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chapter twenty-five.
ㅤ ㅤ
"I killed him because he's beautiful, and it's the only way I can keep him." Oliver admitted quietly, and before she could fully process his words, her body was pushed over the edge and into the pool.
Her senses dulled, akin to the way they had in her dream when she submerged into the sea. Oddly, panic failed to set in as she anticipated.
Maybe it was the dozens of cigarette packs or the bottles of alcohol or the pinches of coke in her bloodstream, but her panic didn't set in.
Her panic didn't set in when she felt a forceful hand push at her back and into the pool. Her panic didn't set in when her body felt the shock of the cold water against her burning skin. Her panic didn't set in when water rushed through her open nostrils, and her panic didn't set in when she realized she was being held underwater.
In that chilling moment beneath the surface, Gabriette's instincts kicked in. She fought against the force that sought to keep her submerged, her limbs flailing in a desperate attempt to break free. The muffled sounds of the pool area became an eerie symphony as her struggle intensified.
She emerged from the water when the hands that held her down released their grip, gasping for air as oxygen flooded her lungs. However, her relief was short-lived as Oliver's hand snaked around her throat and his other arm wrapped tightly around her arms and torso. Wet hair clung to her face as Oliver held her against his front, both facing the maze in the chilling water.
"Why?" she demanded, her voice shaky yet filled with fierce determination.
Oliver remained eerily composed, seemingly unfazed by the chaos he'd unleashed. "I won't let you leave. Not after everything."
Gabriette's chest heaved with a mix of anger and fear. "You're sick," she spat, struggling to free herself from his grasp.
Leaning his cheek against her head, Oliver rested it there with a smile playing on his lips, as if her turmoil amused him. "You won't stop me," he declared calmly.
Gabriette couldn't help it. Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she struggled to understand how everything had gone downhill in a matter of forty-eight hours.
"Tell me about you and Felix. What were some of the things he did for you that you loved?" Oliver mumbled, his hold unyielding.
She shut her eyes tight, suppressing a sob clawing at her throat. In silence, Oliver's grip tightened, and he hummed expectantly.
"Er... Felix tucks me under his arm at the pub and lets me splay my calves over his thighs as he massages shapes into them. He empties an ashtray and leaves it by the bath for me, knowing I'll forget and whine, pleading for him to retrieve it as soon as I've gotten in. He— He remembers the little things—my favorite flowers, the way I take my tea, the silly nicknames only we understand."
As Gabriette spoke, the memories poured out along with her tears, and Oliver seemed to fall in his own head, depicting the memories he was being described.
With a sudden surge of strength, she managed to free one arm from Oliver's grasp whilst he was distracted, clawing at his hand around her throat. Gasping for breath, she mustered the strength to twist out of his hold. The cold water clung to her like a second skin as she swam away, desperate for distance.
Oliver, momentarily surprised by her escape, recovered quickly. He started swimming after her, his eyes glinting with a dark determination. Panic fueled Gabriette's strokes as she swam towards the pool's edge, her senses heightened by the urgency of the situation.
Reaching the edge, she hoisted herself out of the water, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. Gabriette stumbled towards the poolside, her wet clothes clinging uncomfortably. As she glanced back, Oliver emerged from the water, unfazed by the obstacle she had put between them.
The maze stood before her, its intricate paths like a labyrinth of choices. Gabriette knew she couldn't outrun Oliver forever. With a racing heart, she faced the maze and ran.
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sooo i might have started writing a new saltburn story and have lost the motivation for this one... i'll still finish this one but you might not like the ending.
when i tell you I've gone through 7 different endings for this book...
