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Three seconds passed before he moved in an inch closer “Yes”

He said that word as if it was the easiest thing to ad was the simplest forehammer to my chest

“Askme from the inside out

“Why did you kill hio unnoticed

He leaned in until his lips were close enough tothe shell “For you”

My heart was running a race in my chest Bu-bump Bu-bump “What are you?”

His smile was slow Evil He moved a step back, and I sucked in a breath

“I told you” One Two Three seconds “The bad guy”

12

Arlo

I didn’t want to frighten her I wanted to pull her against ers in the long fall of her hair, and whisper all the words that would let her kno safe she was

I wanted to know everything about her I wanted her to trust me

She hid things about her life, her past, present, and future I wanted to tear those secrets away until she was just as vulnerable to me as she’dwhen it happened, but this wo monumental in my life I hated it

I couldn’t live without it

Months It had only taken a moment to look into her innocent eyes to know there was so that could shape me Only a handful ofto utter a word

A Fucking Look That’s all it took to go down this rabbit hole where, for the first time in my miserable life, I questioned my very sanity For the first ti just for me

And as I stared into her blue eyes that looked so dark right now, not because of the shadows or lack of light but because she was vulnerable inback