Severo smiled, head tilting. “You have always been the biggest loser in your life, haven’t you? Below average in school. You started betting then, I'd wager. But even then, you found, no matter what game you played, you were always the biggest loser at the table.”
He chuckled snidely. “Is that it, Robert? You got tired of being the loser, so you found a young woman with a bright future and decided to trick her into marrying you, just so you could win for once? But you didn’t win, did you? Because she didn’t love you. She never did. Not the real you,” he drawled matter-of-factly.
By the anger building in Robert’s eyes again, he could tell he was right. “Oh, but she did love the fake you, didn’t she? It’s how you tricked her into marrying you. Let me guess, you decided to imitate the guy you hated with all your heart, because he was nothing like you. And it worked.”
The Nymph let out a hiss, struggling again now, eyes enraged.
Severo threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, you pathetic fuckers are so predictable. Born an entitled loser, remained a loser, and then took the easiest path to rock fucking bottom.
“I bet it made you so mad that Avery loved the person you hated, didn’t it? I bet the fact that she shined so brightly on her own made you so mad that you couldn’t help but try to drag her down to your level of loser. But you know what, Robert,” he drawled. “You failed. Even when you stole away the most precious thing in her life, besides her freedom, she rose up. She defied you, again and again. Because, unlike you, she was never destined to fail. She was destined to stumble for a while, sure. But in the end, she will rise up, while you will remain in the gutter you always belonged in.
“So, all I have to say to you now is, when you are rotting away in that small jail cell they throw you in, know that Avery and Seri are out in the world, thriving in ways you couldn’t even dare to dream about.”
Severo stood and released the man’s shadow, walking away while Robert screamed and bellowed, never looking back.
Seri rushed out of the observation room, stepping into the hall right when Severo did. Except while the man froze on seeing him, clearly shocked, Seri kept going. Gripping the front of the man’s shirt, he pulled him down, pressing his lips to his.
Severo reacted, wrapping his arms around him, deepening the kiss. A few inappropriate whistles had Seri jerking his mouth away, face flaming hot, which he buried into Severo’s chest.
The Dweller sighed happily. “Let’s get out of here.”
Seri nodded into his chest, and let Severo lead him out. When they reached the outside and started down the steps, Severo announced, “I’m proud of you.”
Seri leaned against the man as they reached the bottom, using him for warmth. It was a bit chilly out. January in Oregon was not super warm.
He let out a small sigh, and said, “I intended to ask, but when I got in there…I realized it wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t worth demanding answers from him. Or begging him. The fact is, he took me from a person who loved me with all her being, and he doesn’t regret it. He regrets getting caught…that’s it.
“All these years, he sat there panicking that what he did would come out. My poor mother kept seeking answers, despite the hatred, the threats, and the abuse he threw at her. Robert had over thirty-seven years to tell his side, and he chose not to. So now the paper trails he left behind will do it for him. And as you already proved, they are speaking loud and clear without him ever having to utter a syllable.”
“That they are. His crimes will be spoken aloud, whether he does the speaking or not.” Severo kissed his cheek. “Now, let's get going and head to the hotel. It’s been a long day, and it will be night soon.”
Seri sighed. “Right. I need a nap.”
Severo chuckled. “A nap sounds amazing right now. Let’s go, let’s go,” the man said, ushering him to the passenger side and out of the chilly air.
Severo followedSeri into their hotel room, and let the door close behind him, once he’d moved their suitcases inside. He dropped his wallet on the small table there, having had it out to check in, and went to ask if Seri was hungry or not, when back still to him, the Nymph’s shoulders began to shake.
“Seri…?”
The man didn’t respond…and a brief second later Seri was falling to his knees, a heart wrenching sob breaking into the air.
Severo abandoned the bags and rushed forward, picking the man up off the floor. He’d wondered about how calm Seri had seemed for most of the day… It appeared that everything weighing down on him, the emotions of it all, were finally coming to the surface.
“I got you, Seri. I got you,” Severo soothed as he carried him to the bed. He kicked his shoes off before sprawling out, holding Seri close to his chest while the man continued to cry.
At first, he managed to not contribute to the tears in the room, but after many minutes had passed, all it took was one tear breaking free for the rest to come pouring down. Severo cried silently, his heart aching for all the horrible shit Seri had to deal with. He hated that the man seemed to always have something trying to bring him down.
Severo lightly rubbed Seri’s back as he hummed a melody his mother had sung to him as a child. He continued to hold him, humming along, even when his throat began to feel rough.
After some time had passed, Seri rasped hoarsely, “I-it’s pretty.”
He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of the man’s head. “It’s something my mother used to sing to me. Though she used words. Unfortunately, they aren’t coming to mind at the moment.”
The Nymph sniffled. “Even without words, it’s pretty.”
“I’m glad you like it. How are you feeling?”
Seri let out a shuddered breath and said, “Better…”
