His Muse

τριάντα οκτώ | sanitatem

A/N: This is a long chapter but it ties up beautifully - don't worry, there are a few more chapters left. I am preparing to write the more intimate scenes for the next few chapters, which I am both excited and terrified of.  I need to try to find the balance between writing mild scenes and explicit scenes because I have read of other writers who have had their chapters removed because its too mature!

Thank you all once again for sticking with Theo and Ivory, I hope the last few chapters bring us all the closure we need.

  38 | healing

Months passed after my stay in the hospital, and with it came new beginnings - abruptness I was starting to despise.

Sleep became a luxury, though I wasn't tormented by violent images of blood and gore. Sometimes I'd wake up, seemingly sobbing myself out of sleep and when I'd roll over, he'd be there, sleeping too and though I knew that meant I was hallucinating, it made the emptiness subside. Always in the same position - his back turned to me. Sometimes, he'd be in the kitchen with me, leaning on the counter top and just watching me. It was frightening initially but I got so used to him being there, and then one day, it stopped and my memories of his features waned.

So instead, I threw myself into a rigorous routine of gym and completing my final semester of my undergrad. Mr Shaw had kindly rejigged my schedule so I could have time off to take exams, and when I'd successfully graduated, I moved on swiftly into applying for courses that could fast-track my journey into becoming a lawyer. The gym gave me something to focus on and something to decompress with; I met up with Liv and her husband once every month, and opted to attend some prenatal yoga classes with her when she announced they were expecting.

But happiness dissipated so quickly, and no matter what I did, I could never make it stay. It rained constantly, and that bathed the town with even more sadness and despair. I was aware of how empty the roads and shops were now, and passersby didn't stop to smile at me, instead their heads remained bowed to the ground as they shuffled away. When I finally called Nalani to tell her, I was thinking of moving down, she didn't hide her enthusiasm at all.

"Damn it!" I cursed, cutting off the ruined tape and dragging it across the box again. I scrawled, 'KITCHEN - FRAGILE' and stacked it by the door along with the first of my 'WARDROBE' boxes.

A knock rapped on the door, I paused, looking through the frosted window atop of the lock.

"Yeah?"

"Luna Ivory?"

"Darcy?"

"Open the door" she shouted back, "please"

I clicked the door open, and peered at her, trying to hide my shock.

"Darcy?" I repeated, my tone carrying the bewilderment.

She returned a small smile, her chocolate tresses were swooped back into a neat bun, her face bare of make up as her hazel eyes scrutinised me.

"What are you doing here?"

She shuffled uncomfortably on the doorstep, her gaze shifting from my face to the boxes peeking out from behind me.

"You're moving?" she asked, her accusatory tone laced with confusion.

I scoffed, "yeah, too much has happened here for me to forget".

She nodded, her eyes drifting down to my socks.

"Would you like to come in? Have a coffee or something, most of my appliances are packed away but I'm sure I can knock up some coffee"