Sereia's POV
"Oh, how about this one?" my mother pointed at the coffin from the funeral home's website.
I shook my head. "Dad, would've hated that."
She picked up her lighter and lit a cigarette.
"Can you please not smoke in my house?" I requested as I looked over dad's mortgages. "I'm selling it in a few weeks."
"Oh come on baby," she said. "This is such a nice house. You and I can live in it."
I ignored her. "Can you please just pick another coffin? We need to order it by today."
"My daughter is so grumpy," she complained as she put the cigarette between her lips.
I pulled back my hair feeling stressed as I looked at all the missing payments on the house. "The bank's gonna take this place."
"Who cares?" she asked as she scrolled through the site.
"I care," I said. "This is where Violet and I grew up. This is where Dad grew up."
"Violet's dead, dad's dead, and soon you'll be too if you don't take a drag from my cigarette."
I buried my face in my palms. "Mom, can you just be sane for once and help me?"
I was barely keeping it together.
"Baby, I am, but you're acting too moody," she said. "Is this because your boyfriend broke up with you?"
"He wasn't my boyfriend," I clarified as I put away the bills.
"Does he know that your father died?" she asked and I shook my head.
"No, and I doubt he'll care anyway," I said. "I told you what I did to him."
"Oh baby, he'll come around," she tried to comfort me.
"Not him," I answered. "I did the one thing he asked me not to do."
"And so what?" she asked. "I didn't make the perfect daughter. You mess up sometimes, but you always make up for it."
My eyes swelled with tears again and I quickly wiped them away.
My mother was actually comforting me.
I still haven't allowed myself to cry. I shouldn't cry.
"How about this one?" I asked as I pointed at something I believed my dad would've wanted.
"Oh baby that's beautiful," she smiled. "But the price."
"It's fine," I told her. "I can pay for everything."
She pinched my cheek with a smile.
"Owe," I complained. "That hurt."
"Your dad was so proud when I told him that you were working in the big leagues," she smiled. "You did something that poor folks like us can only dream of."
"Mom," I sighed heavily when my eyes started to burn.
She looked at the time on my laptop before standing up. "I have to go."
"Wait what?" I asked as I stood up with her. "Can't you just stay a bit longer?"
"No baby," she said. "I'm meeting my friends at the bar. We're going to drink for your father."
"So you didn't consider inviting me?" I asked, trying to find any way not to be alone tonight.
She scoffed. "As if such a young girl like you would want to drink with old ladies like us."
"I can drink with you," I said. "I'll go get ready."
She anchored me. "Baby, stay home."
"But-"
"I'll be back to help you finish up tomorrow."
"But I seriously don't mind," I told her. "I'd like to meet your friends."
She kissed me on the cheek before running out the house.
I let out a deep breath as I closed my laptop and headed up the stairs.
Maybe I should just go to sleep.
That is what a single, unemployed 24 year old woman would do at 8pm, right?
When I opened my bedroom door, my eyes immediately landed on Teddy who was sitting on Elliot's shirt.
I had felt bad and gave him back his pants in the morning, so that he didn't have to leave my house in his underwear alone.
The scent of him filled my room.
It's been over a week since he's been in here, yet it still smells like him.
I've tried everything to get his sensual scent out of my room.
I've washed my sheets, sprayed air fresheners, and lit candles.
However, I refused to do one thing; wash his shirt.
I turned off the lights then picked up Teddy and his shirt before lying down on my bed.
I've done this every night for the past week because I know that I truly didn't want to get rid of his scent.
As an attempt to sleep, I closed my eyes, but my mind couldn't allow me to be at peace.
His glare kept flashing across my mind.
The glare of anger, the glare of betrayal, the glare of hurt.
I caused that.
I just wanted to get back at Olivia for Violet. I wanted to see her hurt like how she hurt Violet.
But why am I feeling regret?
I shouldn't be.
I knew that he would act this way towards me. I knew that he would hate me.
The quiet of the room pressed against me as I curled myself into a tight ball.
The weight of yesterday and Saturday had finally caught up to me.
My chest tightened to hold off the tears which wanted to pour, but the scent of his shirt magnified the ache inside me.
Finally, a tear fell, then another followed, until I couldn't stop it anymore.
I'd been holding these tears in since Saturday.
The tears which mourned my father's death, not being satisfied with Violet's revenge, and the worst of them all, losing Elliot.
My shoulder shook violently as my silent sobs flowed out.
I hugged Teddy tighter, wishing that his father's beliefs about him being magical were true.
I wanted him to take away this pain I carried.
It left when Elliot was in my life, but now that he's gone, the pain has only amplified.
Tear after tear left my eyes until Teddy and his shirt were soaked.
Images of his soft eyes looking at me and his gentle lips kissing mine haunted me.
No, no, no.
Not him.
I would rather be haunted by my sister than him.
His dumb laugh echoed through my mind as I remembered him teasing me about my black nails haunted me too.
I'm haunted by the fact that I will no longer get his kisses or be in his warm embrace whenever I get sad.
I covered my ears as I tried to find some peace of mind, but it was useless.
He haunted me relentlessly.
I can't take it anymore.
Jumping out of bed, I ran to the closet where I hid my secret stash of heroin.
I just need to forget about him.
When my hands reached to the open the box, I pulled back.
Thoughts of how disappointed he would be in me, and how last week's version of myself would feel, weighed heavily on my mind.
I sat down as I continued to sob.
I'm such a mess.
I just want to be like my eighteen-year-old self again; happy and innocent.
Everything I've done over the past six years feels so useless. I'm still alone and receiving revenge for Violet didn't make me feel as good as I thought it would.
I lowered my side onto the floor before curling myself into a ball again and letting the darkness punish me.
Enough damage has been cause by me.
I hurt the man who would have never hurt me.
I think I deserved to be punished in the dark.