Dose 𝓣wenty-Two

Dose Twenty-Two Observations:
Subject appears to get more clarity. Noted that the subject feels relieved.

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

“Liberty.”

I hummed, blinking a few times as I snapped out of my thoughts.

I didn’t know what to bring up first.  

Or what to even say in general.

“How was work?” I said before I could think it through.

Monroe didn’t say anything.

She just stared at me for a moment.

A very long moment.

Until she blinked, nodding once to herself.

“Productive,” she calmly answered, her blue eyes not wavering from mine. “Plenty of meetings taken care of, including one with Ms. Briggs.”

I raised a skeptical brow. “You didn’t,” I stated, even if I knew she did.

She had a talk with Briggszilla after the instance I told her about on Saturday night.

How Kara pulled me by the arm.

“She won’t touch you again. That’s been determined,” Monroe said, making me shake my head. “How was your day off?”

“Fine,” I quickly said. “How was it determined with her? What did you say?”

“What did you do on your day off?” Monroe curiously asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Monroe,” I sighed, leaning deeper into the couch.

Her soft lips seemed to twitch slightly, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips.

“You went for a run,” she whispered, so softly that it made goosebumps roll down my spine.

Her observation did as well, realizing she’s actually watching me again.

“I did,” I mumbled reluctantly. “I didn’t hate it as much as last time.”

“Our time?” Monroe clarified, making me draw in a deep breath at the faint memory of New York and our run together.

“Yes, our time,” I reluctantly agreed, blinking a few times. “That doesn’t even matter right now.”

“I disagree,” she didn’t hesitate to say. “I’m very interested in this run you did today. I’m interested in everything you did today.”

I rolled my eyes yet again, now remembering this is how she was.

She liked knowing every little thing about me, down to how I spent the seconds in each day.

It affected me more than I liked to admit.

Something about it… about capturing her attention, her curiosity, it made me smile.

Annoyingly, so.

“I couldn’t sleep. I’ve slept horribly since Saturday, and I didn’t eat anything on Sunday,” I said, openly spilling the details of the past two days.

Well, aside from that note I got.

And my newly made friend who blocked me or got a new number.

“Monday, I woke up starving at four something in the morning, and after I ate, I went for a run since I still couldn’t sleep. But after that, I slept perfectly,” I explained, walking her through the details. “Sarai interrupted my sleep, though, since she was worried. Zion had mentioned I wasn’t at work, and so she came over and we talked. I slept more, and yeah, here we are.”

 “You didn’t eat anything on Sunday,” Monroe repeated, focusing on only one of the things I said. “You’re eating now? Properly?”

I nodded. “I am. I feel much better—don’t worry, I’m not going to binge eat and make myself throw up. I haven’t done that in months.”

“Good,” she whispered, her brows furrowing just slightly. “I was worried about you. Every day I,” she paused, glancing away from me.

She was silent for a moment.

So long that it made my confusion grow, wondering what she wanted to say.

I could tell she was thinking it through, calculating her next words.

“I would write them down,” Monroe finally spoke, meeting my stare again. “All the worries I had about you. It was almost like a grocery list, but it took away the power they had in my mind.”

I could feel my face soften, heavy knots growing in my stomach as I stared wordlessly into her dark blue eyes.  

Suddenly, everything around me faded away.

It felt like it was genuinely just us, nothing existing beyond this moment.

“You did that?” I whispered, drawing in a deep breath. “Really?”

“Yes,” Monroe said, clearing her throat as she glanced away from me. “Once every morning and once before I went to sleep.”

“Monroe,” I forced out.

Because I truly didn’t know what else to say.

I felt speechless, realizing she might’ve struggled just as much as I did during these past few months.

“It’s just so weird because I-I thought you didn’t care. I thought you were fine,” I whispered, forcefully looking down at my lap. “Maybe… I think it’s relieving to hear that I was wrong.”

“You were very wrong,” Monroe emphasized as she rolled her shoulders back. “I was never fine, Liberty.”

“Neither was I,” I didn’t hesitate to say, watching her chest rise as she drew in a deep inhale.

She didn’t say anything in response.

And I didn’t either.

I just stared at her perfect side profile, unable to string proper words together.

