How to Survive Your 19th Life [BL]

Chapter 49: Nope!

A week after the incident outside of my dorm, Tariq went missing. His roommate said that he went out on his morning jog and simply didn't return. They found his car parked at the bus station, and his credit card showed a one-way ticket to Los Angeles purchased that afternoon. The security cameras showed a hooded man with sunglasses and a similar build drive his car and take the bus, but by the time the bus made it to its Los Angeles stop, no one with his description got off the bus. In the video, the hooded man's face is never revealed thanks to the limited cameras and him always keeping his face down.

Malai came to me the day after he went missing, in tears. She blamed Emiel immediately. The police questioned him about it, but apparently nothing concrete could be discovered. On top of that, the school administrators refused to do anything on their end either.

All that was known was that Tariq yelled at Emiel outside of Sheridan Lofts. After that, Emiel had stopped stalking me as well, so there was nothing I could do.

"He fucking did something to him, Solomon," Malai cried in my arms, her petit frame trembling with each word. Though I stroked her hair and told her, "He's fine. I promise he's okay," I knew that something horrible happened to him.

Kanani and Yeong-su came over as often as Malai did, mostly to sit and talk and wait. There was nothing else to do. Apparently they were still broken up, but they were at least cordial. I did, however, catch them having grief-sex in the bathroom.

I laid in bed at night thinking about how Emiel killed me—how sure he was. There was no hesitation. His strength combined with his confidence turned him into an unstoppable force.

But I was different than Tariq. I had a regular build with average muscle mass. I was strong as a man. I could hold my own in a fight, but Tariq was actually built. Emiel was deceivingly slender, and much stronger than me, but there was no way he would have taken Tariq down without at least a few bumps and bruises.

When I saw Emiel in the Campus Center during lunch a week after Tariq went missing, he looked as good as ever. He sat at a table with his Outings Club members, his arm looped around Sylvia's shoulders. I had to remind myself not to stare, even as I stared. Stevan, the weasel looking one, noticed me and said something to Emiel, who turned around to look. He gave me a little smile, as handsome as ever.

There wasn't a single scratch on him. No way he hurt Tariq. He's only ever killed me in the past.

It happened two weeks after Tariq went missing when I was walking back to my dorm after seeing Malai to hers. She didn't feel safe walking back alone and, whereas I didn't either, she was a lot more fragile than me. It was a dark night, but not darker than usual, and not especially late.

Malai stayed in South Hall, which was the north central part of campus. It wasn't an especially long walk back but I did have to pass Perkins Library, which I hated at this point, but I passed without incident.

Across the parking lot from Sheridan Lofts is Sheridan Center for the Arts, where a bulk of the arts classes are held, of course. It was a large old building made of red brick that seemed ominous when all the lights were off.

It was there that I was grabbed.

I turned the corner from behind Sheridan Arts Center and someone grabbed me from behind. I tried to let out a shout for help but a fist came crashing into my gut and knocked the wind out of me. I grunted and collapsed to my knees.

Emiel appeared before me, kneeling. His face was flooded with emotion—delight, intrigue, pleasure, and glee. When he opened his mouth, I thought for a moment that he would gobble me up. I wheezed, barely able to draw in a breath to scream. He must have hit me with his full strength.

A hand closed around my throat, blocking any further sounds from me.

"I love you," Emiel said. Though he was smiling, a tear rolled down his cheek. "You can't say that without consequence, my dear. You... you got my hopes up. My hopes can be dangerous."

I grabbed his wrist with both hands and slowly pried it from my throat. He brought his other hand up, grabbing my neck, so I grabbed that wrist too. In one quick motion, Emiel shoved me down onto my back. He pinned me down by straddling me.

"Did you kill Tariq?" I managed to say. My voice scratched it way out of my mouth in a hoarse whisper.

Emiel laughed as his hands clamped down so tight around my neck, that the corners of my vision pulsed and darkened. "Of course."

I bucked my hips and writhed underneath him. I scratched at his hands, then reached up to try and gouge at his mouth or eyes. Emiel moved his head away from my hands enough to keep his eyes clear but my fingers dug into the corner of his lip, ripping the skin.

Blood spurted over my face and into my eyes and mouth.

Fire blasted through my chest as I struggled to breathe. My lungs felt as though they would burst at any moment. My limbs struggled against Emiel frantically. I tried strangling him back but tension was already leaving my arms. I brought my knees up to beat into his back, but his straddle was firm. He took my blows as though they were feathery kisses.

Nothing fazed Emiel or that insane look in his eyes.

This was the same as last time. He knew he would kill me. He was confident and sure, whereas I was fumbling and afraid.

I wanted my mom. I missed my dad. I just wanted to get my diploma, start a career, and make my family proud of me. I wanted to travel the world.

I wanted to love Emiel. I wanted to live.