I've been with him long enough to know that the only purpose of his words is to make you feel vulnerable.

To break you.

To cut you open.

To wound you.

Like a knife carefully plunged into a vital organ, Anthony speaks only to hurt others. I was his favorite person to hurt in that toxic relationship we had. Anthony blamed me for his failures and made himself the hero in the stories he told his friends.

He never gave me a voice.

He never permitted me to speak.

But that was in the past.

"What the hell are you doing here, Anthony?"

I was surprised that I didn't stutter. From the emotion that flashed in his eyes, I could see that he was surprised too. But my ex-boyfriend quickly retaliated by grabbing my wrist in an iron grip and dragging me with him.

"No wonder you have that attitude. Is this your revenge for my cheating, Ebony? Being all cozy and clingy to that asshole?!"

"I don't wanna ever see you again! Let me go right now or I'll file a case against you!"

"Are you just doing this to get my attention? Playing hard to get again?"

I dug my heels on the ground and resisted his force. I could hear the imaginary thread in me snapping when I saw the contempt and amusement in his eyes. It disgusted me to no end. How dare he react like this? How dare he follow me here? This has to stop. I won't let him.

I won't let him do this to me again.

"LET ME GO! STOP RUINING MY LIFE! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

The commotion earned curious looks from the crowd. I clawed at Anthony's hand but I feel like he's gonna break my wrist with the way he's gripping me. Before I could even think of risking a broken wrist just to get away from this monster, Anthony tumbled to the ground.

"She said get away from her. Are you deaf or just a bastard with prematurely developed brain cells that you can't understand even that?"

I can recognize that voice anywhere. As Anthony picked himself up from the ground, recovering from the shock, Ronan stepped in front of me to shield me from any more of his advances. His presence bathed me in inexplicable warmth, a comfort that comes only with a bond that transcends time.

"I can handle myself..." I whispered, in my last attempt to not involve him with me. With the messy parts of my life that he only heard in passing stories during our nighttime meetings.

"Ronan?"

But the resolution in his voice made me believe in so many things again.

"I know you can, Ebony. But if you allow me, I would be more than honored to stand beside you here as a form of support," he softly said. "I know you're a strong person... I've seen it with my own eyes. I just wanna be here to witness you win the battles you've told me about."

I smiled. I know Ronan's doing this not because he thinks I'm incapable---but because he just genuinely wants to support me. If I told him to go away, I know for a fact that he would step away immediately because he has faith in me.

But I don't want to do that.

I want him to stay by my side, for as long as fate can allow us.

"Stay," I finally said.

He smiled. Don't ask me how I know he's smiling even when he's still dressed up as a ghost. I just know.

A moment later, Anthony's laughter broke the silence. He stood before us with so much anger in his eyes. If back then I thought he was a different person compared to when I first met him, I'm pretty sure he is now.

"How cute. Is he your new boy toy, Ebony? This lame kid dressed up as a ghost for Holloween?!"

Ronan sighed. "Is that your best insult?"

That made my ex even more aggressive.

"Shut the fuck up. I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the whore!"

It all happened in a flash. One second Ronan was seething with anger beside me, the next he lunged at Anthony with a punch straight to his nose causing the latter to cuss out in pain and attack him. A crowd of festival-goers started gathering around them, pushing me away as I listened to what they were yelling.

"YOU CAN DISRESPECT ME ALL YOU WANT BUT DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO EBONY LIKE THAT!"

Ronan's words echoed throughout the venue as I struggled to get to them. This is the first time I've heard him so angry! Shit. Where's the campus security when you need them?!

"Ronan! Stop! Damn it, I need to reach him!"

When I finally squeezed my way through the crowd, I spotted Anthony already being restrained by the security personnel. He had a nasty cut beneath his eye and his nose surely broke sometime during the brawl. Anthony's entire face swelled and bruised. His blood trickled down the ground as he struggled to stand up. But he's the least of my concerns...

"Where's Ronan?" I scanned the space, anxious to see him and praying that he was alright.

That's when I spotted the white sheet lying on the ground.

Where is he?!

"Ebony!"

I couldn't move in time to avoid Julie hugging me from the side. She started sobbing and checking me for any injuries. "I-I had to call the security, I'm sorry it took me so long... I'm sorry, I-I didn't know your ex would be here, I was trying to prevent him from going anywhere near you but then I heard the commotion and... I'm sorry I was too late..."

I felt the guilt my cousin carried with her since the day I realized she was the reason why Anthony found my apartment address in Eastwood. A bit late, but I was grateful that she called the security to drag my ex away from the Ghost Festival.

But one question still lingered in the stagnant air.

"W-Where's Ronan?"

Nobody answered. The crowd slowly dispersed as the security cuffed my ex and started ushering him away. I got up, out of Julie's embrace, and rushed towards them to meet eye to-eye with the devil himself. I grabbed him by the collar, a spark of anger and distaste on the tip of my tongue.

"Where is he?!"

Anthony stared at me with a smug expression. How he can even do that while looking like an inflated plum baffles me.

"Just a few hits and your new boyfriend ran away like the coward he is! What a downgrade, Ebony! You could've chosen someone better---"

I slapped hard him across his ugly face. The security almost couldn't hold him steady with the force of the impact.

"You have no power over me, Anthony. And for the record? You're not even half the man Ronan is. Get a fucking life."

Anthony looked at me like he was seeing a ghost before he was dragged out of the Ghost Festival venue.

I was left behind while Julie was mumbling something beside me as the crowd thinned out, leaving us alone now that the whole drama was over.

But all I could think about was Ronan.

"Where did he go...?" My eyes trailed down to the white sheet until I finally decided to pick it up. My fingers shook as I noticed blood stains on it.

Was he hurt? Oh, God.

In my dazed state, I saw a familiar figure limping away from the scene. Despite my disorientation, I quickly ran up to him. Could it really be him? Fuck it. There's only one way to find out. My heart was pounding in my chest as I tried to desperately catch up with him. I didn't care what others think of me at this moment. Indeed, I just looked crazy with tears in my eyes as I clung to a white sheet with blood stains.

"Where have you been?"

When I finally caught up to the man, I immediately hugged him from the back.

'Ronan.'

The emotions started pouring out of me.

"...don't you ever leave me again! I was so worried! I-I..." I can't say it. Not yet. My voice caught in my throat as I buried my face in his back. "I care for you," I added instead. "So much."

"I... I don't know what to say. It's nice to finally see you too, Ebony."

The man stepped away for a moment and cradled me in his embrace.

But not before I saw his face.

A very familiar face.

"River."

---