Afterlight (Fanfiction) ✓

chapter seven

Chloe

THE silence between us stretched, thick and heavy with unspoken words. The night was alive with the subtle hum of distant sounds—the chirp of crickets, the rustling of leaves in the soft breeze—but in that moment, everything felt still, as if time itself was holding its breath. I couldn't help but glance at Justin as I walked beside him, my body aching with the weight of everything that had happened.

"What does that mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my chest rising and falling with the weight of the question. "You do things around here that you don't even want to do?"

He didn't respond immediately. His gaze was steady, unwavering as he looked me in the eyes. I could feel the coolness of his stare, like the edge of a blade brushing against my skin. His lips barely moved as he spoke, but the words hit me with a quiet force.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, his voice low, almost gravelly. "Let's get back home. Things can get chaotic here late at night."

His hand, firm and steady, rested on my right shoulder. It wasn't a gesture of comfort, but something else—something commanding, like he was pulling me into his world, reminding me that I was no longer in control. I didn't resist, but I couldn't quite ignore the strange chill that crept up my spine.

"Okay," I replied, my voice tired, almost detached, as if I were already a thousand miles away in my own thoughts.

I could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me, the last four days pulling at my limbs like a lead weight. Kidnapped, trapped in a house with a criminal who had no idea who I really was—it was too much. My feet still throbbed from the glass, the pain gnawing at me with every step I took. But all I wanted now was to escape, to lose myself in sleep and forget about the chaos that had consumed me.

Justin led me to the car, his presence a constant shadow beside me. He opened the passenger door, gesturing for me to get in. The car smelled of old leather and something faintly metallic, the air thick with the weight of secrets I hadn't yet uncovered. As the door clicked shut behind me, I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment. The simple act of sitting in the car, the hum of the engine beneath me, felt like the smallest slice of peace.

The roar of the engine broke the silence as Justin slid into the driver's seat, the key turning in the ignition with a metallic snap. The car jolted forward, the tires screeching against the pavement as he took off, speeding through the darkened streets with an ease that made my heart race.

"That was one of the nicest things I've done for a girl," he said, his voice soft, but with an edge to it. He turned the wheel sharply to the left, the motion throwing my body with it. I could feel the car's power, the way it seemed to bend to his will as if nothing could stand in its way. "Remember this day."

The nicest thing he'd ever done?

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His words were laced with a strange sincerity, but I couldn't help but wonder: was this just another one of his games? Was he pretending to be something he wasn't, just for my benefit? I believed him, though—he probably wasn't the guy who did the saving.

The streets were empty, the night air still. Justin's foot pressed harder on the gas, and I could feel the car surging forward like it was chasing something—maybe the past, maybe its own darkness. I closed my eyes for a moment, the motion of the car and the hum of the engine lulling me into a strange, half-conscious state.

Before long, we pulled up to his house. The dogs barked in the distance, and I could hear the faint sound of crickets in the cool air. I stepped out of the car, my body protesting every movement, my mind heavy with exhaustion. Justin was already ahead of me, moving quickly, his form a blur of motion in the darkness. He reached the door first and opened it for me, his hand brushing against mine as I passed him.