Mind Games.

chapter 54: Hello again.

The next morning was filled with rain and sleet. The streets of Da Haan were wet and stormy. But the bed I shared with him couldn't have been more warm and welcoming.
I was the first to wake up. Connor had an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. I managed to slip out from under his arm without him stirring. After I had slipped out, I ckecked the time; 12:00.
Crap, my shift starts in an hour.
I grabbed my fresh work dress out of my top drawer and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. I noticed a few bruises on my body from last night, but they made me smile.
Was that what really happened?
I stepped under the shower head and enjoyed the warm water. After my outfit was in place, I tied my hair in a tight bun and walked out into the room. Connor was starting to wake up. I smiled and leaned over him.
"Good morning, Connor." I kissed his cheek gently. He yawned and smiled.
"Shower with me?"
"Sorry, your too late. I have to go to work."
"Oh, boo." He said, propping himself up on his elbows. I giggled and slipped my coat on over my work dress.
"I'll be here after work at 6. Until then, sight see, enjoy the town."
"And think about your ass." He said, smirking. I smirked back and leaned down to him again.
"Oh, that shouldn't be your main concern." I kissed his lips and stood up.
By the time I made it to work, the whole place was bustling. My friend Maya saw me as she rushed past me to get her tables. I smiled back to her and clocked in behind the counter. My boss came up to me and said,
"Alice, a man left you this a few minutes ago." He handed me a folded up note. I frowned and took it. When it was unfolded, it had two simple words on it;
Hello again.
Hello again? What does that mean? I frowned and looked up at him.
"What does that me-"
"I don't know. Look,were packed right now. Just do your job, please." He walked off. I sighed and stuffed the note into my apron.
The whole day went by in a blur, and before I knew it, my shift was over. I clicked out on the board and started walking back to my apartment, thinking about Connor.
I hope he is still there.
I opened the door to my apartment and walked inside. Everything seemed to be normal. Until I walked into my bedroom.
I froze on the doorway and stared for a moment.
Connor sat on a chair, tied down with rope with duct tape over his mouth. He wore sweat pants and no shirt. When I walked in, he tried to say something, shaking violently in the chair. I took one step towards him with my hands out.
"What hap-" but I suddenly felt a hand clasp around my mouth while a cold, round barrel of a gun was pressed tightly against my temple. I didn't scream, but my heart jumped. The man lowered his head down to my ear and whispered,
"Hello again, my love." His voice made my stomach drop.
Mr. Marsh brought me to a chair on the other side of the room and pushed me down to it. Then, he strapped down my hands with Velcro straps. I stared back up to him.
"How did you find me?" I whispered. He stood up and smiled.
"The same way your little fuck boy did, at the cafe."
"But I never saw you-"
"I have my ways, Alice." He said, smiling. His smile wasn't pleasant. It was crazed and wild, with not a trace of sanity behind it. I felt afraid.
He sat on the bed between Connor and I, caressing the gun in his hand. He looked between us, and smiled to Connor.
"You and I are one and the same, you know." He pointed to me.
"We've both been played by the same woman. We've allowed her to steal our hearts and our seneses." He reached over and ripped the tape from his mouth. Connor let out a cough. Blood spewed from his mouth as he did.
Mr. Marsh turned to me by way of explanation.
"He put up a good fight." He let out a small chuckle. I shook my head and said,
"You don't have to do this-"
"Do what, Alice? We're just talking." He said, chuckling to himself. Connor spit at him and barked,
"Your Fucking crazy!" Mr. Marsh looked at him, still smiling. He got up and walked over to Connor. Then, he balled up his fist and punched him straight across the face. I cried out to him,
"No! Stop it! You're hurting him!" Mr. Marsh turned back to me with a scowl.
"Oh, like you didn't hurt me when you fucked this little prick!" He shouted and walked towards me. I bit my lip to keep it from quivering. He stopped in front of me. A small smirk came to his face.
"Oh...have you told him about us, Alice?" That made Connor frown.
"What the hell are you talking about?!?" He looked to me. I stared back helplessly. Mr. Marsh took some of my hair in his hand and swept it to the side, walking behind me.
"Oh Connor, she didn't tell you? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret." He smirked down at me. I couldn't look at him. Or Connor. I bit my lip and looked down. Mr. Marsh crouched down next to me, his eyes never leaving me. Then, he said loud enough so Connor could hear,
"She wasn't a virgin before you two had sex, were you, Alice?"
"What the hell are you talking about!?!" He shouted to him. But his eyes were brimming with tears. I shivered as Mr. Marsh smirked and said,
"She gives great head, doesn't she?" He lifted my chin so I looked at Connor. Connor was enraged by the action.
"Get your hands off of her!" He struggled with his restraints. Mr. Marsh leaned his head against the side of mine and took a deep breath. Then, he chuckled a little.
"I forgive you, Alice. I really do. But you can't have both of us, there's no room. You had to have known that." He stood up and walked lazily to Connor's side of the room. I sniffled a few times while shaking my head.
"Please, don't hurt him, Simon. Please..." He looked up and tilted his head.
"I don't want him hurt. I want him dead...but we're going to play a little game, Alice."
"Wh-what kind of game?" I replied. He smiled wider and sighed.
"It's called, never have I ever...you know how to play?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head. He nodded.
"I'm going to ask you ten questions while you hold up one hand. If you have done the thing I say, you put down one finger. If all the fingers go down before the ten questions are finished, Connor dies."
"And if they don't?" I asked. He smiled, looked at Connor.
"Then he can stay tied up here while you and I run off. Of course, if you'd rather not play, I can always just shoot him..." He pushed the barrel against his head. I shook my head and said,
"No! I'll play." I took a breath and held my hand up as much as I could. He smiled and nodded.
"Ok. First one...never have I ever eaten a squid." I frowned, but kept my fingers up. He nodded.
"That was a test one. Number two...never have I ever kissed me." My heart sunk as I watched Connor. I stuck one finger down. Mr. Marsh smirked.
"Number 3. Never have I ever, kissed Connor." Another finger down. Mr. Marsh crossed his arms.
"It's nice to see honesty. Number 4. Never have I ever...fucked me." He smiled widely at Connor. Connor looked to me. I slowly put my finger down again. Connor shook his head slowly.
"How could you..."
"Number five. Never have I ever, babysat a child." I kept my fingers up. He nodded and said,
"Never have I ever...fucked Connor." I put another finger down. Mr. Marsh smiled and turned to Connor.
"How does it feel, Connor? Knowing Alice has slept with me. How does it feel knowing that she liked it?"
"Fuck you!" Connor shouted, spitting at him. Mr. Marsh turned back to me.
"Number seven."
"Please..."
"Never have I ever been to Russia." I kept my one finger up. He smiled.
"Number eight. Never have I ever seen a shark in real life."
"Please stop-"
"Number 9. Never have I ever been to prom."
"Simon-"
"Last one, Alice. Never have I ever...hated me!" I kept my finger up. Mr. Marsh shook his head.
"Bullshit. Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not!"
"Shut up!" He shouted, pressing the gun harder into Connor's mouth. Tears streamed down my face.
"No, I never hated you! I love you!" I shouted. Connor looked like he wanted to die already. But my remark had stopped Mr. Marsh.
"What?"
"I love you, Simon. I'm sorry." I cried and looked down. After what seemed like forever, Mr. Marsh dropped the gun to the floor and walked over to me.
"Alice...do you mean it? Do you really love me?" He lifted my chin and set a hand on my cheek. I sniffled a few times and nodded.
"Yes, I do." He stared back into my eyes for a few moments. Then, he smiled and leaned into me. He kissed my lips gently. I was too numb to react. Connor shouted,
"Get off of her!" Mr. Marsh pulled away from me. Then, he turned around and walked angrily towards Connor.
"Stop!" I shouted behind him.
But before he could reach the gun, the window behind Connor shattered into a million pieces as a man dressed all in black swung through it.
"Freeze!" I heard a familiar voice say. When I turned around, Clark was aiming his gun straight at Simon, who was frozen in place. I felt relief wash over me.
Oliver came in and untied Connor and me while Terence forced Simon onto his knees.
"You have the right to remain silent." He said as he clipped hand cuffs onto his wrists. They hoisted him up and began to walk away. Simon glared at me the whole way out.
I quivered in my spot, unable to move. Connor came running to me the second he was untied.
"Alice! Are you ok?"
"Connor...I don't know what to say-"
"Shh, it's alright. I'm not mad at you." He soothed as we embraced each other.
I sat and told Clark what had happened while Connor held my hand. By the time I had said everything, Connor sighed and asked me,
"Well...what now?" He stared at me. I knitted my eyebrows together and thought.
Well....

