Coffee and Cream

Isabelle's Discovery

EMRYS

Isabelle had been on edge for days. It started with the subtle things: questions about my time, probing glances when my phone buzzed, and the tension in her voice when she mentioned Darcelle's name. But today, she wasn't subtle. She found the bracelet.

"Whose is this?" She demanded, holding it up in front of me, her voice barely restrained.

I knew this moment was coming. I'd seen Darcelle's bracelet the moment she left it on my dresser. I didn't move it. I didn't hide it. I knew what she was doing—territorial, calculated, evil in her own way. And I loved that. Part of me wanted Isabelle to find it, wanted her to see that things weren't as clear-cut as she thought. Maybe Darcelle was trying to force my hand, trying to make Isabelle do the breakup for me. I'd let it happen. Maybe I wanted it to happen.

I didn't flinch when Isabelle waved the bracelet in my face and didn't bother explaining myself. "You already know whose it is," I said, my voice calm.

Her face twisted in disbelief. "You can't be serious. You're fucking her, aren't you? That freak? That girl who lurks around like a shadow at school?"

I laughed, but there was no warmth in it. "If you have to ask, then you already know."

Her voice rose. "You think this is funny? After everything we've been through, after everything I've done for you, you're gonna throw us away for...her?"

I stayed quiet. Isabelle wanted a fight. She wanted answers, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me unravel. I never unraveled.

Her voice cracked, "I loved you. I still love you, Emrys, and this is how you repay me? With some girl who can't even look me in the eye?"

I felt her words bounce off me, like pebbles thrown at an immovable stone wall. I wasn't going to defend Darcelle or myself. Isabelle didn't matter anymore, not in the way she used to. She was yelling, trying to get a rise out of me, but all I could think about was Darcelle and the way she was slowly seeping into every part of my life. The way she had that dark, intoxicating hold over me.

"I'm done," Isabelle screamed. She stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind her. I heard her footsteps echo through the house, hand heard the front door shut behind her.

I pressed the remote, locking the doors automatically. I stood there, letting the silence take over. Isabelle was gone. She wouldn't be coming back.

But Darcelle... Darcelle stayed. In my thoughts, in my skin, in my blood. That bracelet on the dresser was proof she wasn't going anywhere. The thought of her being in my life permanently, of her dark, twisted soul tethered to mine, was both thrilling and terrifying. She said she loved me, and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I thought we didn't believe in love. That was why we worked, wasn't it?

But maybe... maybe I was wrong.

I went to the terrace for some air, staring out at the cliffs. My mind spiraled as I thought about Darcelle's confession. Love? Did I love her? I wasn't sure. No woman had ever made me feel the way she did. There was a rawness, a purity to what we had that made everything else seem insignificant. She was beautiful, dangerous, and dark—a reflection of everything I tried to keep hidden.

Hours passed. The moon rose high in the sky, casting silver light over the ocean. I texted Darcelle: Meet me in the woods.

When she arrived, I could see the questions in her eyes. I could feel the tension between us and her confusion after I hadn't responded to her declaration.

"Calm yourself," I said, guiding her through the trees. "Take a deep breath."

She did as I said, though her breath was shaky. I handed her the gun, positioning her hands carefully. The deer stood there, unsuspecting, grazing peacefully in the moonlit clearing.

"Count to three," I instructed.

"One," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Two...three."

"Pull the trigger," I said, my voice smooth and calm, like silk on her skin.

She hesitated, but I pressed her hands firmly on the gun. Bang. The sound echoed through the woods, and the deer fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. Darcelle's eyes widened, her breathing quickening. I watched her, studying the way her body reacted to the violence.

"If you want love, come and share my world," I whispered, stepping behind her, my breath warm against her neck. "I'll be your man. I won't push too hard, and I won't break your heart. I think I love you too, Ladybug."

She turned to look at me, her eyes wide in surprise. She didn't expect that, but I meant every word. We were bound together now, in a way that went beyond flesh and blood. Our souls were intertwined into two halves of a whole.

Later that night, we lay on the ground, both of us high on moonshine and the thrill of the hunt. Our bodies were naked, our skin pressing into the earth as if we were becoming one with it. The full moon shone down on us, a silent witness to our love. Our rhythm was perfect, our bodies moving together in sync, like the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs.

Darcelle's body trembled beneath mine, her moans mixing with the sounds of the night. Every touch and every movement felt electric, like we were creating something cosmic, something ancient.

"If you want me," I whispered, pressing my lips to hers, "you have to take all of me. The darkness, the chaos, the death."

She nodded, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her nails digging into my back as I moved deeper into her. There was no hesitation in her now, only surrender. The earth beneath us felt alive, breathing with us as we moved together, our bodies intertwined, our souls dancing in the moonlight.

When we were done, we lay there for what felt like hours, staring up at the stars.

Darcelle was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Maybe she was my real wealth, my fortune. Maybe I loved her.

I wasn't sure what that meant, but I knew one thing: I wasn't going to let her go.