.
“You’re a strong girl, Ava. You’ll get through it. I know you will.”
There’s more heavy silence until eventually, a shuffling follows it. I listen to the movement, and I don’t have to look into the room to know Ava’s lying with her grandmother.
“I’m sorry . . .” she murmurs through tears that I can tell she’s barely keeping under control. “I just . . . I don’t know how to do it without you. I don’t want to.”
Her grandmother is quiet for a long moment before her voice fills my chest with lead.
“You’ll always be my girl,” she murmurs. “Even if I’m not here.”
Fuck this.
Guilt washes through me, and even though I fucking hate the sensation, I’m powerless to stop it. Have I really been that blind to what she was dealing with outside of my house?
Things are so much more complicated than I thought, and now, Ava’s caught in the crosshairs.
While I normally wouldn’t care, I’m finding it harder and harder to ignore this innate desire I have to shield her from what’s to come.
Because we share the same demons. The same past.
The same wishes.
And now I’m realizing, as much as I know I should, I don’t want to give her up.
AVA
Following the Tomb incident, Levi and I fall into a routine.
He ignores me.
I ignore him.
Occasionally, one of us says something snarky to one another.
Other than that, the only interaction we have is when he comes to my room each night and makes me come until I pass out.
And of course, when I catch him following me.
It started off as a hunch. A gut feeling of being watched, only to turn around and find no one there.
Now, I’m positive it’s him when I step out of the nursing home one night and catch a glimpse of someone across the street in a black hoodie. My stomach dips at the sight of him, even if I can’t make out his features with his hood drawn.
He’s never been so open about his stalking before, but it’s Levi. Does anything he does make sense?
I take a step.
He takes a step.
I pause. So does he.
I flip him off and stalk off down the sidewalk. He trails me from across the street.
He keeps his hood up, stalking me from the opposite side of the sidewalk, and though I pretend I don’t see him, I canfeelhis presence.