(1 week later...:)

We stepped off the plane onto a dirt runway. I used my hand to shield the light from the sun as Connor followed behind me.
We had arrived on the small island of Gizo, part of the Solomon islands off the coast of Australia. Connor gripped my hand and smiled encouragingly at me.
"How do you feel?" He asked, pulling our bags behind us. I shrugged.
"Nervous? Happy? Nervous?" He chuckled and gripped my hand tighter.
"Don't be. They'll love you."
We stepped into a jeep and watched as jungles passed us by. I became more and more anxious as we approached. After an hour of driving, we came to a clearing in the forest. A beach stood in front of us with a small house made of drift wood and tarp. I bit my lip.
The jeep slowed down, then stopped. I hopped out, Connor behind me. He stood by the jeep and waited. I slowly approached the front door. Before I could knock, the door swung open.
I faced an older woman, with wrinkles around her mouth and light blue eyes.
My mother.
She frowned and said in a sweet voice,
"Who are you?" I stood there, then quietly whispered,
"It's me, mom." She froze.
"Alice?" I nodded. Then, I got to do something I haven't done since I was three.
I hugged my mother. My father came and asked,
"Whats all the commotion?"
"Alice! She's home!" My mother said through joyful tears. My father came into view. Although stubby, he had brown hair and gentle eyes. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him.
"Daddy!" He hugged back, crying now too. Connor approached. My mother said,
"And who's this young man?"
"Connor, this is my mom. Mom, this is my boyfriend, Connor." They shook hands. My father smiled and said,
"Come in, make yourselves at home."
I've never been more at home.

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Epilogue: They stayed for three months after that, then Connor and Alice moved to Sweden, where she became pregnant with a baby boy. They got married when their son, Jack, was two. Not long after Alice had another child, David. They all lived happily ever after!
The end.
I just wanted to say thank you to all my readers. You're the reason I keep writing. My next book is called, Odes to Ella. Please read, and thank you again!
Hope you enjoyed the book. Bye! C:.