She’s the mirror I never wanted to find, the proof that maybe I wasn’t born broken; I was made this way. And when I look at her, I know she wasn’t born broken either. They did this to her. They poisoned her and left her to rot in silence. They fucked her up. And now, every time I see her, all I can think about is how much blood it would take to balance the scales.
I get out of the bed and walk up to her. I kneel down, my hand on her calf, the other on her cheek. I look up at her like she’s the only god I’ll ever worship, the only sin I’ll ever commit.
“You and I … we were set aside long before we ever had a chance. Treated like we didn’t matter, like we were some kind of mistake.”
“What?” she breathes quietly.
“I will make them pay for every scar they left on you. I’ll make sure they choke on what they’ve done. Now you’re mine to protect, little orchid.”
She flashes an awkward smile, trying to decide if I’m serious or just messing with her. “Right.” Her eyes dart around. “Who are you? Superman?”
I click my tongue. “You’ve mistaken me for a hero, haven’t you?”
“I—I mean … what else?” Her voice wavers, and she pulls back just a little.
I let out a low chuckle, my eyes never leaving hers. “Then you’re not paying attention.”
Her chest rises and falls faster. “What do you mean?”
I sit on the floor, lean my elbow on the seat, right next to her bare thighs, and rest my head on my knuckles. “If I were the good guy, you wouldn’t be this nervous.”
She swallows, watching me closely. “Then what are you?”
“I solve problems. Breathing ones, mostly.”
“Uhm,” she mumbles, swallowing hard. “Are you a killer?” she breathes hesitantly, giving me a half-smile.
“I guess it depends on the day. Some call me a killer. Others just don’t call me at all.”
She shifts in the chair, trying to pull away further from me. “I still don’t understand.”
“Alright, let’s start with the basics.” I raise a brow. “You really think a normal guy just walks into the lion’s den because some princess asked nicely?”
“No, but a hero does.”
I smile broadly, almost sarcastically. “Heroes show up to save lives. I usually leave with one less.”
She exhales slowly, crosses her arms, and pouts her lips, preparing to deliver the wisest thing the world has ever heard. Fuck, I’m already hooked on whatever it is.
“So, you’re what? An assassin?”
“Yep.”
Her face scrunches even more. “For real?” I nod, amused by how the idea alone is already driving her a little insane. “So what? You belong to a secret club and have a cool nickname, like Falcon or Tiger?”
I scrunch my face harder. “Who does that?”
“That’s what I see in the movies.”
“Don’t believe everything you see in the movies, little orchid. That’d be funny and pathetic as hell.”
She hesitates for a few seconds, probably trying to come up with something witty to tell me.
“It would be funny, yes,” she says eventually, pushing her hair behind her ear like she always does when she’s awkward and tries to hide it. “Anyway, let’s go back to my questions, shall we?”
“To your interrogation, you mean,” I quip, relaxing my posture.
She huffs out a smile. “Any heartbreak that stays?”
