2: In Your Shadow - Evan Peters

Making Amends

um what? I posted something? Enjoy, this is the last full chapter for some closure <3 might finish it off w a little bonus chapter. Ty to everyone who's read Whispering Smoke and In my Shadow, especially up to this point!! and I apologise for any mistakes I haven't proofread it entirely.. ily!

1 year later

I sat cozied up on the sofa, mindlessly flicking through Netflix movies I could sit down and watch. Todd was sprawled along the length of the sofa, his head in my lap as he too stared at the TV screen. I knew nothing sparked much interest for either of us, and opted to play a show we could just watch in the background.

Todd and I had gotten extraordinarily close as housemates, but nothing ever came of it. We'd made a decision that I wasn't ready for another relationship, and that I was to prioritise healing first. A whole year had passed since I left Evan's apartment, and nothing made me more frustrated than seeing his face plastered all over tabloids as the next big thing. He didn't have social media, and I wasn't sure if I even had his number anymore.

He'd kept his personal life as private as possible after he admitted to me that he was going to try rehab. How he went with it I wasn't sure; I wasn't even sure if he was out.

"When are you going to stop moping and come out with me?" Todd lifted his head off the couch, and raised his eyebrows at me. It made me roll my eyes with a laugh, knowing that he was right. All I'd really been doing is worrying about how Evan was doing, and not worrying about myself.

"Okay, let's go then," I'd made the rash decision to get up off the couch, pushing Todd's head off my lap and standing. Todd sat up fast, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Are you.. sure? You know I'm not expecting you to do-"

"Shut up, we're going," I wasn't going to let him convince me I shouldn't go, because all I'd been doing was convincing myself I shouldn't go. Maybe it was finally time to make new friends and see what the world was like outside for a change.

I got ready relatively quickly, apart from trying on almost ever dress in my closet because I couldn't find one that I thought fit me nicely. It had been a while since I'd worn any of these, and it definitely took getting used to the tightness of the fabric in contrast to my loose-fitted sweats.

"Ready?" Todd poked his head in through the doorway, his hair wet and combed out of his face. I was in the midst of looping the hoop earring through my ear as I got up to follow him.

"Hey hey! Bag? Phone? ID?" Todd rushed into my bedroom and picked up my handbag, taking my phone off charge and shoving it inside with my wallet.

I mouthed "thank you" as he took my hand and led me to the Uber that was already waiting outside.

"Where are we even going?" I asked, my gaze trained on the palm trees as we drove through the hills.

"My friend asked us to come to some club in West Hollywood, something about him getting a VIP booth," Todd wasn't much help, his eyes glued to his phone as he furiously sent text message after text message.

I nodded in response, even though I knew he couldn't see me, and returned my gaze out the window.

When we arrived, the club looked elite, sleek and black and already crowded with people spilling from the inside-out. I got out and followed Todd as he wove through cars parked on the outskirts letting people out, grabbing his shirt sleeve to try and keep up.

We got to skip the line, and go straight inside with the booking his "friend" had made. I knew Todd didn't really like his rich friends, and preferred to use them for nights like these, knowing they'd always be keen to bump a line and down enough drinks to give any normal person alcohol poisoning.