Until I breathe | 18+

Four- The breaking point

Lily

After getting ready, I descend the stairs, as my footsteps echo through the hushed corridor. I smooth my flowy silk dress. I feel elegant and refined in soft, ivory hue, as the delicate lace trim dances through my collarbone. The corridor's warm light surrounds me.

My footsteps echo through the hallway, each creaking step amplifying the tension. His gaze rises, meeting mine. His eyes, dark and unfathomable, hold a warning. I reach the bottom step, my heart pounding in my chest.

Silence. His neck veins pulse, the only betrayal of his otherwise impassive demeanor. More silence, thick and heavy, like a physical presence.

"Jeh?" I whisper, my voice barely audible, as he was waiting for me, with his eyes blazing with rage, waiting to unleash its fury

Jeh Van Doren.

"Are you really serious Lily?" His jaw clenched, and his veiny arms flex, showcasing the vibrant tattoos, exposed from his half rolled up sleeves of his black shirt.

Stray hairs escape his half tied bun, framing his tense features. He is the walking canvas of badassery, someone who can raise the heavens for his loved ones and bend the hell for his enemies.

"You really pricked that professor with a pair of compasses in his neck? ", He asks angrily, as his hand tightly holds onto my shoulder.

Oh yeah, I remember. It just happened yesterday " So what? ", I answer calmly.

Jeh's eyes widened in shock, his anger momentarily replaced by horror. "Lily, so what?... You've made his neck...a fucking strainer, You could have atleast told me!",

I remain steady, my voice unwavering. "It's just.....it wasn't planned, Jeh"

Yeah, it wasn't planned. And I will never lie to him, and he knows it too. I get it, He is angry not for I've tortured that bastard but because I've not included him. He's angry because I broke our unspoken pact. We've always been a team, a synchronized dance of death. Every target, every mission, every kill - we've shared them all.

I recall the thrill in his eyes as we stalk our prey, the way his smile seems to grow with every perfectly executed shot in satisfaction, the rush of adrenaline, the quiet pride in a job well done.

I hesitate, unsure how to explain. His eyes seem to bore into mine, searching for answers. I know I owe him the truth, but the words catch in my throat. I remain quiet, unsure of how much to reveal.

His anger dissipates, replaced by understanding. Out of the whole world only he knows about my past, my abuse... and worse.

I've never told about this to Ayren even, or he'd have already killed him long ago.

I was only eight, when my home tutor did that to me. And I didn't trust anyone to tell about that, except, Jeh. I was so scared of being judged, of not being believed. Even though I've told him, long after when it actually happened too, he has never judged me for that, and for anything.

I thought I'd have to live with that impossible to heal, emotional scar, forever. But Jeh's unwavering support and empathy created enough safe space for me to heal. And his compassion and validation helped me regain control over my emotions, rebuilding my sense of self worth.

I guess that's what real best friends are. Okay!! He was more than a best friend at some point, before Ayren came into my life. But that's the story for a different time.

Yesterday, when I was driving to the Caffareli Mansion, I saw him again, after seventeen years. Though the encounter stirred the ashes of my trauma, I refused to let the flames engulf me. For the first time ever, I saw him not as a monster, but a shadow from a life I had outgrown.