I will possess your heart - Rhys Montrose X Reader

───Part 4.

It'd been nearly a week since Rhys had left for Berlin, and you were indubitably completely and utterly smitten with the man. You'd messaged him on a whim one evening, expecting no reply until at least morning, but your phone buzzed no more than five minutes after you placed it down. Since then, you'd texted each over nearly daily, a handful of short phone calls included.

You were sitting on the couch in your apartment, Amanda's head on your lap and tv on, as you typed a response to Rhys, wishing him luck on his interview and promising to talk later.

You hated how much you missed him, craving his attention more than anything else - seriously what was it about him that made you this way?

Amanda stirred, her chest rising steadily, your fingers brushing through her hair. She didn't react. Grabbing the remote, you turned the tv off, not wanting to disturb her sleep - she needed it badly. Lately her dreams had been plagued by nightmares, and it took her passing out at school from lack of sleep for your mother to agree to letting her stay at yours again.

You fucking hated her. It was disgusting how she treated Amanda - yourself too, but you didn't give a shit about that -, and you wished for her to keel over and die already. Or at the very least finally relinquish custody of your sister.

When you moved out a few years ago, you'd tried to take Amanda with you, but your mother nearly reported you for kidnapping, starting a very, very long battle between the two of you over what was best for your sister. One that was still ongoing, draining you slowly.

Before you'd landed the job at Sundry House, you were working three jobs at the same time, just to keep up with the bills piling up from both households, leaving you unable to put aside any savings for emergencies. Now you had a neat little box hidden beneath some floorboards in your bedroom filled with money just in case. It wasn't much, but it was growing, which was a small blessing.

Maybe one day you'll even have enough money to afford a proper lawyer and take your mother to court for Amanda's custody.

Your phone vibrated, a text from Lucille flashing up on your screen.

'Hey. Can I crash at yours for a while?'

'Sure, just be quiet when you walk in, A is asleep.'

'You're a lifesaver!!'

Ever since your girls night a while ago, things between the two of you had gotten better - you were talking more again, finally being able to get through to her a bit. It wasn't much, but you'd take what you get gladly.

Staring at your phone, you thought back to the last time she stayed over - it'd been your regularly scheduled sleepover, celebrated with take-out from your favorite restaurant and a shitty movie on the partially broken tv. Those nights were a tradition the two of you started shortly after you met, religiously keeping it up every Sunday, ranting about whatever was on your minds' and nursing a hangover if need be.