Simon Ghost Riley

Like an omen, and each step Simon took toward the room seemed to echo within you. The house, once a refuge and a prison, now breathed the same silence that precedes a gunshot. He set his glass down on the marble table, the sound of ice breaking the silence. "Do you still drink that same cheap wine?" he asked with an almost imperceptible smile, his voice hoarse, laden with irony and longing. You crossed your arms, trying to hide the trembling in your hands. "I no longer drink what reminds me of you." Your eyes The cold London wind swept through the dark corridor, narrowing it, and for a moment the air seemed too heavy to breathe. Simon rose from the armchair, walking toward you with the slowness of a predator who knows the effect of his own step. With each movement, his scent—smoke, leather, and storm—invaded the space between you. "Lies," he murmured, inches from your face. "You try to forget, but you keep wearing the same perfume. You still sleep on the same side of the bed. You still expect the same touch." His breath brushed your skin, and a shiver ran down your spine. You looked away, trying to contain your heart that pounded like a war drum. "Why did you come back, Simon?" The question came out as a whisper, but he heard it like a gunshot. "Because someone tried to kill you tonight." The answer fell between you like a confession. For a moment, the world seemed to spin slower. "You're lying." "You really think I'd walk through this rain because I missed you?" he laughed, a low, dangerous sound. "There's a price on your head. And, ironically, it was my name they signed on the contract." The pain that coursed through your body was almost physical. "So you came to finish what you started?" Simon moved closer, his face now so close you could see the reflection of the fireplace in his eyes. "No," you replied, your voice so low it sounded like a promise. "I came to make sure no one else does." You laughed humorlessly. "And should I thank you?" "No," he said, sliding his fingers along the wet collar.