Our Love Is Tainted

Chapter 19: Reunions

I slowly make my way down the stairs, feeling nervous, like it's the first time I'm seeing my family in months. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, but then I see Violet besides me, and the look on her face reminds me of what we had gotten up to an hour ago. I giggle to myself, watching as she raises an eyebrow, to which I react by simply winking at her. I control my breathing, finding my way to some form of calmness, that's when I feel Violet's hand touch mine.
"Babe? Why are you so nervous?" She asks me, a smile appearing on her face.
"I'm normal now, I mean, this is initially the first interaction I'm having with everyone, where I'm no threat to any of them. I feel good, I don't feel like I have to watch every move I make any more, and, honestly, I've never felt like this before."
"I'm proud of you," Violet smiles. "Really, I am."
"Thank you, Vi, I don't know what I'd do without you, I mean it."
I take my final step down the stairs, and then, I reach the bottom, breathing heavily. I look up and smile, seeing them; my family.

Everyone celebrates at the sight of me, smiling and laughing. Everyone seems happy, and I love that, it makes me happier. Nobody has to fear me anymore, Taint no longer has hold of me anymore, and that in itself, makes everything feel free.
"Welcome back, Tate!" Patrick says to me, dragging me into a hug.
Hayden, Nora, Moira and Vivien join the hug, making me feel warm inside. I turn around, and there stands Ben, starring me up and down.
"Welcome to the family, Tate Langdon," he says, dragging me into a very awkward hug, to which I join happily.
I watch as Moira and Vivien open the oven, taking a tray away from it, revealing two dozen small cookies. The simple look of them makes my mouth water, which is weird because I've never felt hungry since my death. I turn again, seeing Chad, looking down as always with a glass of wine in his hand, which makes me feel terrible. I make my way towards him, gulping down on all the air I have in my lungs.

"Hey Chad," I speak awkwardly, catching his attention.
"Oh, hello Tate."
"Can we talk? You seem, bored."
"Sure thing, hun!" Chad speaks sarcastically, making me roll my eyes, but still, sit down.
"I know you, don't like me very much, and I don't blame you, I mean, I did murder you. But, I'm sorry, okay? I know, that doesn't account for anything, but well, hopefully, I can make it up to you, one day."
I begin to walk away, but that's when I hear his voice again. "Tate?"
"Yeah, Chad?"
"I'm sorry, for being such a tight ass to you, I know you're, not the same person anymore-"
"It's okay, Chad. It doesn't bother me, as long as you're okay?"
"I am," he smiles, taking a sip of his wine, watching as Patrick happily joins him.
"Oh, and PS. I'm going to call you both over with me and Ben in a minute."

I walk away, starring at Ben, noticing how skittish he's looking. What the fuck is going on in his head? I need to find out.
"Hey, Ben?" I start. "Can I speak to you, in private."
Ben nods, heading his way towards me straight away, Patrick and Chad joining us the second he reaches me.
"What's up?" Ben questions.
"We need to," I pause, staring at the other two. "Figure out a way to get rid of him, Taint, for good."
Chad chuckles. "Yeah well, I owe that fuckward a couple stabs and a break in the neck."
"And I owe him a fire-poker in his ass," Patrick adds.
"Enough," Ben whispers. "I agree, but we shouldn't focus on that yet. Tate, this day, is about you, so, celebrate."
"Yeah," I agree, starring over at the beautiful women in the kitchen, especially my Violet. "I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else, I'd kill him over and over, rather than let him do that."

My eyes meet Violet's, and suddenly, I'm tasted with a different type of flavour; chocolate against caramel, my eyes against hers. The taste is sweet in the mouth, so sweet, it gives me shivers from inside; the perfect mixture. She smiles at me, then winks as she takes a bite of a cookie, making my mouth water more than it did before. She's seducing me, that's for sure, but, I don't want to make a scene, I mean, Ben is standing inches away from me. I can feel the sword of my heart crumbling to her shield as she smiles at me, her smirk glowing from her cheeks. I smile back, not even noticing Chad and Patrick walking away from us.
"Come here," she mouths at me, making me silently laugh, nodding in reply.

I begin to walk towards my beautiful Violet, and then, I'm caught off-guard when Ben is suddenly thrown on top me, growling at the impact. I stare over at Violet once more, and the look on her face; the look of absolute fear, it terrifies me. What the fuck is going on now?!
"Get off me!" I scream, flicking myself away from Ben.
I get myself to my feet, seeing it, him, standing before me, with that disgusting grin on his face as he claps. The look on his says it all; he wants to be here, wants to do something, that's what he does; he hunts, he hurts, he hates.
"Well, well, well," he says as he finishes with a loud as fuck clap. "Isn't this one happy, reunion with family?"
I can feel myself becoming bottled up anger and hatred, caused by his sheer presence. He's the thing that made me do most of the horrible things in my life, he's the one who caused the suffering and pain in my life, I hate him, and I can tell, things are about to become, bloody.