The air was heavy with anticipation, wondering who would speak first and what we would say.

“I want to be fine again.”

Her words were soft, barely a whisper in the air as she met my stare again.

My face burned up and all I could say was—

“Me too.”

Monroe nodded once.

Then again, her blue eyes openly trailing my face.

“I’ve been working with someone these last few months,” she spoke again, “Someone I once despised.”

Celia.

She has to be talking about her.

Why else would she be coming to Levane to meet with Monroe?

Something has to be up.

“I’m looking for an angle on my parents. Leverage of some kind, so they will stand down,” Monroe explained, her blue eyes not wavering once from me. “I’m making it safe for you again, Liberty. That was always the goal.”

I was silent, processing everything she just said.

Especially the details of what she’s been up to these last few months.

I can’t believe she put every shred of hatred she has for Celia to work together on this.

At least for me.

And this is what she’s been spending her time on for months—finding an angle on them.

“We’re close to getting proof of an affair, along with unforged birth certificates, and possible old pictures. There’s a lot we’re working on,” Monroe spoke again, her stare burning into my face as I processed all of this. “I’ll make this right. I assure you.”

“You’ve already made it right,” I whispered, blinking a few times. “It wasn’t even your fault. None of it was, and I’ve come to terms with that. You-you helped my mother. You chose to protect me from them all.”

“Not enough. I haven’t made this right enough, Liberty,” she insisted, shaking her head. “You’re involved in all of this because of me. You only know the Leclairs because of me. I am determined to fix this all for you—” she paused, tilting her head at me. “For us,” she whispered with furrowed brows, the two words sounding almost like a question instead of a statement.

“For us,” I repeated back, completely agreeing with her before she could overthink it.

Monroe nodded, her shoulders loosening ever so slightly. “Yes,” she murmured, suddenly clasping her hands tightly in her lap.

It was silent between us again.

Heavier than before as we stared at each other.

I leaned closer almost out of need.

I needed to feel her—to be against her.

I let out a deep sigh as I buried my face against her chest, her familiar floral perfume gathering around me.

Monroe was stiff underneath me.

But only for a few seconds.

 Then I could feel her arms wrap around my lower waist, pulling me even closer.

I draped my legs over hers, silently nuzzling closer.

She felt so warm.

So familiar.

All I could do was relax, not even bothering to wonder how we would fix this.

I knew it would be hard.

There are so many things to figure out.

Her parents.

My mother.

Even Zion and Sarai, and whether they’ll actually give Monroe another shot.

Then there’s us, and how we plan to move forward.

I’m not even sure what that would look like.

“What do we do now?” I suddenly whispered.

There were clearly a lot of other things on my mind, but this was the question weighing the heaviest.

“Let me take you on a date, Liberty.”

I furrowed my brows at the words that just fell from her lips, pulling away from her chest to meet her stare.

“A date?” I echoed in confusion.

Not that there was anything to be confused about.

She was really straightforward.

I just—

“Yes, a date,” Monroe confirmed, her lips twitching up slightly as she held my stare. “I want to do this the right way, Liberty.”

I blinked a few times, processing her words.

And how they made my face burn up, or annoying butterflies roam all inside my stomach.

She wants to do this the right way.

With me?

“Okay,” I whispered, making Monroe tilt her head slightly.

“Okay?” she murmured back, reaching up to gently tuck a stray hair behind my ear.

“Yeah,” I said with a few nods. “I want to do this the right way, too.”

Monroe’s lips twitched up further, nodding once as she silently stared down at me.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow night then,” Monroe determined, gently cupping my cheek as I stared up at her. “Seven o’clock.”

I smiled. “Seven o’clock,” I agreed, making a soft chuckle vibrate in her chest.

“That’s seven-thirty in Liberty time,” she said, making me roll my eyes as I nudged her away.

“Is not—I’m a lot better with being on time,” I argued her point, earning another chuckle from her.

“Alright,” she murmured with such a beautiful smile on her lips. “I suppose we’ll see.”

“Oh, we will,” I didn’t hesitate to say, now determined to be on time tomorrow.

Maybe I’ll even be early on purpose just to prove my point.

Of course, I’m still late to certain things, but I’m better with time management overall.

