[1] Midnight Lips | Ghost

𝐂𝐇. 59

𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀
༻❁༺

     When I woke up, I had a strange feeling in my stomach, as if I knew something was wrong but I couldn't put a finger on it. For a moment, I forgot about last night, until my eyes met the empty side of Simon's, cold under the palm of my hand. Everything came back in, slamming into my chest and leaving me with no air. I knew I needed time to process the bomb that had been dropped yesterday, but waking up without Simon next to me felt... wrong.

Everything felt and looked empty. The room, the bed, my heart, and my head. The realization hit me harder, that Simon's presence filled every little space around me and it felt right. I panicked, sitting up on the bed, my heart ramming against the walls of its cage wanting to get loose. Probably to find its owner, since it was not me right now.

I panicked further.

Was this how it would be once we were done with the job here? When we went back to our real life, miles away from each other? He wouldn't agree to meet outside, he had let me know plenty of times. Maybe what happened yesterday with Nadia was a wake-up call? A sadness washed over me and suddenly I wanted to cry. I couldn't believe how attached I had become to Simon. Now the mere thought of never seeing him again made my stomach hurt.

*ೃ༄

Like yesterday, I was the first one to leave when the meeting ended. I was distracted the whole time, barely reacting to what everyone was saying. I couldn't grasp how I had survived so pacifically through it, especially because Nadia and Simon were there too, far away from each other but they were, and it was hard.

The knowledge that she probably knew Simon under his mask made me furious. I wanted to kick something, hopefully Nadia's face. But for now, I settled by punching Soap's face.

He dodged my fist as he leaned back, grasped my wrist in his hand, and went under, pulling my body around his shoulder. I landed on the ground with a hard thud like a potato bag. "How'd you like that?" Soap teased, standing above me with that annoying grin.

I could only scowl.

He let out a laugh and tried to help me get up. Taking his hand and pulling it, he was the one who landed like a potato bag now with his arm twisted between my legs. He groaned, patting my thigh twice before I let go.

"How'd you like that?" I mocked him.

He breathed in and out, mumbling something in Scottish I did not understand as he got up. "Not fair, princess, gonna make you regret that."

"Call me princess one more time and I will be the one making you regret that."

"What a weird way to propose, but I will take it."

I rolled my eyes. "Your lack of sex is messing with your senses."

"The very reason why I keep doubting my career choice." Soap went with a kick to my ribs, and landed on my arm instead as I covered myself. "At least the ladies like it, you know, risking my life and all that just to protect my country. I'm a hero to them. A very hot and juicy hero."

I barked a laugh, trying to punch his abs but he kept pushing my fists away like they were nothing. "You keep telling yourself that and--" He tripped me as soon as that went out of my mouth. "Hey!" We were not supposed to be tripping each other.