Page 22 of Angelic Acts
“You guys think I’m gay?” I choke out.
“We love you just how you are. We accept you no matter what,” Katerina continues.
“But I’m not gay.” I try again, but they still don’t believe me. There’s nothing wrong with being gay. But I’m not. My Lizzy’s face appears in my mind. Certainly not gay.
“Sebastian, it’s okay,” Katerina insists.
“No, seriously, I’m not–”
“The lizard is in her nest,” a robotic voice booms through the room.
Oh no.
Oh, God, no.
It happens in slow motion. The system I upgraded not even an hour ago now performs its duty perfectly. Alerting not only me, but them too of Lizzy’s return home.
The lights in the room dim as the curtains draw almost all the way down. The telescopes along my windows adjust to face her backyard. The monitors on my walls turn on and security cameras show my beautiful angel walking into her home.
I feel the blood rush from my head. The room spins for a moment. I remove my glasses to rub the bridge of my nose.
Lizzy continues entering her home and unloading her groceries, completely oblivious to the horror scene unfolding here by her entrance.
“Bash, who is that?” my brother asks in a low voice.
I gulp, my eyes wide and lost. “Umm, that’s my neighbor.”
“Okay. Why are you watching her?” His accusatory tone causes the reality of my situation to come crashing down.
They just caught me watching Lizzy. Stalking her. They now know about her. She’s not my secret anymore.
“Because…” I look around the room, begging our puzzles to give me an answer.
Dom’s eyes narrow. “Bash, why are you watching your neighbor?”
“Because I love her!” I can’t stop the outburst. And it feels surreal saying it out loud. A weight lifted from my chest. “She’s my life,” I add with a sigh.
“Oh, Bash, that’s amazing! Why haven’t we met her?” Katerina claps her hands in excitement and jumps up, completely forgetting the gay accusation.
“I… I haven’t met her,” I confess with a wince.
“What?” Her confusion is evident.
“I’ve never met her… at least not as Bash. She doesn’t know I exist.” I stare longingly at her image displayed on my TVs. If only…
“What do you mean she doesn’t know you exist?” Dread seeps into her voice. Fuck, this isn’t good.
“I keep her safe from afar. I look out for her and protect her. She just… doesn’t know about it,” I explain, defending my actions. They have to understand that I do this for her. I stay away for her.
“Bash, that’s insane. How long has this been going on?” She asks the thing I want to admit to the least. Even I know how deplorable this sounds.
“Six years.”
The room stills, frozen in time. A heavy blanket of silence descends. Owning my actions, I meet their questioning gazes. Katerina’s horror overwhelms her as she covers her mouthwith both hands. Dom stares pensively at the monitor, scrutinizing my angel, tempting me to turn it off. He doesn’t get to watch her. Not like I do.
To my relief, Nikolai excuses himself from the room. Gay or not, I don’t want any men staring at her nor hearing our story. With her, I’m covetous, every piece belonging to me alone.
“Explain,” my brother demands.
