"Why me? Out of all the people in this damned world, why does it have to be me?"
She asked desperately. He is very important to her, yes, so important that she's willing to let go and push him away because she knows deep inside, that it is for the best, that pushing him away will make him safe. He will be safe from the chaos that comes with her wherever she went.
He chuckles softly and he looked at her like he doesn't know where to begin. His eyes are wistful, sparkling even in the dim-lit room that they were in. The look on his face was so painful to look at. It's breaking her slowly. Her strong facade painfully peeling away from her demeanor.
"You're a mystery." He said with a crooked smile. She rolled her eyes despite the tears that were trying to escape from her eyes. "It's like every time I look at you, I try to figure out what you're thinking about, what your eyes are trying to tell the World as it gazes. And when I think I'm close to figuring it out, I'm proven utterly wrong. The sensation leaves me exhilarated and wanting for more." As soon as the words left his mouth, she is breathless at the amount of emotion that she's receiving from him. It scares her yet she's craving for more.
"I don't know why but before I met you, the World was like a blank canvas, so dull, so old and frayed, yet it felt blank. I sketch stuff to simply try to and live in my own makeshift World, because the one right before my eyes was disappointing me."
Adrienne's breath hitched in her throat. She was so good at suppressing her emotions, she's known as one of the coldest person in her line of work. She hunts, she kills without mercy. Being emotionless and cold, it was one of their protocols, to not let anyone see what's behind the cold facade. That's why she's confused as to how Skylar can break down her steely composure every time he looks at her, talks to her, smiles at her like he's been waiting for her to come since the dawn of time, like she was a missing piece of his artistry that he finally found.
Despite the confusing thoughts swarming her mind, she teases him. "Don't go artsy on me now." Skylar laughs, that hearty, breathless laugh of his.
He offers Adrienne a sad smile. They are sitting across from one another, on his bed, his long legs tangled with her toned ones. He reaches for her hand. He entwines their fingers.
"Don't go." He mumbles, enough for her to hear.
Adrienne's tears finally rolled on her cheeks as she shakes her head.
"I have to. To keep you safe, I can't let them hurt you again, Sky. Once is enough."
He sighs as he closes his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears pooling in his eyes. "Please..." He whispers shakily.
She wipes her cheeks with the back of her other hand and she clears her throat so that her voice will sound firm, but her voice cracks as the words leave her lips.
"This is my life, Sky. I hunt, I kill, I am forever tied to this dangerous life because I was born into it. I can't drag you into this knowing that you'll never be safe. You will never have a normal life."
He shakes his head and opens his eyes to look at her directly in her teary eyes. "I want to be a part of your life. Please, Adrienne. I'm already involved, you know that. So why? Why are you pushing me away like this?"
"Because it's not too late for you yet. It's too late for me, Sky. I can't turn my back from all this, because if I do, they will haunt me. My enemies, the guilt, the reality, that I can't have an ordinary life. I'm pushing you away because you don't deserve to be dragged into this chaotic life of mine. You have a bright future ahead of you, Sky. I don't have that."
Skylar was crying hard now and Adrienne reached out to wipe his tears and caress his cheek. He leans in to her touch, trying to remember how warm her slender hand is, trying to memorize the callouses on her palm and fingers that are marks from holding all sorts of guns.
He scans her face, the lines of her body that's outlined by the black spy suit she's wearing. He takes in everything his eyes can take in, and hopes he can always remember her as a vivid memory, one that he will never let go of.
"Promise me something." He says. He sees the hesitation in her eyes but she nods.
"Be careful out there. Promise me you'll come back when everything is over, when you think it's finally safe for you to meet me again. When the dangers of your job can no longer affect me, when we can finally have a normal life."
Adrienne takes in his words, because this is his goodbye. These are the last words she'll hear from him. She memorizes it, because she doesn't know if she'll come back alive after tonight, if they'll ever get the chance to meet again, if they'll ever get the chance to live a normal life together. Adrienne knows that it's impossible, but she nods because this is his goodbye. If she gets killed tonight, these are the words that she'll take to her grave.
"I promise." She replies shakily. He nods, then hugs her tight. She hugs him back. When he let's go, Adrienne's phone starts to ring. She touches the earpiece on her ear to answer the call.
"Yeah. I'll be right there. Roger." She says.
Adrienne places both of her hands on his cheeks as she kisses his forehead.
"Goodbye, love." She whispers.
She jumps out of his bed and positions herself to jump out of his window. Adrienne turned to look at Skylar one last time. Then she jumps, out into the cold, eerie night. A battle awaits her.
Skylar stared at the window.
"Goodbye." He breathes as a new set of fresh tears rolls on his already tear-stained cheeks.
