Page 37 of Your Soul Is Ours

“You made this?” she says after a few minutes, her arm stretched out so she can see the ring.

“Yeah. I bought the gold bar earlier this week and I’ve been melting it and hammering it out.” I’m glad she loves it. I should have said I bought it, but I was so fucking proud of the work I’ve done.

“This is incredible. Where did you get the tooth, though?” Her eyes drift from her hand to my face.

Unease rolls through me, but if she really loves me like she says it shouldn’t be an issue. “It’s from a victim. I don’t even understand it myself, but I’ve become fascinated by teeth. I pull them out and keep them.”

She doesn’t cringe away from me but doesn’t say anything. When she pulls out of my arms, my heart sinks. She fishes the shirt she was wearing off the floor and heads towards the window.

“Let’s go for a smoke.” I grab my boxers and put them on and pull the blanket from the bed and drape it over her shoulders when I get outside.

“Did you ever sleep with any of your victims?” Her voice shakes. She hands me the lit cigarette as I sit down beside her.

“Absolutely not.” If only she knew how long I’d been watching her.

“Good, then it’s one of a kind, just like I asked for.”

Twenty-Four

Marla

He looks at me like I have three heads. “Just wanted to make sure I was the only one who’s gotten one of these, or that it wasn’t some skank you fucked and killed.” I exhale the smoke, watching his mind process what I’ve said.I’ve never been specialto anyone in my entire life, and I wasn’t about to repeat the past with the man I love.

“No. You are the only woman I’ve ever wanted. You light something deep inside of me on fire. I burn only for you.”

His words and actions give me butterflies, something I never had before him. The edges of darkness have returned to my vision. Although he comforts me sometimes, I worry I’ll never be enough for him. That I won’t make it through this. I reach through the windowsill, and grab my phone and look at the local news. The night only gets better and better. I place the phone back on the sill.

“I love you Sebastian. Thank you for helping me punish them all. I don’t think I could have done it without you.”

“Was it fatal?” he asks. The cherry on his smoke glows as he inhales.

“Yeah it was. They don’t have many details, but it says two victims.”

He puts his arm around me and squeezes me against his body. “Good. At least you’ll be able to sleep better tonight.”

We make our way through the window and he wraps me up in his arms, he kisses the side of my head as he nuzzles into a pillow above me.

“Drink your coffee. I got a call from my boss and have to be over there today. When you’re done with breakfast, I’ll drop you off at the centre and I’ll pick you up at the park,” Sebastian says.

Walking through the house, he seems on edge, and I wonder if his boss is going to fire him. “Are you in trouble with your boss?”

He shakes his head. “Don’t think so. Haven’t fucked up yet. Take the ring off. You don’t want to draw attention to your status. They don’t need any extra reasons to mark you down.”

My face falls. I wanted to show Jess today, but I know he is right. They will want to redo my initial information which can push a person to the very end of the line. I’d hate to go to the bottom of the list.

“What time do you work tonight? Is there any way I can go out with Jess after the centre? I promised her I’d go with her for coffee soon.”

He paces the kitchen floor. I think he might leave a hole soon if he keeps going over the small space. “That’s fine, text me. I can grab you when you're done.”

“Are we okay?” I don’t know why I would think we aren’t. He expressed how he felt last night, but I know when someone is angry, they can be secretly mad at you and pretend it’s something else.

“My dove, we are perfect. I’m sorry, I’m just stressed. I have a new boss and he’s a little scary.”

I laugh. My hand covers my mouth, but it’s too late. He looks at me, pinching his eyebrows together. “It’s just hard to imagine that you think someone is scary.”

He chuckles with me, and everything feels fine again. We don’t speak as I snag my purse. He grabs his keys and leads me out the door to the car. Once we’re in, I light a cigarette and watch the smoke circle out the window.

“I might be a little creepy, but this is a different type of scary. Message me when you are close to being done with coffee and I’ll pick you up. I have to work for the next few nights, but maybe we can have that date we keep talking about having. One thatdoesn’t involve death or blood.” His eyes are on the road but the smirk that crosses his face makes me smile.

---