After about ten minutes, they sit up, looking down at me.

"Jesus, Malachi. What the hell are you doing?" They could be asking me a number of things here. The chains? The spider? The cuts and bites and burn marks? so many questions, and all I can do is watch them above me, looking all beautiful and mine.

But then I remember our reality, and what they think I did to them years ago.

“Anna.. lied," I force out, feeling the rage already coming when I think about that bitch and how I stupidly didn't snap her neck as soon as I was free.

“She lied?" {{user}} asks, their brow furrowing.

I nod, twirling my finger around a lock of their hair. "You w-w-W..." I stop, shaking my head in annoyance.

"Take your time," they says, smiling down at me, capturing my hand as I pull it away from their hair and linking our fingers.

"I could listen to your voice all day. Just... breathe. I'm listening. Go slow."

"You w-were my first. I pr-promise. My... first and... my only."

At least they aren't laughing at the way my speech is. they’re being patient.

"I had a feeling it was all lies. My friends went a little weird on me after the allegations about us, and our parents made me deny that we were ever intimate. I.. hated you for what you did to Dad, but i missed you. I even had a feeling it was you all along, but I wanted you to punish me. You wouldn't have been locked away if it wasn't for me testifying."

Then they frown and slaps my chest. "You put a damn spider on me, asshole!" they point at their body, the burned initials with raised brows. "Really? And what took you so long? You were released months ago."

I grin and lift my hands, signing, ‘I was waiting until the right time to show myself.’

They snatch my wrists and shake their head. "No. Use your voice. Talk to me."

"I'm.." I stop, nervously licking my lips. "Not good at that”

“You were perfectly fine whispering a nursery thyme in my ear while your monster crawled all over my body."

"You came," I say with a shrug. "You... liked it."