𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

Lloyd finally collapsed on his bed.

He hadn't realized how much time had passed, the night flew by without his knowledge, a blink and it was already four am. He didn't think it would hurt, melting into the sheets that smelled exactly like her. Addison was every where in this room, the broken shell of her cast still on his bathroom floor, the shirt she ripped off her body puddled in the center of the room, the sheets rumpled on the side of the bed that had sat empty for years, now were a stark reminder of everything he worked so hard to get back.

The same thing he lost after she confessed her love.

He wasn't sure how she found out, though he couldn't be that surprised. Addison was one of the most intelligent people he knew, but it was never supposed to be this way. He promised he wouldn't fuck up his second chance, and the second he got comfortable, the moment he let Denny open his godforsaken mouth in that spare bedroom, hell broke loose. It was like the man was a walking bowling ball, knocking down anything good in the world, so he could take it and control it. And Lloyd constantly fell for his glamorized lies. Denny built a world of gold, but let it melt at the feet of those who got in his way.

And Addison was constantly getting in his way.

2 years prior

"What do you mean I have to break up with her?"

Denny looked up from his paperwork, barely sparing Lloyd a glance before gesturing his hand towards the chair, going back to signing paperwork. "Can you just do me a fucking favor," Lloyd sunk down into the plush fabric, crossing his right leg over the left, "and give me a goddamn good reason I should give up the one fucking person who makes me happy." Lloyds temper was volatile, Denny knew this, but instead of giving a whole rundown of why he has to give up Addison, other than the obvious, he set the pen down, leaning back against his chair and folding his hands over his stomach. The reason Lloyd had to break up with Addison was simple, and could be answered with five words.

"It was always the plan."

And Lloyd froze, because Denny was right. The plan was always to get the girl to trust him, pick up on some of her tactics so that Denny could finally release her from the agency, and she could be used a freelance agent, one that Denny had full control of. He had tried to drag out his mission, to protect her from the psycho Denny was, but instead he actually fell in love with the woman, craving her touch, needing her smile. Her finger prints were imprinted on his body, his heart buried in her own chest, losing her, was losing himself. "That's not going to be a problem, is it Lloyd?" Denny's voice cut through his thoughts, making Lloyd blink rapidly to gather his floating thoughts. "No of course not."

That night he went home, watching the girl he loved slam the door as she left.

He didn't know what hurt more, seeing her laugh in disbelief, saying she wished he went to hell, or the fact that she looked at him like he was the most disgusting human being that walked the planet. The apartment suddenly felt too empty, he hadn't realized how much he relied on her to fill the empty space, her laugh and smile were completely vacant from the room, and it suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on him, swallowing him whole in a grief he couldn't comprehend.

Two weeks later, Addison had not spoken a word to him, dropping papers on his desk before returning to her own. For weeks he had watched her from afar, his heart breaking in his chest, splintering every time her smile wasn't directed towards him or watching it fall off her face when his eyes met hers. Lloyd used to be the reason for that smile, he used to be the reason she laughed, he craved feeling her arms around him at night, clinging to his body like she needed him as an anchor. "Did you hear?" Lloyd's head snapped over to the woman beside him, her gaze sitting on Addison with jealously, "Did I hear what?"