Misfits - Chapter 33 (Patreon)

Rue

Cal is sitting in front of me, with his head in his hands. His words are ringing in my ears like a loud bell. He won’t look at me. He won’t speak. I open my mouth to speak but don’t know what to say. So, I laugh. It starts out as a small giggle and slowly grows into a loud laugh. I’m laughing until my stomach hurts. This has to be a joke. It has to be. Who just admits that they’re a murderer and doesn’t even bat a lash, or worry about the consequence?

And when I open my eyes again, Cal is staring at me with a confused expression. I can feel my irritation getting the best of me.

“That’s not funny, Cal...,” I trial off when he makes no move to say just kidding or any indication that he’s not being serious. I jerk away from him, suddenly feeling much more naked than I am.

“Oh my God,” I whisper. He’s serious. He’s fucking serious. I stare at him in horror, confused as fuck at how the hell I could get involved with someone like him.

“Vitale was going to lose me because I had fallen for you. I was waiting too long to go through with his plans because I was waiting for you to finish school, so you wouldn’t be caught up in anything serious. And he kidnapped you, to make me go through with everything. Dangling your life in front of me.” Cal is explaining everything, but I just stare at him in shock and disbelief. He’s a murderer. He kills people, and what’s worse, he doesn’t feel anything about it.

I immediately jump out of the bed, stumbling on my way to the door. I hear him call my name, but I don’t look back. I just run through the house looking for a phone. I have to call the police on this psychotic killer. I reach the living room, and before I can register anything else, Cal’s hand wraps around my arm, yanking me roughly backward.

“Let go of me!” I scream. Crushing fear enveloping me.

“Help!” I scream. Cal places a hand over my mouth, telling me to be quiet but I become frantic. Now he’s going to kill me too. I struggle and scream, and Cal only locks his hold on me tighter, crushing my body to his.

“Rue, Calm down.” His voice is low and demanding. I stop my struggle, but there is still fear inside of me.

“I’m going to let go of you now, ok? You can’t run.” I nod my head, letting him know that I understand. His arms slowly release my body. I immediately back away from him, terrified as hell. I look around the room for something, anything, to protect myself from him.

“Rue, I’m not going to hurt you,” he says. He sounds desperate but I don’t care. Maybe the past me could believe him and listen. But the present me, the me right now that doesn’t even remember him... can’t.

I take off towards the kitchen, grabbing a knife out of the knife rack and holding it out in front of me, aiming it at Cal. Shock is on his face, followed by immediate hurt.

“If you come near me, I’ll run you through,” I ground out. He continues to stare at me, and I watch as his face slowly loses emotion. But I don’t miss the look of sadness that crosses his face before it all disappears. I want to feel bad for him, but I can’t. I can’t feel for someone that doesn’t feel when taking a life.

I’m not the woman I was. I don’t love him. I don’t remember him. I may have felt something for him, but that all disappeared the moment he admitted that to me.

“Rue...please...,” he whispers as he takes another step towards me. I step back, raising the knife even higher. He lets out a shaky sigh, and before I can even register what’s going on, he’s moving. He roughly grabs onto me, squeezing my arm so tight that I drop the blade. He yanks my body flush against him, looking deep into my eyes, those amber eyes causing me to tremble.

A soft smile crosses his features, but it’s sad. So so sad.

“I love you, princess,” he whispers before his hand snakes up my throat, and he squeezes. I feel my air supply cut off, and immediately try and struggle, but the way he has me trapped against him makes it impossible. My chest is burning from lack of oxygen, and I open my mouth, trying my hardest to breathe. I gaze desperately at Cal, and I’m shocked to see he’s crying. My vision blurs around the edges, and the world blacks out, just as my consciousness does.

* * * * *

Cal

Two Months Later

Misery. Hate. Anger.

Emotions that usually are under my control, are not. I’ve never been so down before. So depressed. And so angry. The image of Rue’s face as she threatened me keeps replaying in my head over and over again. She hates me. Even more so now. She doesn’t even know who I am, and I told her the dark truth about me. She hates me for it. Resents me. And because I love her, I let her go. I took her and set her up somewhere, leaving not a trace of my existence. Nothing but a note explaining everything.

