𝐕𝐀𝐋 / 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓
❁༺♥༻☠︎
Val
"I begged them to kill me too, to put an end to my misery," continued Ghost, while he watched me cry and cry in front of him. None of us reached for the other one, but we had never been more connected as Ghost told me his story to make me understand. I winced when he said almost carelessly, "They slit my throat open and left me there to die. I remember closing my eyes and waiting for death to come, but it never did. I survived. I fucking survived when I wish I didn't."
I couldn't take it anymore, I threw myself into Ghost's arms. The fact that he still had that thought, that he still wanted to die, made me feel strangely sad and mad, because I couldn't imagine Ghost not being alive. I couldn't imagine not watching his eyes light up and his lips curving into a smile. I couldn't live without his touch and kisses. I simply couldn't.
I wasn't sure who was holding who. Ghost was stroking my hair while I cried in his chest, and I was caressing his back while he buried his head in my neck. His story was too much to say and too much to take, but it was necessary to comprehend. And I got it all. The reason he was so afraid to meet outside, the reason he was so afraid to get close to me, to open up, I got it all. Now it was my turn to make him understand that there was nothing to be scared of.
I pulled back and cupped his cheeks to make eye contact and make sure he wouldn't look away. "I am so sorry that happened to you, Ghost, I'm really, really sorry, but you don't have to worry about ruining me if you decide to share your life with me. You changed. You are not making the same mistakes and you will make better choices. You will never do something that threatens my life. You are going to keep us safe. You will make sure of that, I know that. I know you."
He shook his head ever so slightly. "I decided that the day the Riley family died, Simon Riley died with them. Ghost was born in his place. Ghost was the death that I always wished would take me away. You say you want me to share my life with you, but what happens when all I know is death?"
I opened my mouth to say something, yet I couldn't think of anything. How could I respond to that? He was right, I only knew what he was like as Ghost, cold and devoid of emotions. However, Ghost was also gentle and cared for me. I refused to believe that I was falling for nothing, that I developed feelings for him just because of the forced proximity. I genuinely liked him, I genuinely half-loved Ghost. And even if we went our separate ways, he would still have a special place in my heart.
Ghost cupped my cheeks now, wiping with his thumbs the tears in my face that were still falling. "Ever since Ghost took over," he said, "I couldn't stop wondering why the man behind the mask survived in the first place. Was it because I deserved to remember my mistake and what cost me? Or was it for another reason? I wondered what was it, all until you came around." Ghost leaned down and pressed our foreheads together. "I am starting to think Simon survived for you."
My heart stopped beating, everything did. The tension took a U-turn in the direction I wanted it to go. "Ghost."
"I am falling for you, Valentina Herrera."
A sob escaped my mouth, a shudder of relief traveled throughout my body before warmth overtook me. Those words were the ones I had been wanting to hear ever since I confessed my feelings to him this morning, and now that I finally had, I wanted to open my chest and treasure them forever. "You can't take it back," I said, repeating his words from earlier. "Never."
"Yes, ma'am." Ghost chuckled, pulling me closer to his body by the waist. "You showed me what life is again, Valentina, and I don't want to be death anymore, not if it means I can't be with you because of it. I want to be near you, I want to hold you and kiss you and make love to you and shout at the world that you are mine and mine alone. And for that to happen, I have to accept life. So I do, fuck it, I do, Vale—"
I kissed him then, just to shut him up and show him what I felt instead of using words. I kissed him like my life depended on it, and he returned it with the same force. I sucked on his bottom lip, earning a soft moan from him and making him eager to devour my mouth instead. Ghost took my chin in his hand and gripped my cheeks with his fingers. He dipped his tongue into my mouth and I tingled in all the right places as his name got caught at the back of my throat.
He pulled back mere inches, our lips were still brushing each other, and he said, "I want to try something."
*ೃ༄
Ghost
Her hand on my nape stopped moving. "What?" she asked.
I leaned back until I could see her eyes clearly. My heart was about to combust out of my chest, probably because it wanted to land on her hand and tell her that it was all hers. I shook my head. "Do you trust me?"
She did not hesitate. "Yes."
I moved until my mouth hovered over her ear, and I prayed that my breathing was even and not shaky like my whole body was on the inside. "Then close your eyes for me, darling," I breathed.
Goosebumps grew on her skin at my proximity, satisfying me because that was the effect I wanted to have on her. I loved that she wasn't even aware that her body already did the job for her, telling me that she was so affected because of me. Val did not hesitate either as she complied to my command, shutting her eyes for me.
I squeezed her hips and pressed her back against the railing. "What are you doing?" she blurted out as if she couldn't help it.
"Don't open your eyes."
"What if I do?" That little tease.
"Mmm, I might punish you a little." My breath came back, this time on her neck as I trailed down. She shuddered hard under me. "You open your eyes, Valentina, and I might fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for the next couple of days."
Her lips parted but no air came out. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"
Attagirl. I sucked in a breath, words away from deciding that this was not worth it and just fucking her right here as she wished. "Don't try me."
I pulled away from her before I regretted it.
I took a step back and just looked at her, taking all of her in. The red dress we got for her fit her perfectly, and she looked so beautiful that the sight of her slammed right into my chest and left me breathless—there, that was the right word. Valentina was breathtakingly beautiful. And it didn't matter that seeing her for the first time nearly killed me, because then I would have died at the sight of a goddess. She was divine, with her lipstick smeared because of our kiss, and she was mine. All mine.
As if she sensed my gaze, Val became shy and hugged her body. I knew that was my clue to move. The realization of what I was about to do hit me hard, but I wasn't backing down anymore. I wanted to try what it felt like to have nothing between us, what it felt like to be normal. I dragged my mask off my head and threw it away. My chest got heavy with the slight feeling of panic as I stood before Val, feeling like she was looking at me even though she couldn't see me, but I forced it down.
I stepped closer and cupped her cheeks, kissing her, tasting the way it felt not having a mask bothering us. She didn't seem to notice that I wasn't wearing it anymore, kissing me back eagerly. I pulled back when her hands started traveling up my shoulders. Taking them in mine to make sure she didn't touch me, I got down on my knees and pressed my face to her belly, breathing her in and sighing happily because I loved to be on my knees for her.
It was so good, being able to feel free because there was not a mask there to bother me. I looked up at Val, her eyes were still closed but it felt like she was staring straight at me. I wondered how she'd look if she were to see me right now. I bet her eyes would sparkle and she'd smile, tell me something about how handsome I was. She wouldn't frown so much anymore whenever she was disappointed because I hid behind that mask. We could finally be a normal couple, I could finally be normal.
That was it. I was doing this because of Val, because I wanted to be with her, to have a life with her, to love her and allow her to love me back. But in order to do so, I had to leave everything behind. I had to open up myself and tell her the facts. I had to say goodbye to Ghost and welcome back the man behind the mask.
*ೃ༄
𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃...
So many things happened in this chapter 🤧
next chapter in a few minutes (i am feeding you today bunnies 🤎)