The sharp pop of a dying log startled me from a light slumber. For a moment, I was disoriented-the room was dark, lit only by the fire's orange glow, the flames casting strange patterns onto the bookcases. I was curled awkwardly on a couch, my back drenched in sweat. I propped myself up on my elbow, rubbing my eyes. We had fallen asleep in the study-or, at least, I had. Lex was sitting behind me, an arm looped over my shoulder, still working on his laptop. The blue light from the screen made his face look gaunt and eerie.
"What time is it?' I asked blearily.
"Midnight, last I checked." Lex said, without taking his eyes from the screen. "Sleep well?"
"Why didn't you wake me?" I sat up fully, stretching out my arms,
"I tried, believe me. You were out cold." Lex smiled, and tilted the lid of his computer down. "I had work to do, anyways."
"At midnight?"
"The world of business never sleeps." He looked down as his phone buzzed. I caught a glimpse of a photo, one that looked like a house, or a street address. "But you need to. Up to bed with you."
"You're not coming?"
His phone buzzed again, this time an illegible text. My heart fluttered with familiar unease as he flipped it to silent. His eyes kept darting to it.
"I have to make some calls. I may need to leave early this morning, so don't be alarmed if you wake up and I'm gone."
"Lex, what is going on?"
He crossed to me, and brushed the hair from the shoulder. I stared up at him. His eyes were black pools in the darkness. "Bed." He offered no explanation, and I didn't push for one. It was late, and though I knew it wasn't true, I decided my unease was due only to my tiredness and the frightening fingers of shadow that flickered across the floor.
***
True to his word, when I awoke in the morning, the bedroom was empty, Lex's half of the bed made up neatly. There was a note on the pillow, written on heavy paper. I picked it up, unfolding it carefully.
I've gone to Metropolis. I will be home sometime in the late afternoon. Call me when you wake up-the number is on my desk.
Don't go outside.
It wasn't signed, or even addressed to me. I sighed, and set it back down on the pillow. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since he'd promised not to keep secrets, and here we were. He had been acting so strangely the night before, and my mind couldn't help but go to the darkest possible place. He had admitted, openly on the horrible night that he had killed before. Was he making another move on Superman?
My heart was in my throat as I punched the number into his desk phone. I hoped it was his cell-I couldn't remember whether the number went to his LexCorp office or his personal phone. I held my breath as the dial tone sounded.
"Luthor." Lex answered, and relief blew through me.
"It's me." I said, cradling the phone with both hands. It sounded quiet on the other end-he was probably indoors.It didn't mean much, but it was something. "I got your note."
"Did you sleep well? I tried not to wake you when I left."
"I slept fine. Where are you?"
"Research park." His voice was growing distant. "I'll be home in a few hours. Try not to get into trouble. And stay inside, Ruth."
"Wait-" The line cut out. I stared at the dead phone, tempted to throw it across the room. Instead, I sank into the wide desk chair, head in hands. Something was wrong. I could feel it. The ring on my finger dug into my forehead, and I lowered my hands to look at it. An idea struck me, and I picked the phone up again, looking over the desk for the piece of paper with Nova's number.
She picked up on the first ring.
"What's up, babydoll?" She singsonged.
"How did you know it was me?" I asked.
"Caller ID, babes. What's up? You realize you need some girl time?"
"No, I-" My voice broke. "Something's wrong with Lex, Nova. He's being weird, and avoiding my questions, and he just hung up on me. I'm really worried."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Are you sure it's not just business stuff? He has a whole empire to run." Her voice was reassuring, but I could tell she was a little impatient. I tasted blood on my mouth, and I raised a hand to it. I had bitten through my lip.
"I'm sure. He's left me for work before, and he's never hung up on me before, ever." I felt my throat tighten. "I'm afraid he's doing something bad."
"Ruth." Nova sighed, and I could just picture her face. It was the face she gave me when I was worrying over something trivial-what to wear to school, a math quiz, whether I should make dinner for my parents or order in. It was her 'stop overthinking it' face, her 'you're being a dumb idiot, just go with your gut' face.
"You're right." I said. "Are you at school?"
"I was in math, but you called so I left. No one gives me trouble once I show who was calling." I imagined Nova smugly showing the principal that the personal residence of Lex Luthor had been calling her, and laughed.
"Sorry. I'll let you go. Thanks for stopping me from-"
"From being an insane girlfriend-sorry, fiancee? No problemo. Okay, I'm getting stinkeye from Sav. Call me soon."
There was a click. Sav was notoriously harsh on cell phone use. She'd taken mine and locked it for a whole day more than once, so I did not blame Nova one bit for rushing away. She had been helpful, with just one word. I would forever be grateful to Lex for bringing her back into my life.
I set the phone down on the desk, and stood, stretching. I needed to distract myself, keep myself busy and from spiralling. Usually, in stressful situations, I would nap, but the idea of laying down with nothing but my thoughts to entertain me was not at all appealing. Instead, I hit a button on a remote, and one of the bookcases slid back, revealing a tv. I had only used it once, but I had watched Lex set movies up before. It only took a second for me to hit play on The Road To El Dorado. I wanted something light, and engaging enough to keep me occupied until Lex came home, and I could confront him.