My gaze travels up to all the jars containing hearts on Viktor’s shelf. I want to kill. More and more. And with each job that Vitale gives me, I’m less and less satisfied. Since my release of Rue, I’ve been more prone to lose control, which for Viktor is a good thing. Just the sound of his name sends fear down people's spines now thanks to me. Viktor makes sure to bring his new clients in his office so that they can see my handiwork and know what will become of them if they disobey him.

I hear the door open and Viktor walks in. I called a meeting with him today because I have to tell him the bitter truth about me and Rue. There is no way we’re getting married. Especially now. I was a fool to think that someone as kind and pure as Rue could ever fall for a monster like me. This is the real world, and in the real world, true love never wins. I should know. I’ve been the object in between on several occasions.

“Cal, to what do I owe this surprise meeting.” Viktor claps me on the back as he walks around me and takes a seat at his desk. His cool gaze levels me. I don’t fear him. I never have. And I’ve never had a reason to. So his gaze does nothing to me.

“I have to ask you a favor,” I say. He raises a brow at my request.

“I need you to leave Rue alone. She and I won’t be anything more than strangers. There is no way I can marry her, especially now. I’ll keep an eye on her from a distance, and make sure that she doesn’t do anything that will threaten you. But I need your word you won’t harm her, Viktor,” I say meeting his gaze. His eyes narrow at me slightly. I’m sure he’s never had anyone go against his word, and I’m sure as hell positive he’s never had anyone ask to go back on his word. He leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I like you, Cal. You’re the easiest person to work with, and you never complain or ask questions. And you get the job done without a second thought. So, I’m going to grant your wish. If you tell anyone of this, you will not like the result. And if your lover steps out of line, it will be your life on the line as well as hers. Do you understand, Cal?” he asks. I nod my head. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting him to agree.

He sits forward in his chair eyeing me curiously.

“Now, Cal. I must ask. Are you ok? You seem to have been hanging on by a thread as of late, I can see the restraint barely intact,” he says. I stare at him shocked. He’s asking about my well-being? Viktor laughs.

“Don’t look so surprised Cal. I told you. Once you were sworn in, you are family now. I care about my family and their emotional state. So tell me, what is it?” he asks. I open my mouth, then close it not knowing what to say. No one has ever asked me how I was doing. No one except for Rue, that is. I shake my head in confusion and stand to leave.

“It’s nothing, thank you for honoring my wish, Viktor.” I turn to leave the room, but Viktor stops me.

”Callum, if you need to get something off your chest, I would suggest you do it sooner rather than later. I’d hate to lose you to an emotional breakdown.” I sense the underlying threat in that sentence. If something happens, and I go crazy, Viktor won’t hesitate in taking me down. Permanently.

I nod my head to him and turn to leave the room, knowing my exact destination.

* * * * *

I sit watching Rue from the window. She never knows I’m here. I watch her as she sits and reads. She’s probably studying. Like always. This is my nightly routine. I watch Rue go about her life, hoping that one night she’ll awake and remember me, but as of late none of that has happened.

I take in her features, feeling myself grow warm and a deep surge of happiness washes over me. It seems I can only get this feeling from her. Her usually curly hair is straight, and cresting down her back in long waves. She for some reason began straightening it. Her long lashes are framing those big, brown eyes perfectly. And those lips. I miss them. I miss them against my skin, against my lips. I miss them talking to me and crying out for me.

I just miss her completely, and it breaks my heart to be this close and unable to touch her. She suddenly sits up straighter and looks around the room. She closes her book and just sits there. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m shocked when I notice tears rolling down her cheeks. She’s gazing at the back wall and crying. And I have no idea why.

When I forced her to go unconscious, I brought her to this apartment and left her a note. I apologized to her for everything that I had put her through and told her that I loved her, and this was my way of showing her that. I told her that I know what I do is wrong, and I know she can’t be with someone like that. I also told her how I had paid for this place for her, yet she still went and got a job, and pays the rent herself. Even buys her own groceries. All the while going to school. She never ceases to amaze me.

But now as I watch her cry, I want nothing more than to comfort her. To figure out the source of her pain, and make it go away. She places her head in her hands, and her shoulders begin to shake even more so now, It breaks my heart. Why in the world is she crying?

