||You're Mine|| {Scrutinized: Tanner x Reader}

Epilogue

Silence hung in the air as Clint and I sat side by side on the couch in Tanner's house. My legs were tucked up under my chin, and my eyes were glued to the floor.

This was basically my little ball of comfort, the only way I could stop myself from screaming or losing my mind, was being in a place Tanner resides in.

Or... used to reside in.

My eyes welled up at saying his name in past-tense.

I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head back and forth. It's been hours since my brother volunteered to turn Olivia in. So far, he was the most stable person out of us all, so sending him was the best choice.

Clint finally broke the silence, his voice weak. "Adam... is he still in Tanner's room?"

I nodded blankly, trying to ignore the deep ache inside my chest. "He's been there for a while..."

"Oh."

Silence again, and that was probably for the best. I was too exhausted to start crying again, so just sitting and doing nothing was the best thing to do until my brother returns.

My mind kept going back to Tanner, how warmly he looked at me as I held him. He looked at me with so much affection, even though he was lying there, bleeding out. A stray tear slipped down my cheek.

"I-I'm sorry, Y/N."

"I... love you."

His last words to me, the most vulnerable and tender he's ever been towards me. The most honest. I let out a quiet sob, and Clint snaked his arm around me, pulling me close to his side.

I pressed my face into his shoulder and continued to cry, grief slamming into my trembling body like a tsunami. Clint just stayed silent, rubbing my back in a circular motion.

Other than my occasional sobs and sniffles, the whole house was dark and silent. Not a peep from Adam inside the bedroom either.

Finally, Clint turned to me, eyes gentle. "Y/N, you sure have gone through a lot... haven't you?"

I nodded, wiping tears away with my sleeve. "Ha... you could say that."

Clint sighed, turning to look at the floor below him. "Tanner... I didn't know much about him, but in the time I've known him... he grew to really care about you." His eyes met mine, expression sincere. "Based on the person he was... what he did for you... he must have held you closest to his heart."

I swallowed, Clint's words finding a home in my heart, and I gave him a tearful smile. "Thanks... for saying that, Clint."

He nodded, but the sounds of the front door opening made us both turn to look in its direction. My brother carefully entered, and after closing and locking the door behind him, he turned to look at the both of us.

I watched him in anticipation, needing confirmation that my life is no longer in constant danger. My heart began to thump hard against my chest.

My brother nodded. "Olivia's been taken care of... it's okay now."

That's all it took, for one of the many heavy weights to be lifted off me. I gasped, leaning forward on the couch and clutching my chest. "Ha... thank god..."

My brother approached me, running his fingers along my back. "We've got our justice, sis. You can finally stop running."

And just when I thought it couldn't continue, I cried some more. It seems every time I let myself cry, I was slowly letting out all the negative feelings that have overwhelmed me since this disaster started.