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The book is soon coming to an end. I is sad :(

Chapter 40. 

I am in love with Ray

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I glared at the stupid fish and picked it up. "Die Lena, die." I said to it in rage and threw the fish against the wall.

It hit the wall and fell on the ground and then Lena spoke, freezing all three of us.

"Relax Myra. It's not from your ex-boyfriend. It's from your future husband."

Ray Parker's haughty cackle was the one to haunt me forever.

"So are we burning that fish now?"

I stared at the talking fish in ultimate horror.

"Is-" I took in a shaky breath, clutching on the couch for support, afraid that I might faint from shock and fear. "Is that Ray?"

"I am afraid so." Zivah's voice shook, coming closer to me. I could feel the waves of fear coming from her too. "Do you think he can see and hear us?" she whispered into my ears.

I continued to look at the deadly fish, not knowing what to answer to that.

I didn't have to wait for long.

"I know I should have called like most people but this is so much fun. And no, I cannot see you but I can hear you, loud and clear." Ray's voice tormented us through the fish. "Installing camera in this would be too low, even for me."

I wanted to snort in disbelief at that. Hacking phones and huge companies that isn't low? Spreading nudes isn't low? This sicko!

"Anyways." Ray chirpy tone made me throw away that fish in the depths of hell. "I wanted to congratulate you, on your breakup. Also I heard you lost your job. That's cool."

I closed my eyes trying to not get affected by his words. "That breakup was because you hacked Alex's company. And I didn't like that job anyways. How did you even know about this soft toy?"

From beside me, Evan spoke up. "Everyone knows about it, you posted it on Instagram."

My mouth formed an 'o' in realization. Well that one's on me.

"See Myra, I didn't hack your phone for this. Just stalked your Instagram." Ray mocked.

"What do you want?"

"You."

I closed my eyes in exasperation, I was definitely not in a mood for this. "Fuck off Ray. I am throwing this out."

I walked towards the fish and just as I bent down to pick it up, I heard another familiar voice. One that I definitely didn't want to.

"Don't throw it Myra."

I froze.

Zivah stopped breathing.

Evan whispered into the thin tense air. "Athena?"

"Yeah." She answered, her voice low through the soft toy microphone.

It took me a few seconds to regain but when I did, I blew up. "What the fuck? Athena, where the hell are you? Most importantly, why are you with him? What's happening? Are you ok? Are you kidnapped?"

Ray snorted, his cackle ringing in my ears. "Kidnapped? No no. She's with me."

I blinked, not quite understanding the situation. "With you?"

"Yes, as in with me, she's my girlfriend."

"You fucking asshole." Evan shouted, running and picking up the soft toy, shaking it as if he wished it was Ray himself. "You let her go now."

Ray tsked mercilessly. "You poor boy. Don't you understand? She doesn't want to go."

I patted Evan's back, telling him to calm down while I myself felt like murdering someone – preferably Ray Parker. "Athena, what is happening?"

There was reluctant sigh and then Athena's bored voice came. "What do you think? I am in love with Ray and I am going to stay here with him."

"I don't believe that." I shook my head. The Athena I knew was many things but not a traitor.

"I won't apologize for this Myra." Her voice came.

"But you know he's a psycho. Also he said he's in love with me just two weeks back." I retorted trying to make sense of it all.

"Yeah I know." Athena said. "I was there."

"What?"

"I was there at the end of the alley. He was just lying to get you all riled up. It was fun seeing you fumble and tremble as you called me."

I pressed a palm over my mouth, gasping for breath. "Athena, don't do this." I whispered still unable to believe that this was actually happening.

"We just need a month before we disappear to someplace nice and warm. It's chilly here." Athena replied. "Evan, I am sorry. I know I hurt you. But on the bright side, you meant nothing to me."

I could see Evan trembling from the corner of eye. The fish in his hand slowly slipped and fell on the ground. I couldn't help but feel pity for him. He did not deserve this.

I took in a deep breath. "What's the proof? We can't see you two, for all we know you have a gun on Athena's head and you're forcing her to tell all this."

"You have some trust issues Collins. You should work on those." Ray answered in a taunting tone.

Just then my phone beeped its message notification tone.

"Check the photos." Ray said.

