killshot | simon riley ✓

• Chapter 21 •

Rory laid on her bed, facing her ceiling, her eyes staring off into nothingness. Her window was wide open, letting a cold November breeze to flow into her room, lifting a few jet-black hair strands to fly out of her face. Her eyes were still slightly puffy from the crying after their fight with Everett, a hollow feeling making its home right next to her heart.

The fights between them were more frequent now, and all of them took a piece of her heart with them. Even though they managed to make up after each of them, this one seemed to be more serious than before.

She caught him shooting himself up in her bathroom, her previous memories of finding her mother dead on the floor, a needle still sticking out of her arm pushing her to the edge.

She started screaming at him, him yelling back at her that she was not his mother, to fucking shut up because she had no say in it, and many other things that cut so deep she doubted she could ever forget them. The rageful look he threw words at her head like it was nothing, each of them dripping with the venom the drugs in his veins caused. The way his hand reached out to grip her by her neck and push her against the wall when she tried to stop him from leaving, a slight pulsating pain left in the back of her head when he slammed the door behind him.

It was the night they were supposed to do their biggest job yet, robbing a newly opened jewelry store a few blocks down.

„This is madness, Ev!" she threw her hands in the air, desperate to make her point. „We still have money from the store we robbed last time, and you know damn well that I don't want to do another one!"

„I need money, Rory!" he sounded so desperate, his beautiful brown eyes she loved so much now staring back as hollow and bloodshot. He sniffled, his hand running through his messy locks. „I still owe money to Hunter."

The name Hunter made chills run down her spine. He was one of his friends, and also his dealer.

„You said you stopped," her voice broke mid-sentence, tears stinging her eyes as she looked at him. He looked like he was deeply sorry, he always was. But the way all the shine has left his eyes broke her heart again, the millionth piece laying in front of her feet. „You promised, Everett."

„Just because you're mother was stupid and overdosed, doesn't mean I will, too."

She stumbled back a step, almost like he had slapped her face with full force, her breath hitching in her throat. Seeing the hurt look on her face, he stepped forward, guilt written all over his face.

Her mother was the same, lashing out at others when somebody called her out on her drug addiction. Always feeling defensive, throwing things against their heads, then the guilt eating her alive until she got her next hit. After that, she usually managed to forget about her baby daughter, who looked at her with such admiration, she didn't notice her mother was dying each day.

And one day, it was already too late. Her mother was dead on the cold tiles of their bathroom, overdosing while Rora was out with her friends, staying out a little longer than she intended. Her mother's loving hand was cold by the time she found her.

And she wasn't going to stick around to watch the love of her life go out the same way.

„Get out," her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was like she yelled them by the look on his face.

„What?"

„I said, get the fuck out!" now, she was screaming, unnoticed tears streaming down her cheeks, as she threw his jacket at him. He was barely able to catch it, a shocked expression etched on his face. „I don't want to see you till school."