Entirely Different Person [PETER]

Chapter 23 - You don't love me

My chest hurts.

My head is pounding.

My calves feel like they're going to fall off.

And before my eyes— is my bestfriend being held by my boyfriend, with a knife against their throat.

I stare at the two humans in front of me, my eyes awake and full of shame. The rain is coming down harder now, almost washing out the light from the moon above. I can barely make out my surroundings, and all I can hear is the rain and my own breathing. Blood is dripping down from TK's forehead, Peter looks tired from all of the chasing.

"Peter," I say, my voice shaking with fear. "Don't do this."

Peter looks at me for a brief moment, and I see the rage in his eyes. TK is still bleeding out in pain, and I know I have to act fast.

"This not who you are. You're better than this," I say, trying to reason with him. "Please, let TK go."

But Peter isn't listening. He's holding the knife tightly in his hand, and I can see the anger boiling up inside of him.

"You tried to leave me," he accused.

I wanted to object, for him to believe me and let TK go, but I knew that wasn't happening any time soon. The best thing would be to reason with him, and admit to my actions.

Is that what psychopathic, mentally deranged, killers like?

"Yes, and I'm sorry," I confessed. "I was scared. But I'm not anymore," My breaths hitched and my stomach churned. "Because I know you, and I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me, Peter."

Peter's expression softened slightly at my response. He seemed to take me at my word, and he lowered his arm, along with TK falling to the ground beside him. I let out a huge sigh of relief, and felt my legs giving out from under me. The night was suddenly so dark, and I could barely see anything.

"You're right," he said, his voice soft. "I wouldn't hurt you, not ever. I just... I felt like you were hiding something from me. Like you were trying to leave me behind."

"I swear, Peter, I wasn't," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I love you so much. I can't imagine a life without you." I look at TK's state for a moment, and they're looking at me as if they're scared for my safety. Quite frankly, I am too.

He looked at me for a moment, before walking closer to me, holding me close in his tight embrace. "I know, Y/N, I know. You're my life."

I felt like vomiting right there on the spot. I smelt the faint metallic scent coming from Peter's shirt that I assumed must be my best friends blood.

I take my arm out of Peter's embrace, the smell of crimson still lingering in my nose. I look over at TK, and know that I need to do something to help them. But I also know that Peter won't let me go. He still has the knife in his hand, and I don't know what he's capable of.

"Peter, we need to get TK to a hospital. They need help," I say, trying to keep my voice calm and steady.

"TK is fine," Peter says, his voice barely above a whisper. Even though he's smiling at me, his eyes are filled with a cold, calculating gaze, and I know that he's not going to change his mind.

Peter reads my panicked expression that I was oblivious that I had and reassures me. "I'm not going to hurt you, Y/N. I just need to know that I can trust you. That you won't leave me."

I take a deep breath, not wanting to say the words that are on the tip of my tongue. I don't want to say that I'll never leave him, even though I know that's the only thing that will make this stop.

"I promise, Peter. I'll never leave you," I say, my voice choked with tears. "Let's just go help TK-"

Peter hugs me tighter, so tightly that he's hurting me. My ribcage feels like it's about to come up out of my mouth. My breathing hitches and I try to find the oxygen to inhale.

"Why are you so worried about them, huh? I said they're fine. Don't pressure me my love." He whispers into my ear.

I wince in pain, my heart beating out of my chest at Peter's tight grip. He's strong, but there's something so cold and terrifying in his eyes. Something that tells me he's not thinking clearly, and that I should be scared of what he's capable of.

"Peter, you're hurting me," I cry out.

But Peter only squeezes me tighter, and I can feel the tears stinging my eyes as I struggle to breathe. I know I have to think of a way to convince him, to get us out of this situation. But every time I try to break free, he only gets more aggressive.

"I said they're fine, everything's fine," he repeats, his voice growing into a dangerous growl. "Don't you trust me, Y/N? Don't you love me?"

The words choke in my throat, and the only thing I can muster up is a weak nod.

All of a sudden, Peter stumbles and lets go of me with a blow from the back of his head. The striker, TK, grabs me and starts running with me again. But we didn't get far before my lovely boyfriend decided to stab my in my fucking leg.

I cried out in pain from the brutal impact, as my bestfriend tried to get me back up, Peter punched them hard. Knocking them out cold, their hair halfway into the river.

"No!" I scream, as I witness my bestfriend fall unconscious. Peter looks at me with a twisted smile on his face, his eyes filled with a cold, calculating rage. "We were having such a lovely conversation. But now, you have to go and ruin everything."

I tried to get up, I really did, but my leg just kept me down. And all of the running, the exhaustion, the stress. It caught up to me.

I had lost all hope.

I felt sharp pains in my right leg, repeatedly. I screamed at the top of my lungs, praying that someone, or something would save me from this.

Over and over.

And again.

It took me a second to realize he was stabbing me in my leg again and again.

I don't have the strength to fight back, my vision blurring from the pain and shock. I've never experienced anything like this before, and I'm terrified. The sound of the rushing water starts to fade out, replaced by a ringing noise that seems to come from everywhere at once. I feel like I'm falling into a deep darkness, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get out.

"Don't you see, Y/N? Me and you are meant to be. This... was my last resort," The man turned my head so I could face him, yet I didn't dare look. "I never wanted to hurt you. I love you."

"You don't love me," I bit out, tears streaming down my face.

"Don't say that. Everything I've done is for you!" He fights back.

"Liar," I cry.

"I love you, Y/N!" He shouts.

Before I get to respond, I hear the sirens. The police are coming.

Peter looks around. The visible panic painted on his face. He's looking around frantically, realizing that he's going to get caught. I know that he's trying to figure out an escape route, a way to run away before the police can reach him. But the sirens are getting louder and louder, closing in on us.

"No, no, no... this wasn't supposed to happen," Peter looks at me and grabs my hair, yanking my head back. "Why'd you have to go and call the police?!"

At this point, I am completely numb and barely able to process anything that's going on around me. Yet, as I hear my ears ringing and my boyfriends yelling fade out, I feel myself smiling to myself. I'm not sure why, maybe Peter's psychotic-ness was rubbing off on me.

Before I know it, the police are right on us. The flashing lights on their cars reflecting in Peter's eyes.

And honestly, I think that's the last thing I remember before I succumbed to my own unconsciousness.

1429 words.