I feel my fingertips tingling just to touch her. It’s been so long since I’ve touched her. Since I’ve held her. Since I’ve fucking spoken to her. I told myself that I would leave her alone, but with each passing day, I find that harder and harder to accomplish. How am I supposed to just leave the only person that I’ve ever loved alone?

I flinch as a raindrop lands on my head, damn. It’s time for me to go. Especially now since it’s raining and she might discover me out here. I take one last look at the empty seat she was seated on and head towards my car.

I should have known, that at the end of the day, love never wins. The world is full of people that are looking to see you fail, even if your loyalties aren’t in question. I brought Rue into this world and almost got her killed because of it. Because I let myself feel something for her, and I let my guard down she almost paid the ultimate price for it.

I slowly trudge to my car, feeling a heap of sadness wash over me. I miss her, but I know that in order for her to be happy. I would need to stay away forever. Because someone like Rue can never love someone like me. Not in good conscience. And I would be heartless to ask her to do something like that. I can’t ask that of her anymore.

I take one last longing look back and get in the car, speeding out of my hiding place, and out of Rue’s life forever.

* * * * *

1 Year Later.

“Rue Johnson.” The crowd applauds as Rue walks across that stage, cap and gown, with a huge smile on her face, and grabs her diploma. She’s beautiful. Actually, beautiful is putting it mildly. She’s stunning. After years of hard work and clawing her way, she finally did it. And I couldn’t be more proud of her. I wish that I could have been with her every step of the way, but I know that for her to be truly happy, I would have to stay away.

But when I realized her graduation was today, I couldn’t miss that. And I’m glad that I didn’t. My Rue. My beautiful Rue is walking across the stage with a large smile on her face and happiness radiating from her every pore. It’s amazing seeing her again, seeing her like this. So happy and carefree. It makes me wonder if she ever regained her memory.

The rest of the ceremony passes on. I told myself that I would just watch her graduate, and move on. After this, I was going to leave and continue with my life, but it’s not enough. I want to see her again. And I want her to see me. Being away from her for a whole year has taken its toll on me. I don’t want any other woman, I want Rue. And if I have to kidnap her, and tie her up, then so be it.

Everyone erupts in applause around me as the ceremony concludes, but I just keep my gaze trained on Rue. She walks around the ceremony, with a sad smile, as she hugs her friends, and they all go to their families. Except she doesn’t have one. As everyone hugs and takes pictures together, she just makes her way out of the auditorium, and slowly back to her apartment. And I follow her the whole way.

Once she’s inside, I wait ten minutes before making my way to the front door. I knock. It takes a few seconds, but the door is pulled open and I feel it. The moment I met her in that clearing all that time ago, the feelings that I’ve tried to stuff away, all come rushing back to me.

She stares at me, her eyes widening, and to my complete and utter shock, she begins crying. Fat tears roll down her cheek in waves, as she stares at me. I notice that her grip on the door is tightening, and the catch in her breathing. She slowly reaches out, placing her hand against the side of my face, as if seeing if I’m really here. She knows me. She really knows me. Which means she got her memory back. I don’t know when, but I do know that look in her eyes. She’s staring at me with so much love and adoration, the way that she used to. A choked sob escapes her lips, and she lets out a breathy laugh, before jumping into my arms and squeezing me tight.

Her tears are wetting my neck, and she’s squeezing me so hard I think I might burst, but I only hold on to her as well, reveling in the feeling that I’ve been missing all this time.

“Cal,” she whispers. The sound turns me to mush. How I’ve longed to hear my name come from her lips again.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. But she only cries harder, and harder, squeezing me even tighter. Then she says something that completely stops my heart in its tracks.

“I missed you.”

In my life, I have been tortured, used, and abused. No one has ever loved me, and I have never loved anyone. Until I met Rue. She changed me in a way that I never thought possible, making me think of others and her well-being. Teaching me slowly how to love. I never thought that I would be in love. I never thought that I would need someone as much as I needed Rue. But for once in my life, I am madly in love, and I am obsessively needing her all the time. Because Rue, well she’s my everything.

My blessing in disguise, the love of my life, my conscience, and most importantly my princess. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone take that away from me ever again.

The End