Psychopath. (bwwm) ✓

35. epilouge.

"You're not gonna hurt me." And I truly knew that, I knew in my core that Oliver wasn't capable of doing such a thing because I had seen him at his worst. I had already seen him reckless and unstable and so, so terrified and he had never done anything that could remotely hurt me.

If anything, his fragility in those moments made me think I'd do more damage but he was looking at me with those ash-green eyes and he looked scared.

"Please?"

"No, Oliver, I'm not going to promise that because you're not going to hurt me." This was bullshit. He was so happy fifteen minutes ago, he was fine and then he wasn't and I had to remind myself that that was his normal. "That's not who you are. You're not the kind of guy that just hurts people."

"Not anymore."

"Oliver."

"I've nearly killed people, Emerson."

"No, don't even think like that." I could see it coming a mile away, the shame and shakiness in his voice. "You are not a bad person." And he didn't agree, he didn't even acknowledge that.

"I don't know what I'm going to be like once I get used to them." His meds. "IED, it-it's scary, you know?" It was. "And it scares me so I-I know it scares you." But he held my hand then, and he's already accepted it himself. "Yo-you mean the fucking world to me."

I could see how important this was for him. He was swallowing hard and then coughing softly, clearing his throat. He was gonna cry.

"If-if I ever... hurt you—"

"If you ever hurt me."

He was nodding as if he found peace. "Get away from me, don't answer my calls, don't let me in and don't come back to me." I touched him softly, something about the way his eyes shut after that put me at ease. "Please."

"I promise."

•

"...Nicole Capers..."

"...Cameron Caldwell..."

"...January Calligan..."

"I know that's right!"

"...Luca Connoway..."

"That's my boyfriend!"

"Luuuuuuuuuccccaaaaaaaaa!"

"Okay Frenchie!"

"Can we switch for a little while? Until they get to the Rs?" Emerson's glossy lips were stretched into a soft smile, eyes just as kind. The kid she was speaking to seemed just as over the moon. Graduation day was something so special, something that felt so bittersweet and really, fuck the principal's insistence to not disrupt the seating chart.

Trent Richards didn't seem to mind. He was swim team captain with a full-ride to UCNC and his buddies were on the other side of Oliver Remmer's girlfriend.

Maybe it was the noteriety of the boy who'd beat the football captain's teeth in but he'd shrugged quickly, shuffling to the side.

"Sure."

Emerson Riley was say right behind Oliver Remmer, her finger pressing gently against the tattoo on the side of his neck and she was leaning forward to rest her hand over his shoulder. He grabbed it in his, eyes glossed over.