Sequel: He was the Moon ›
Dance to Anything
You got both your guns, and when you shoot, I think I’ll die.
Only the important things, Ryan, I told myself, still wearing my black dress from the day before, as I filled my suitcase with clothes from my days on the streets. Pack only the important things. Take only what you can carry. Brendon promised me we’d leave town, once I told him of my fear of Pete’s wrath. “He’s a madman, Brendon! He’ll kill me!”
“I’m gonna safe you properly,” he had said and sealed it with a kiss. “I’m not going to let you hurt anymore.”
“What are you doing?” Will’s voice reached my ears and I turned to see him leaning in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
William. Crystalline. The lighter half of the Matched Set. My oath-brother. Sister. Surely I could trust him. “I’m leaving,” I told him quietly. “I can’t stay here anymore.”
“How—?”
“Brendon,” I said and continued packing. “Told you he’d be my saving grace.” I turned my head to give Will a giddy smile.
His eyes were narrowed in my direction. “Why would he do that for you?” he asked. “You just him. Gabe wouldn’t even do that for me.”
“He loves me.”
He choked on a crazed laugh. “And tell me, how hard did you have to fuck him until he said that?” he asked coldly. “You dirty, filthy whore.”
“No! I’m not!” I began, terror rushing through me as William turned and darted away. “Will!” He was already gone. “He won’t tell Pete,” I told myself as I searched the room for my overcoat. “He wouldn’t.”
It took me a couple more minutes to find everything I needed, and I looked around at the room for the last time, suitcase in hand. I won’t miss you, I thought with a small smile and reached for the doorknob.
It wouldn’t budge.
My suitcase fell from my hand. Will. He must have … “No!” I screamed, pounding at the locked door. “Let me out of here! Help!”
“Why should I let you out, Opus?” Pete asked and I whipped my head around, trying to find the source of his voice.
“I just … please!” I cried, clawing desperately at the wood.
Pete’s chilling laugh resonated through the room and my eyes finally found him crouched in the rafters about the room. “Poor, little Opus,” he crooned. “Thinking she could escape. It’s called La Cage for a reason, sweetheart.”
“Help me!” I shouted, slamming myself into the door, trying to bust it open. “Brendon!” I screamed in desperation, knowing there was no way he could hear me from Palmer House.
“He can’t save you, Opus,” Pete hissed, disappearing into the shadows. “No one can.”
Floundering helplessly on the floor, I curled up in a ball, rocking myself back and forth. He said he save me. He said he loves me. Help me. Help. Help. Help.
“Ryan,” a soft voice said coldly and I hear the door swing open. “Get up.”
Raising my head, I looked up to see William staring down at me with cool eyes. “You,” I snarled, getting to my feet. “How could you do that to me?”
“I didn’t,” he said shortly. “You may be a slut, but you’re still my oath-brother. I would never betray you to Pete. It’s not my fault he likes to watch us from the ceiling. Now get up and get out of here, because he catches you.”
“Thank you, Will,” I murmured and kissed him quickly on both kisses.
“Go!” he hissed. “I’m giving you one chance.”
I met his gaze, a mirror of my own, and his eyes softened. “I love you, Ry,” he said quietly and kissed me on the forehead. “You better live a life good enough for the both of us. Got it?”
“Ryan?” a desperate voice called and I looked up and out across the vast expanse of the dance hall to see a dark figure at the front door, held back by two of Pete’s henchmen. “Ryan!”
“Brendon!” I called back and stepped from William’s embrace.
“Not so fast, Opus,” a low voice growled in my ear as a strong hand gripped my wrist. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“You can’t keep me here anymore, Pete!” I hissed back and broke from his grasp, sprinting down the hall.
“Stop!” Pete bellowed, but I wasn’t listening.
Brendon watched me with large, scared eyes. “Ryan!” he cried, face paling as I bolted towards him. “Stop!”
And I froze. “Why?” I asked in a quiet voice, stuck in the middle of the dizzyingly large hall. “What’s wrong?”
