Omisha took a deep breath as she stepped out of the house. She'd spent a week barricaded in her room trying to process what J wanted her to do. Thorn had been blowing up her phone, effectively making her condition worse.
"Hurry up." J mumbled as they both climbed into the car. Her body almost seemed to be in autopilot as she watched herself load the glock she'd pulled from the glove compartment.
"I'm doing this because I love you, Omisha. Everything I do is because I love you so you must trust my decisions, do you understand?" J's voice was soft this time, offering the warmth she needed in the moment.
"I understand." She muttered while nodding her head slightly. The past week had been filled with nothing but self-induced guilt trips. It ate her alive to know she'd be putting J in danger after all he'd done for her, but she liked Thorn. She liked him more than anyone she'd ever met.
As they pulled into his long driveway, Omisha tried to block out her hearts cry. It was time to finally listen to her head. Thorn made her betray J, something she vowed she'd never do. J had sacrificed his time, money, love, and space for years just to make sure she was successful in life. He'd raised her to be strong and taught her to be independent.
She pushed her feelings down as she walked up to the front door. It had to be done. Hopefully they'd meet again in the next lifetime.
"Hey!" Elaine answered the door before ushering her in. Omisha focused on what she was here for and began searching the home for Thorn. The air around her felt thick as if it was attempting to stop her, but she pushed on. Each time she second guessed a step, memories of J finding her on the street played before her eyes.
"Thorn!" She called into the large space. The name on her lips almost felt like mockery at this point.
"Nicole?" There was confusion in his voice, rightfully so as she hadn't spoke to him in days yet here she was in his home. Omisha navigated towards his voice. The glock in her waistband felt heavier with each step until she finally broke the threshold into the kitchen.
Thorn stood at the stove stirring a large pot, a black apron was wrapped around him. Turning towards her, he smiled brightly before hurriedly setting the spoon down. Omisha had to look away for fear of second guessing her actions. She was swept off her feet and his body engulfed hers in a warm embrace.
The harsh sting of tears met her eyelids as she pressed her nose into his shoulder- his cologne filling her senses. In that moment, she wasn't Omisha. She was a normal working woman coming home to her husband making dinner. Her arms squeezed him tighter as she lived in her delusion for a moment longer.
"Is everything okay?" He whispered into her ear while running his hands through her hair. Before Omisha could speak, a large crash sounded at the front door and she was snatched from the illusion of love. Thorn pulled away and moved her behind him, his body now rigid and ready to attack. She nearly sobbed as she realized she could kill him right now yet her body remained unable to move.
"Stay here." He warmed before slowly stalking out of the kitchen. Omisha began to pace as she tried to figure out what she wanted. A large part of her knew she'd never be able to live with herself if she disobeyed J, but a smaller part wondered if she wanted to live without Thorn. They'd spent so much time together. She opened up to him more than she had anyone else.
She laughed with him.
She was happy with him.
She was safe with him.
"Omisha!" The thundering voice of J caused her to quickly exit the kitchen. The scene before her was sickening. Elaine laid across the living room floor with her skull cracked open, her eyes popped out of their sockets and hanging against her skin. Thorn laid next to her, blood pooling beside his head.
"Y-you killed him..." Omisha stuttered as she tried to process the image before her.
"He's just knocked out. You're going to kill him." J stepped over the bodies to grab Omisha. She was unable to rip her eyes away from the scene before her. Closing her eyes, she said a prayer for Elaine and swallowed down the cry that bubbled up in her throat.
"Here." She opened her eyes to see J handing her a pair of handcuffs. "Cuff him up so he can't move."
Bile rose in her throat as she slowly made her way towards him. She could finally see the cut on his forehead that seemed to be the source for the puddle of blood by his head. Thoughts bounced around her head so fast she couldn't even begin to process them. Taking his hands, she cuffed them around the leg of the coffee table since it was bolted to the floor. Looking down, she took in his features slowly committing them to memory.
"Hurry up!" The harsh command made her jump away and she scrambled back to J's side. "Now take the shot."
Time slowed as she watched Thorn slowly come to, his body twisting in an attempt to get away from the restraints before he fully woke. When his eyes finally met hers, she had to look away as betrayal filled them.
"N-Nicole?" Thorn croaked out as his hands pulled against the cuffs. Tears blurred the vision of her shoes into a large black dot and she bit her lip to compose herself.
"It's not personal, son." J called out as he pushed Omisha forwards. The shove caused her unbalanced form to fall to her knees before Thorn. She peeked at him from her bowed position, afraid of what she'd find. Just as she suspected his eyes pleaded for her to say it wasn't so- the hurt behind them suffocating her.
"Omisha, remember what I said." She nodded at J's words yet her eyes never left Thorn's. There was something that seemed to hold her captive, unable to freely think for herself, her head filled with the words of those around her instead.
"Omisha." Thorn softly called out her true name, the name on his lips almost felt wrong. She wasn't Omisha when she was with Thorn. She shook her head unable to respond, but she was sure her own eyes told him all he need to know.
"Close your eyes." She muttered softly as she pulled the glock from her waistband. Panic filled Thorn's eyes at the sight.
"Please. You don't have to do this." The pleas further broke her heart. Omisha could feel J's harsh gaze on her back and she shook her head in an attempt to push her feelings down and get it over with.
"Look at me, Omisha." He dipped his head down in an attempt to make her look at him. Despite her hearts pleads, she stood to her feet and pointed the gun at Thorn's head. "Wait! Wait! Omisha, please!"
His cries for her to stop seemed to irritate J and he rolled his eyes before punching Thorn. A groan left him at the impact and Omisha turned her head away from him. Her hands shook as she tried to expel all second guesses, but her heart called out for Thorn so loud she had to will herself to tune it out.
"Omisha, just get it over with." J growled out as he once again stepped beside her. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and replayed the words of J.
He was only making her do this because he loved her. This was for their benefit. He'd always protected her, this was no exception. A calmness settled in her stomach and she opened her eyes.
Walking forwards, she placed the barrel to his forehead and took the safety off. Tears spilled down Thorn's cheeks as he stared up at her.
"I love you, Nicole."
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