I unlocked the phone and opened the images. They were blur camera shots from the prison with date and time for over 10 days – all of them of Athena meeting Ray.

I swiped through the images. "I-I don't understand."

"She's been with me since the start." Ray clarified. "She continued to come to meet me in the prison. She helped me escape and she even gave me a place to hide."

Evan scoffed in denial. "That's not true."

"Sorry Evan." Athena said.

I ran my fingers threw my hair wanting to pull them off in aggravation. "So let me get this straight. Athena is actually a traitor bitch who is your girlfriend?"

"Yes." Ray answered.

"Then why the hell did you make me and Alex break up!?" I screamed. And it was not satisfying to scream at a cute soft toy.

"I was in prison because of you Myra, the least I can do is take away all your happiness." Ray replied in a flat tone.

I fisted my hands and for the first time I understood Alex's urge of throwing the phone at walls when angry. I could sure use some throwing now, hopefully blocks of bricks at Ray's face.

"So what's the plan now?" I asked. "Both of you are going to run away to some deserted island?"

"Nah." Ray said in a sing-song voice. "The fun has just started. Well fun for me but horror for you."

I sighed. "What else do you want?"

"I want to make sure you get nightmares every time you sleep. I want to make sure that you never forget what you did to me. You will never be happy for the rest of your life Myra Collins."

I couldn't help the sarcasm. "You know it would be a lot more believable if those dangerous words didn't come from this cute innocent fish."

There was a slight pause and then Ray spoke again. "Sarcasm won't make you happy."

"Tell that to the past twenty years of my life." I sassed.

"You are making it difficult for me to like you Myra."

I rolled my eyes. "Boo-hoo. As if I want you to like me. You loser."

"What are you doing?" Zivah whisper-yelled into my ears, pinching my arm.

"Do you want to die?" Athena spoke up.

I ignored them. "I pity you Ray. You'll never be happy because you don't deserve it. And now I am going to throw away this stupid fish."

"Myra!" Ray shouted just as I picked up the soft toy. "You will regret it Myra."

"Trust me I won't." I said. "Get me the hammer from the right drawer." I said to Zivah.

I could see the reluctance in Zivah's eyes but she passed the hammer anyways.

"Goodbye dumbasses." I said to them through the soft toy and then hit the innocent fish until I heard the undeniable crunch of metal breaking.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the now disheveled and torn soft and threw it out of the window.

"Why did you throw it away?" Zivah asked.

"Because I didn't want him to hear what I say next." I answered, switching off my phone and making Evan and Zivah switch off theirs too.

She raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

"I hacked Athena's phone. I know where they are hiding."

Evan instantly got up from the ground where he was quietly sulking. "What!"

Even Zivah seemed shocked. "How?"

I showed them the second phone I had gotten. "I got this after Ray had claimed that he hacked my hone as well. I had a feeling he would escape or do something stupid and I needed a phone which he had no idea about. So I bought this. I couldn't hack into Athena's phone with my phone since I was afraid he might have be tracking the movements in it so I used this phone to trace her."

Zivah's jaw was down as she stared at me. "So you know where Ray is?"

I nodded with a small smile.

"Let's kill that bastard!" Evan squealed clapping his hand.

I smiled back. "I'll get ready!"

After two hours I was dressed in a black jeggings, a black crop top, hair tied in a high ponytail and black boots that didn't make a sound while walking. I placed my actual mobile on the table and grabbed the second phone with Athena's location.

I quickly glanced behind at the sleeping faces of Zivah and Evan, they were both soundly sleeping with Zivah's head on Evan's shoulder and Evan's resting head on top of Zivah's head.

I smiled at the wave of affection washing over me. "Gosh I love these weirdos." I whispered into the thin air. "But not enough to let them risk being caught in the middle of my war with Ray."

I skillfully opened the door without making a sound and with once last glance at the sleeping heads I closed the door behind me, swiftly locking it.

I knew they would be furious when they wake up and would realize what I had done. I shrugged a shoulder. "Eh I'll buy Zivah McDonald's and play Monopoly with Evan."

My plan was simple, go to the location, make sure Ray was actually there and then call the police to handle it all.

What could possibly go wrong?

Apparently a lot.

~~

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