“He has a gun, Ryan!” Brendon shouted, trying desperately to break past the doormen. I met his brown gaze and saw my own fear reflected there. I began to run towards him again. “He’ll shoot you, Ryan!” Brendon howled, stamping his feet. “It’s not worth it! I’m not worth it!”
“I don’t ca—”
“I’m gonna safe you properly,” he had said and sealed it with a kiss. “I’m not going to let you hurt anymore.”
“What are you doing?” Will’s voice reached my ears and I turned to see him leaning in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
William. Crystalline. The lighter half of the Matched Set. My oath-brother. Sister. Surely I could trust him. “I’m leaving,” I told him quietly. “I can’t stay here anymore.”
“How—?”
“Brendon,” I said and continued packing. “Told you he’d be my saving grace.” I turned my head to give Will a giddy smile.
His eyes were narrowed in my direction. “Why would he do that for you?” he asked. “You just him. Gabe wouldn’t even do that for me.”
“He loves me.”
He choked on a crazed laugh. “And tell me, how hard did you have to fuck him until he said that?” he asked coldly. “You dirty, filthy whore.”
“No! I’m not!” I began, terror rushing through me as William turned and darted away. “Will!” He was already gone. “He won’t tell Pete,” I told myself as I searched the room for my overcoat. “He wouldn’t.”
It took me a couple more minutes to find everything I needed, and I looked around at the room for the last time, suitcase in hand. I won’t miss you, I thought with a small smile and reached for the doorknob.
It wouldn’t budge.
My suitcase fell from my hand. Will. He must have … “No!” I screamed, pounding at the locked door. “Let me out of here! Help!”
“Why should I let you out, Opus?” Pete asked and I whipped my head around, trying to find the source of his voice.
“I just … please!” I cried, clawing desperately at the wood.
Pete’s chilling laugh resonated through the room and my eyes finally found him crouched in the rafters about the room. “Poor, little Opus,” he crooned. “Thinking she could escape. It’s called La Cage for a reason, sweetheart.”
“Help me!” I shouted, slamming myself into the door, trying to bust it open. “Brendon!” I screamed in desperation, knowing there was no way he could hear me from Palmer House.
“He can’t save you, Opus,” Pete hissed, disappearing into the shadows. “No one can.”
Floundering helplessly on the floor, I curled up in a ball, rocking myself back and forth. He said he save me. He said he loves me. Help me. Help. Help. Help.
“Ryan,” a soft voice said coldly and I hear the door swing open. “Get up.”
Raising my head, I looked up to see William staring down at me with cool eyes. “You,” I snarled, getting to my feet. “How could you do that to me?”
“I didn’t,” he said shortly. “You may be a slut, but you’re still my oath-brother. I would never betray you to Pete. It’s not my fault he likes to watch us from the ceiling. Now get up and get out of here, because he catches you.”
“Thank you, Will,” I murmured and kissed him quickly on both kisses.
“Go!” he hissed. “I’m giving you one chance.”
I met his gaze, a mirror of my own, and his eyes softened. “I love you, Ry,” he said quietly and kissed me on the forehead. “You better live a life good enough for the both of us. Got it?”
“Ryan?” a desperate voice called and I looked up and out across the vast expanse of the dance hall to see a dark figure at the front door, held back by two of Pete’s henchmen. “Ryan!”
“Brendon!” I called back and stepped from William’s embrace.
“Not so fast, Opus,” a low voice growled in my ear as a strong hand gripped my wrist. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“You can’t keep me here anymore, Pete!” I hissed back and broke from his grasp, sprinting down the hall.
“Stop!” Pete bellowed, but I wasn’t listening.
Brendon watched me with large, scared eyes. “Ryan!” he cried, face paling as I bolted towards him. “Stop!”
And I froze. “Why?” I asked in a quiet voice, stuck in the middle of the dizzyingly large hall. “What’s wrong?”
“He has a gun, Ryan!” Brendon shouted, trying desperately to break past the doormen. I met his brown gaze and saw my own fear reflected there. I began to run towards him again. “He’ll shoot you, Ryan!” Brendon howled, stamping his feet. “It’s not worth it! I’m not worth it!”
“I don’t ca—”
♠ ♠ ♠
EPILOGUE COMING SOON.