𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✔️

♡ Chapter 26 ♡

July 26th.

~ Celeste POV ~

I submerge myself into the hot water.

I go underneath, bubbles coming out of my nose as I held my breath.

5 days. 5 fucking days.

How stressed I am makes me wanna stay underneath here and never come up. I feel trapped. Stuck. Like the weight of the world is going to collapse onto me at any given moment.

I don't want to hurt Nic. I don't want to kill him. I want to go back to Italy with him, and I want him to stay. That's my ideal outcome.

But I know that this is the world of crime. Filled with people that will do anything to get their way. This isn't a movie written with a happy ending that I'm just acting out.

My lungs scream for air as I stay under the water.

I can't think of a single way that this will end with a happy ending. But, maybe after all, I don't deserve a happy ending. Maybe this is the karma from all of the blood that I've shed. All of the blood that splattered my face while I smiled.

God, my lungs are on fire.

This has to end with one of us dying. There's no other way. Either I kill him, and then return to Italy with my life. Or, I don't kill him, we kill Hades, and then when I return to Italy, I try and run from all of his men that are looking for blood. But I know that I won't be able to hide for long.

It's either me or him. There's no other way.

One of us has to die.

I gasp for air as I break the surface of the water. My breathing's heavy, taking in as much air as I can, blood rushing to my head causing me to feel dizzy for a moment. My hand clings to the side of the tub, droplets of water dripping down from my hand and onto the ground. 

I bring my knees to my chest in the hot water. I lean down, putting my forehead on my knees, continuing to breathe heavily as my wet hair clung to my face.

It was as if I were trying to punish myself for putting us in this situation. If only I didn't agree to this fucking plan. 

I rip the plug out of the drain, the water gurgling as it started to go down. I hoisted myself up, squeezed my black hair, and then stepped out of the tub. 

I wrap a towel around myself and stand in front of the mirror. I watch myself blankly as I brush my teeth. I brush them so hard until my gums bleed.

I spit out the foamy toothpaste, some blood filling the sink with it. I looked at my blood, watching it go down the sink.

It has to be me or him.

"Celeste?" Nic knocked from the other side of the door. "Did you die in there or some shit?"

I snap myself out of the weird trance I was in. 

"You wish," I reply in a teasing tone as if nothing were wrong. 

"Hurry up. Lets go down to the bar."

I look away from the door, and back at myself in the mirror. 

I should've never agreed to this. 

╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝

I sip on my cocktail as the bright screen shines onto us.

I haven't gotten drunk in years. Since the year my parents died, to be exact. Almost every single night, after trying to keep myself out and busy, the voices and grief would eat at me as I sat alone in silence. I'd party all night, every night, just to keep myself from being alone with my thoughts.