“How do you feel?” Monroe suddenly asked, her blue eyes now trailing my face. “Better?”

I nodded a few times in a row. “A lot better. This was a good talk.”

“I agree,” she said, making my smile grow.

“I can’t believe you’re working together with her,” I mumbled, tilting my head at the idea of Celia and Monroe in one room.

Cooperating.

Much less, actually forming an alliance.

“Her?” Monroe repeated back to me.

“I won’t say her name,” I emphasized, knowing better than to do that. “A certain half-sister.”

Monroe raised a brow, a faint smile on her lips. “Smart girl,” she praised, drawing her hand up my back in a way that made shivers follow. “It hasn’t been too awful. She’s competent enough and decently resourceful.”

I pursed my lips when my smile grew wider, entirely amused by her words.

How she chose them carefully, and even still, they felt reluctant.

But I could tell she was really trying.

“That’s good,” I determined, holding her blue eyes pinned on me.

At least until she subtly glanced over, eyeing the leopard print cat bed off in the corner of the room.

And I knew she knew.

She probably knew before even walking in here.

“You got the cat you wanted.”

Her words were lowered between us, almost like an observation.

“I did,” I whispered awkwardly, blinking a few times as she continued staring at Jynx’s bed.

“I saw said cat in the reports I got back recently,” Monroe explained, somehow making my heart rate pick up.

The idea of Monroe seeing Jynx in general made me nervous.

Only because Jynx is such a big part of my life.

She is my life.

I spend the majority of my time with her.

“She’s very beautiful, Liberty,” she whispered so softly.

It made my lips spread in a wide smile. “She’s so beautiful—her fur is so pretty, and she has these blue eyes,” I ranted like a crazy cat mom.

“Her eyes are quite striking,” Monroe determined, glancing over to me.

I hummed, my jaw tightening as I stared into her blue eyes, “They remind me of yours,” I openly admitted, my words in a rushed whisper.

I couldn’t believe I was even saying it—admitting that a part of Jynx reminded me of Monroe.

But she did.

I liked that she did.

“You know, I couldn’t look at her for a few days because of you?” I suddenly asked.

Monroe’s lips parted with a hilarious amount of offense. “How come?”

“Because it was hard to look at her and not think about you. And I was sort of avoiding any kind of feelings involving you,” I quickly explained, nudging her arm when her lips parted wider. “Stop that,” I chuckled, shaking my head at how dramatic she was being.

“That poor cat,” she whispered, making me chuckle again.

“Jynx,” I said, my smile widening. “Her name is Jynx,” I clarified, my stare pinned on her, watching every reaction she could possibly have.

“What a lovely name,” Monroe murmured, her head tilting in the cutest way. “Jynx,” she repeated, the name sounding so foreign from her lips.

It made my smile widen, watching as she processed our conversation as a whole.

“Uh, I mean, you can meet her?” I said awkwardly, even if I was a little hesitant at the idea of that. “If you want to.”

Monroe pursed her lips, silently staring at me for a moment.

A really long moment.

Until she visibly exhaled, shaking her head once. “Perhaps another day,” she determined, glancing away from me with furrowed brows. “I’m not accustomed to animals.”

I nodded immediately, “Right, of course,” I whispered, blinking a few times. “Whenever you want to uh just let me know…” I trailed off awkwardly.

I don’t know why I’m making this feel so weird and awkward, honestly.

“I’ll let you know,” Monroe didn’t hesitate to say, glancing over at me.

I nodded yet again, unsure of what else I should say.

“Want to sit here for a little longer?” I suddenly asked, even if I knew she would have to leave soon.

I just wanted a little longer here… with her.

“Of course,” Monroe determined, pulling me closer to her by my waist. “Let’s sit here.”

I didn’t hesitate to nuzzle my face against her chest again, making myself comfortable as she wrapped her other arm around me too.

It was silent between us yet again, but instead, it was this mutual silence.

One that felt calm and entirely welcomed.

It was… really nice.

After a few endless minutes, we unraveled from each other and stood from the couch.

I grabbed her coat from the couch before she could, lifting it up to put it on her.

“Come here,” I whispered, motioning her to come closer.

Monroe glanced between me and the coat for a moment, her soft lips tilting up just slightly.

