absit omen. (book II) • STEVE HARRINGTON

OO1.

absit omen.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

OO1

the lady and the tramp

The end of the day knackered the three of them, and Danielle wasn't necessarily the happiest about going back home to her big house. Since her parents' divorce, Laura had inherited of the entire fortune built by her ex and more or less kept the very same lifestyle since they have sent Frank to jail.

Being in this house cursed her with a sensation of nausea, the constant headaches and even migraines combined with running long insomnias. That's why she was mostly at Steve's. The man was so alone that'd it looked like they were just living together at this stage.

Steve never refused her presence. If he wanted to play it honest, he willingly drove in the middle of the night to pick up his girlfriend. She warmed up his nights and his heart, fixing his wounds and traumas. With her, the cashier felt relaxed and overall safe.

Considering how she had witnessed Billy's death and had been on the extreme verge of getting killed, the secret about the Upside Down wasn't even one any more. All they could do was comforting each other thanks to their profound love, putting a plaster on the wounds and keep going with life.

But time stopped each time she walked past the door frame of the entryway. Steve would've been a liar to say he liked driving her home. If he listened to himself, she'd be twenty-four on seven caught into his arms, where none could harm her. Not any more.

No more pain.

"Can you sleep at my place, please?" she almost prayed for. She kind of was. Praying, he'd grant her of her wish. Steve's sighted. How could he blame her? That must've been so hard for her to stay in the house of a murderer. The one who had killed her...

Steve shook his head.

He did not desire thinking about it.

"What about picking up KFC, and then we go to your place? My house is on the way, I grab a bag, and then we drive home. Fits you?"

Stretching her lip corners up, she offered him a genuine smile. One that warmed up his heart instantly, chasing away the constant vice of anxiety in his stomach.

"I love you," she admitted between two breaths.

"Good, because me too, Danny."

***

The silence stood between the three people sat on the dining chairs. None knew what topic they should throw on the table, and all those three kept doing, was picking and eating chicken wings from the family bucket Steve had offered to Laura.

"It's gonna be a year since your d-..."

"Mom," she pleaded.

"I know, sweetie. But we can't deny his existence, the divorce is not over yet. I can't erase twenty years of marriage and throw it away like that."

Steve blinked, a spark of disgust suddenly emerging in his throat. He didn't really get why Laura kept loving this murderer she had wed. That man didn't kill only his grandchild, but had covered up numerous criminal cases of hideous acts that none should achieve. Moreover, religious people, supposed to follow a specific mantra about peace and love.

At least, that's what Steve thought.

"So, you're really going to give credit to a man who cheated on you and committed an infanticide?!"