Well, maybe not confront, but certainly ask for some answers. I deserved that much. I hated being kept in the dark, even if it was for my own protection. Look where being clueless had left me last time; with a broken arm, drugged, and then kidnapped and drugged again for my efforts.
***
I dozed lightly while the movie played, and I must have drifted into a deeper sleep, because the next thing I remembered was watching the end credits for Lilo and Stitch, and the sun was going down. Somewhere below in the cavernous house, the front door slammed. I sat up, and shut off the tv. My joints protested loudly as I moved
"Ruth?" Lex called. I stepped into the hall, and leaned over the balcony railing, looking down over the foyer.
"I'm up here."
"Stay there." He said. He was in his work clothes, but he looked different somehow, like he'd hastily redressed. His eyes were bright as he bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"Good evening." I said coolly. "Nice to see you, finally."
"You're not mad, are you, darling? I had so much to do, and-"
"I'm not mad." I forced a smile, but it very, very quickly dropped as I looked at his hands, and then his shirt button.
I stumbled a few paces backwards.
"Ruth?" Lex reached to steady me, but I smacked his hand away. Revulsion and fear knotted into a coil in my stomach.
"I'm only going to ask you once, Lex, and I want the truth." My voice was high and shaky, an edge of tears under it. "Why the hell do you have blood on your hands and shirt?"
There was a smear of dried blood across his knuckles, and a spatter on his collar. I hoped to god there was a simple explanation, but deep down, I knew there wasn't. He'd done it again. The silence in the house was unrelenting. There was blood in my mouth again, iron-sweet and hot.
"Come here." Lex's voice was commanding.
"No."
"Come here, Ruth." He snapped.
"Not until you give me some answers."
"Ruth."
"Lex." I narrowed my eyes at him, and he lunged, grabbing my upper arm. I shrieked and tried to twist free, but he carefully pulled me into the study, and sat me on the couch.
"Are you going to listen?" He asked lowly.
I nodded.
"Good." He wiped his dirtied hand on a tissue from the desk. "I can sum it up in three words. I killed Alistair."
It took a solid second for his words to sink in, and then I was behind the couch, my vision blurred and my knees shaky. "You did what?"
"I killed Alistair." Lex gave the barest of shrugs. "Why are you standing back there, Ruth? I'm not going to hurt you."
I was too alarmed to form more than a few stuttered syllables. I wasn't sure why I was so upset. Alistair had been the demon that haunted me for years. In all honesty, I had thought about doing the same to him. The difference was that I had never gone through with it. "How?" I managed to finally get out.
"Poison, and then I punched him in the face a few times." he gestured to his dirtied hands and shirt. "Ruth, why are you crying over this man? He brought you nothing but misery."
"I'm not crying over him. I'm crying because you're a murderer. You killed him in cold blood." I wiped at my eyes. "Is this why you've been so distant? Because you were planning...this?"
Lex tsked, shutting his eyes and shaking his head at me. "Love, I was a killer well before I met you. Before you were born, even." He hopped up from his desk, and held his hands out to me. "It wasn't in cold blood. Lukewarm, at worst, I think. It's been months, and you still wake up screaming. I couldn't let him hurt you any more."
"Just because he's dead doesn't mean everything he's done to me is gone." I snapped. "That's not how it works."
"I know." Lex smirked. "Believe me, I know. But now, now you can move on without worrying he'll hurt you. You can rebuild. Your life is your revenge."
I got the distinct sense he wasn't talking about Alistair any more, from the way his eyes glazed, and his hands clenched. There was something else there, another, darker layer I didn't want to unveil, not just yet.
I didn't move as he crossed the couch and took both my hands, but I didn't make eye contact, either. "What if they catch you?" I asked the floor.
"They won't." His voice was confident. "And if they do, what D.A in his right mind would allow it to go to court? I'm untouchable, Ruth, and now you are, too. There is no one out there that can hurt you like that again. You're safe." His voice broke on the last word, and with it, my heart.
"Lex." I said, and I looked up at him. "What you did, what you've done-"
"No, Ruth, no, no, no." Lex cradled my face in his hands. I reached up and took them, squeezing. "Don't leave me."
"I'm not." I took his hands from my face. "Oh, Lex, no, I'm not. I'm not leaving you. I just-you can't do this kind of thing anymore, okay? You don't need to save me anymore." It was my turn to reach up and cup his cheek. There were tears glimmering in his eyes, mirroring my own.
"Stay with me." He asked.
"Lex, I've already promised I would." I smiled. "You've asked me this before. I'm not going anywhere. That's what this means." I tapped my ring against his cheek.
He clutched my hand, and brought it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. "Tesorino." He whispered against my skin.
"Italian?" I asked. "Really?"
"It's a beautiful language." He dropped my hand. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I don't regret what I did. I doubt I ever will."
"I'm not happy about it." I agreed. "But I will sleep a little easier. But no more secrets." I raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe a few." Lex winked. "But ny good ones, I promise." He pulled me forwards by the collar of my shirt, and kissed me so sweetly I could almost forget what he had done.
A/N: heck ya i live for the drama lex u bad boi
we r down to the final 10 chapters babeys. starting next chapter i will b dedicating each one to the people who have supported and given this story love from day 1 ❤️
The attached video is Sibelius's violin concerto in D minor, Op 47:1. Allegro Moderato which imo is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever. it rlly fits this chapter.
all the love~ivory