Literally Die in His Tenderness

Chapter 9

"Aubrey, if you don't tell me now, don't say I didn't warn you." Terra's voice was cold and sharp. In the blink of an eye, she shot a glance at Gordon, turned, and walked away without another word.

When I got home, I rushed straight to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. No sign of the spider. I breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, I couldn't shake the feeling of it still being in my hair. The thought made my skin crawl, even though it had clearly saved me earlier.

"Did I imagine it?" I muttered under my breath, still feeling uneasy.

Gordon, watching me struggle with my messy hair, tried to hide his amusement. "You should probably call Sarah," he said, barely holding back a chuckle.

I didn't waste any time. I dialed Sarah's number, and when she picked up, I could hear her barely contained giggles on the other end.

"So, how did you like my gift?" she asked, her voice light and teasing. "I've had it for three years. Honestly, I was kind of attached to it, but I figured it was better off protecting you."

She went on to explain that I shouldn't worry about the spider, it would only show itself when it sensed danger and wouldn't bother me otherwise. "Don't go looking for it. It won't affect you unless it's protecting you," she added.

I was still confused but nodded. "What about Terra's injuries? What happened to her?"

Sarah's voice took on a more serious tone. "Didn't you say you weren't going to get involved in other people's karma?" she teased before continuing, "But yeah, I'm not totally sure. The Substitute Insect I brought back from you disappeared after I got it back, but it already had some marks on it. I'm guessing the scars on Terra's body came from that."

I felt a shiver run through me. "She's such a terrible person," Sarah added with a smirk. "Maybe it's all karma coming back to bite her."

Her words made me realize that the changes I was going through might be connected to my rebirth. As for Terra coming after Sarah, I kept that to myself. I couldn't let Sarah get caught up in this. I just hoped Terra would stop looking for her, but of course, Terra wasn't someone who gave up easily.

Since Terra couldn't find any clues on her own, she sent Troy to school to block me every day. Fortunately, since I'd moved in with Gordon, I was riding with him and no longer had to deal with Troy on my own. I also had the school security keep him out, but that didn't stop him.

One Saturday morning, Gordon left early for his run. I was still half asleep when the doorbell rang. Thinking it was him forgetting his keys, I groggily went to answer it, only to find Troy standing there.

I froze, instinct kicking in. I tried to slam the door, but it was no use, he was stronger than me. The moment he stepped in front of me, the disgust I felt for him bubbled up again. His face was bruised, his eyes bloodshot.

"Aubrey, I'm here to explain," he said, voice strained.

I didn't want him anywhere near me, so I blocked the door and raised my voice loud enough to catch the attention of the neighbors. "No, I don't need your explanation. I promised I won't get in the way of your relationship with Terra, so leave me alone!"

"Don't you love me anymore?" he asked, desperation clear in his tone.

I had to stop myself from snapping. Who would love a man like him after everything he'd done? But I held my ground, not daring to provoke him too much. Just as I was about to give up, the elevator doors opened, and Gordon stepped out.

For a moment, he looked like a hero straight out of a movie, stepping between me and Troy like he was sent to save me.

Troy snapped when he saw Gordon. "You won't even hear me out for him? You used to love me more than anyone!" His voice was full of madness.

With Gordon standing there, I finally felt brave enough to speak up. "Are you out of your mind? If you don't leave, I'm calling the cops."

Troy dropped to his knees, hands clutching his head as if in pain. I motioned for Gordon to get away, but it was already too late.

Suddenly, Troy shot up, his eyes wild and bloodshot, and lunged straight at me.