6.

Lash

"So," I say, breaking the silence, "how do you like it out here so far?"

"It's beautiful," she replies, her eyes scanning the landscape and I catch a hint of wariness in them. "But it gets eerie at night. Makes even the smallest shadow look big."

I nod, watching her as she takes in the surroundings. She's being open but not too open. Our conversation stays on safe, surface-level topics—how she's settling into the house etc. We both avoid any in-depth details, both dancing around the edges of something deeper.

After a while, Mega stops walking and turns to face me, her expression more serious. "Lash, there's something I have to get off my chest." She squirms when I nod and her words come out in a rush. "I've been getting these phone calls. They're... unsettling. I don't know who it is, but they won't leave me alone."

My heart skips a beat. I step closer, frowning to feign concern. "You don't need to be scared. You have me. I'll protect you."

She looks up at me, her eyes wide and vulnerable, and she's exactly where I want her. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah," I say, my voice steady. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"Did you see anyone that night when you were in my garden?" she asks innocently. "Anyone sneaking around my house?"

"Only me," I rasp. "Are you scared?"

Mega glances at me, her eyes wary but not suspicious. "No. I just have a bad feeling but…I don't feel as bad when I'm around you."

My heart skips a bit. Fuck I think, this is the right moment to draw her in closer.

"Why do you think that is?" I ask, steering the conversation towards something personal. Intimate.

She flushes, her expression thoughtful. "Something about you feels familiar."

"Familiar?" I say softly, turning to face her as we stop by the water"s edge. "Funny, I feel the same way about you."

She looks up at me, her eyes wide and vulnerable for a moment before she looks away. "You do?" she whispers.

I take a step closer, my heart pounding in my chest. I'll never be able to pull away from her, not even if I'm dragged away from her in chains. "Mega," I say, my voice low and earnest, "I want you to feel at home here. With me."

She meets my gaze, her breath catching. I can see the conflict in her eyes, the caution battling with the attraction. I lean in, my hand brushing against her cheek, and for a moment, I think she might just let me kiss her…

Mega flinches when there's a sudden splash from the swamp. The water churns as a gator"s tail breaks the surface, the sound sharp and jarring. Mega's eyes widen in fear and my stomach dips in anger. The moment is ruined.

A surge of fury courses through me. Without thinking, I reach down to my boot, pulling out the knife I always carry. I'll fucking stab that thing in the gut. My vision narrows, my focus zeroing in on the gator. I"m about to wade into the water, to kill it for ruining our moment, when Mega"s hand grabs my arm.

"Lash, stop!" she cries, her voice urgent and trembling. "What do you think you're doing?"

I freeze, the knife poised in my hand. I look at her, seeing the fear in her eyes—not of the gator, but of me. The realization hits me like a punch to the jaw. I must look insane, ready to slaughter an animal over a broken kiss.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. I swallow hard, then slowly lower the knife, slipping it back into my boot. I plaster a smile on my face, trying to regain some normalcy between us.

"Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away," I say, my voice strained.

"A little? Don't you mean a lot?" Mega's eyes remain cautious, but she manages a small, hesitant smile. "Let"s just... get out of here."

I nod, offering her my hand. She hesitates, then takes it, her grip tentative. There's tension between us now, a crack in the mask I"ve been so careful to wear. I need her to trust me, to let me in, but I can"t let my obsession scare her away.

"You know before we got interrupted there was something I wanted to do to you," I rasp, and her breath catches in her throat. "If you'll let me, of course."

The moment stretches between us, filled with unspoken approval. I reach out, my hand gently cupping her cheek. Her skin is soft, warm, and she leans into my touch, just a fraction.

I lean in, my lips inches from hers, drawn by an irresistible force. But just as I'm about to close the distance, she pulls away, her eyes widening in regret.

"I shouldn't have done that," she says, her voice trembling. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression."

She turns and runs, her sudden movement leaving me stunned. "Mega, wait!" I call after her, but she's already slipping through the garden, her form disappearing among the trees and flowers.

Frustration and confusion churn within me. The weight of what just happened presses down on me. Fuck, maybe I've gone about this the wrong way. Maybe hiding the darker parts of me was the wrong thing to do. Perhaps what she needs is the real me. I look after her, knowing that it's time to step out of the shadows.