Crash and Burn (1)

one day, i will buy you the entire bar

♚ ♛

EVERY SINGLE SOUND MADE me jump.

Every clink of each glass, every pop of each cork. The low chatter, the rush of wind that accompanied the soft slide of the door opening. Laughter.

Everything about it made me nervous.

"You want me to come and get you."

I licked my lips at the apprehension in his tone. There was a small, sliver of amusement in the simple words that made my heart race. He always took my requests as jokes. "Yes. Don't you miss me?"

"You know I miss you, princess."

My nails dug into my palm harshly as I bit back a nasty retort. Biting my tongue, I tried to sound nostalgic when I asked, "Do you remember where we went for our first date?"

Seth gave me a low, small chortle, full of that cold amusement. It was taunting. He was always taunting me. "That shitty wine bar?"

I'd loved this wine bar, which is exactly why he had never brought me here again.

Grinding my teeth, I ran my hand over the smooth surface of the bar. A soft, yellow light from above washed over the entire room, reflecting off the dark bartop. It was heavy on my face as my eyes wavered along the interior, looking for anything, waiting for everything.

I didn't know whether I was expecting Seth to storm in here and demand I follow him. I didn't know whether Soren was watching the door so to intersect before he could even come in.

I didn't know what to expect.

Maybe that's why I was squirming in my seat, trying to decipher each and every sound for any potential threat.

It was all suspicious.

Coincidentally, the only thing that wasn't suspicious was the slight burn on the back of my neck. That familiar heavy gaze. Soren.

A small smile curled at my lips as I relaxed into the back of the wooden bar stool. Wherever the hell he was, I knew that he was here. Soren and I could do this.

"Why now, Raine? What happened to killing everyone that came after you?" Riddled with something teasing, his words made sense. The last time I'd called him, I was hell bent on destroying everyone and everything.

I swallowed, trying to catch up with my thoughts, trying to remember my own plans. "I'm tired, Seth. I'm so tired of everything. I'm tired of fighting with you."

His chuckle ran through the line and shot straight through my body, only bringing a fresh wave of anger. "You started a war, princess. Now you're telling me you don't want to finish it?"

A war. A fucking war.

"It's not like you to give up so easily."

Those tears burned behind my eyelids again. He didn't know me anymore.

"Seth... so many people are dead." A sob bubbled up my throat and I swallowed it thickly. "I don't want anyone else to die."

No. No one else but him.

"Is this a surrender, princess?"

No, it was a trap.

I had to be on the winning side of this war. I knew him better than that. He didn't let people surrender.

He was always plotting something. Something bad. And while he'd always had a hold on me strong enough to make me succumb to any and all of those plans,  I wasn't about to be controlled by him this time.