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chapter fifteen !
└─── °∘❉∘° ───┘
The night was quick to arrive. Juniper laid in her bed wide awake, with Coriolanus's arm slung over her bare waist.
Her thoughts only consisted of Mayfair's dead body, lifeless body and how calm Coriolanus reacted to him murdering the girl.
June stared at her bedroom ceiling, her thoughts straying in varying directions.
She turned to see Coriolanus drift off to sleep, his chest rising and falling gently with each deep breath.
June experienced a creeping sense of unease and dread — despite being safe and secure, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being attacked.
What if that were her? What if she were the one that Coriolanus killed? How could she trust him now that he was a murder.
What made him snap?
Juniper could feel fear rising within her.
June's head tilted back to face Coriolanus, his eyes closed, and his face relaxed. During his sleep, he appeared harmless and innocent.
June's breathing became more rapid, and her heart pounded in her chest.
She tried to slow her breathing as she returned her gaze to the ceiling, terrified. The sense of dread and uncertainty sent a surge of adrenaline through her body.
The gir turned her head back towards Coriolanus only to find him watching her. Before she could begin questioning him he spoke up.
"You can't sleep?" He asked simply.
June was caught off guard by the question, the boy had a very good sense of awareness if he could sense her unease.
"No... I was trying." she said in a shaky voice.
Coriolanus sat up slightly and scooted over to give June some space. As he shifted the bed creaked and he laid beside the girl.
June felt his warmth beside her, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and relaxation. Coriolanus looked at June as he felt her anxiety wash away.
"You need to sleep." He whispered softly, tucking some of hair behind her ear.
"I-i will soon." She stuttered. It was hard for her to keep calm while her thoughts pondered on the matter of what Coriolanus was capable of.
It was new side of him. It was a side that he possibly had buried before. But, Juniper just couldn't stop thinking about it.
She had killed people in the arena so why isn't this the same? It really troubled her, to why he was called a murder in her mind but she wasn't.
She silently crept out of bed, while knowing that Coriolanus was decently awake. June got out of bed to hopefully clear her mind or something else.
"Where are you going?" As he felt her body leave the bed, he asked. "Outside. "I need to clear my mind." She talks lightly so as not to wake Willow or Lucy Gray.
"I'll come with you." He insists, about to remove the sheets. "No." She speaks immediately. "I mean, I'll manage on my own." June places a smile.
She finds her cardigan in the light darkness sitting on the edge of an antique rocking chair her grandmother had bought a long time ago that was piled with dust.
With a quiet step, Juniper emerged from the small house and took a seat on the front steps.
She inhaled deeply, exhaling the calm breeze of the night and letting out a sigh. She almost felt free.
𓆙
The morning sun rose to bring the new day, another day Juniper had to go through, another day of uncertainty.
Coriolanus had woken up early to get back in time for his duty, that was his routine. Some nights he'd stay and some nights he'd take off without her knowing.
It was hard for Juniper to go back asleep after her restless night. Everybody could tell that she didn't get enough sleep because of her darkened eyes.
"Juni, are you alright?" Lucy Gray asks placing a hand in her shoulder. "Yes." June speaks softly as she drink carefully from her cup.
Lucy noticed her expression and followed up with another question. "You sure? You look pretty tired, even more than usual."
"I was up late last night," June explained, her voice still low.
She sipped some more of her coffee as the sun continued to rise, casting its morning embrace over the small gathering at the kitchen table.
Juniper knew that if she told Lucy about what happened last night, something bad would happen to Coriolanus.
Something bad would happen to her.
It's what scared her, she couldn't go to talk to someone, to seek out for help. Because if she did, god knows what would happen.
So her only choice would be to not tell anybody about what occurred that night. It was for the better if she stayed silent.
"You believe what happened." Willow cane barging into the house, slamming the door open.
"What is it, Willow?" Lucy Gray spoke very intriguingly, as she started removing her hand from Juniper's shoulder.
"They found out that one of the peacekeepers had killed the mayor's daughter and your ex-boyfriend." Willow somehow managed to be happy about it.
Fear struck over Juniper. It hit instantly and she was rapidly ran out the door and into the main area of the small village.
She was terrified to see if it was Coriolanus who was caught, she already kept her cardigan on from that late night.
Juniper didn't stop for anything, she was so afraid of finding the boy she was both scared and in love with about to be hung.
She only stopped when she saw Sejanus being dragged up onto the stage and the rope ready for him. Willow and Lucy Gray finally had almost caught up with June.
She glimpsed over at Coriolanus standing guard with the other peacekeepers, holding their guns out and in formation.
He looked like he had no remorse, he felt no guilt and certainly did not plan on taking responsibility.
Chills ran down Juniper's body as she realised what that boy really was. Behind all the love, affection and help he gave Juniper.
Coriolanus Snow was a monster.
LISH SPEAKS ! if you thought i wouldn't add that line at the end, your wrong.