Then she stepped forward, lifting her arms and allowing me to help with her coat.

There was something so familiar about it—how domestic the action felt.

“Thank you, darling,” Monroe whispered, and I swear my heart stalled in my chest when she leaned down to me.

But only to kiss my cheek, her soft lips barely grazing my skin.

Warmth oozed in my lower stomach when she gently grabbed my waist, softly squeezing her hands there.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” she said, her words soft and right by my ear, before she pulled back slightly.

I nodded wordlessly.

Then I forced out the word—

“Yes.”

Monroe’s amused smile grew as she stared down at me for a moment, openly taking in every inch of my face.

I could feel my cheeks grow warm, noticing her eyes were zoned in lower than usual.

On my lips.

But she already nodded once, turning around to walk over to the door.

I silently followed behind her, our feet pattering softly against the floor as we approached the door.

I opened it for her before she could, allowing her time to slide her dress shoes back on.

“Good night, Liberty,” Monroe murmured as she brushed past me, briefly pressing her hand to my lower back.

“Good night,” I whispered back, my words barely audible as she exited my apartment fully.

But I couldn’t help it.

I couldn’t help but feel shy and hesitant.

This all just feels so fucking surreal.

I could officially breathe properly again once that door was shut.  

I genuinely stood there for a few moments, processing everything that just happened.

Everything she just told me.

How warm she was, or the softness of her lips.

Even the date she asked me on.

It made me smile like some kind of fucking idiot, nearly skipping off to my bedroom to grab Jynx.

She was still tucked in where I left her, opening her blue eyes with a look that I knew meant I wasn’t on her good side anymore.

Somehow, all I could do was smile at her despite it, just feeling happy in general.

“Jynxie,” I whispered, petting behind her ears as I glanced over to my phone vibrating.

It was a FaceTime call from Sarai.

I smiled wider, not hesitating to answer her call.

“Heyyy,” I said first, the excitement bubbling in my tone.

Suddenly, everything feels great.

I’m on fucking cloud nine right now.

“Hey girl,” Sarai’s voice echoed from the phone as I leaned away from my bed.

“Hey, Libs,” Zion said as Sarai drifted the camera to him.

I smiled at them both. “What’s going on, guys?” I murmured, walking out of my room as Jynx hopped off the bed to follow behind me.

“We just made these s’mores cookies, and we wanted to see if you wanted one,” Sarai explained.

I scoffed in amusement. “Duh, I want one. I’ll be down asap,” I didn’t hesitate to say, sliding on my slippers by the couch. “I’ll bring Jynxie with me too,” I determined.

“I’ll go ahead and make the plates,” Zion’s voice echoed as Sarai nodded in the camera.

“We’ll see you in a minute,” she murmured with a smile.

“Kay kay,” I said, reciprocating her smile before I hung up the call.

Then I slid my phone into the pocket of my pajama pants, leaning down to pick up Jynx, who meowed softly.

I furrowed my brows as I approached the door, noticing some kind of paper peeking out under the door.

Someone seemed to have slid the envelope under the door, maybe.

I drew in a deep breath, realizing this was identical to the last envelope I received days ago.

It made me halt, staring down at it in my hand as Jynx stared at me.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to even open it.

I didn’t want to ruin this high I’m on.

But I also knew I should.

I should read what it says, or I’ll be thinking about it all night, and I won’t enjoy those s’more cookies.

A deep sigh fell from my lips, gently lowering Jynx back down to the ground so I could open the stupid envelope.

It had the same thick piece of paper in it.

And of course, three stupid words printed on it like last time.

But these were more alarming.

They felt almost like a threat.

You’ll regret this.

I glanced up from the note, trying to think of the smartest way to handle this.

I’m not telling Monroe.

She has enough on her plate, and this will only add more pressure.

Zion and Sarai won’t know what to do.

On the bright side, this person had to have come between the window of Monroe leaving and me walking back over to the door, which was in the span of barely a few minutes.

I could see if the staff here would pull the security footage.

Yeah.

That’s a good plan to start with.

“Okay, Jynxie,” I murmured, setting the note and envelope on the entryway table. “Let’s go get some s’more cookies,” I said, leaning down to pick her up again.