"Fine." He agreed after a few minutes of hesitancy "You have until midnight on Friday."

Friday was going to be an eventful day. Halloween and my birthday. It was also from what I had learned a big event for Litora Bello. It would also be the day that I lost Stone.

We pulled up to Lana's house. He stopped the engine, and I took my seatbelt off. He did too which made me stop in my tracks.

I grabbed my bag from the back of his truck and avoided looking at him "I guess I will see you."

"You are hurt." He grumbled determinedly "I am carrying you inside."

Turning to face the Armstrong's house so he could not see that I was on the verge of tears, I pleaded "It is ten metres away. I can manage. Please just let me go."

His voice deepened as he spoke "Medusa. Come home."

"It is not mine though, is it?" I asked before pointing out "You are paying for it so it is yours."

Stone shook his head "It is yours until you decide it is ours."

I opened the door, and I stepped out. I wiped my eyes when I was not facing him. I then turned back and lingered at the truck door.

"Thank you." I quietly let out.

"I can't do this. Fuck." He cursed before he punched the steering wheel "What do you want me to do? What do you expect me to do?"

"I guess we do what everyone else does." I replied in a timid tone and held back a sniffle "We move on."

"So, you expect me to act like you are not my whole world?" He raised his voice as he ran his hand through his hair and made his muscles bulge out "You expect me to act like I would not kill to put a smile on your face?"

I could not muster up a reply.

He leaned across the console so he was closer when he spoke indefatigably "I will be back for you. Do not doubt that."

It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it “Bye Lurch."

Stone's obsidian eyes widened infinitesimally before he smiled "You called me Lurch."

I did not say anything more. I just focused on trying to pull myself away from the truck and away from him.

"I am keeping you forever." He promised like it was inescapable "Nothing is going to stop that. There is nothing you can do about it."

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Two

The ice cream parlour was quiet. The only sound in the place was little Charlie next to me humming while he played with his new deck of cards that he had won at an arcade game.

He was shuffling them and asking me to chose a card. I did what he said and then he shuffled them again.

The little boy picked up a random card and showed me it with a grin "Is this your card?"