It had been days since the Community Bonding ball and Artty's threat still weighed heavy on Penelope's mind, thick and nauseating. He hadn't done anything at the ball, thank gods, but Penelope knew it was only a matter of time before he actually made good on his threat.

Maybe not today, maybe not next week, maybe not next month... But eventually he would. And that's exactly what drove Penelope crazy, not knowing what he was planning and not knowing when he would strike.

Artty knew it. He was edging her, toying with her, waiting for her to break.

But Penelope wouldn't break. She couldn't give Artty the pleasure of knowing he could control her with mere threats. If she did, that would be the end for her, because he'd make sure to use this against her every time he wanted something from her.

So Penelope needed to find another way to keep her Darling safe and get rid of Artty. But the pest wasn't easily played, as much as she hated to admit it, one thing Artty had going on for him other than his looks was his cunning mind.

Which meant she needed to be careful, convincing. She needed to play her cards right and to use his infatuation with her to her advantage. Because there was one thing Artty wanted more than torturing her, and it was for her to love him back, as twisted and gross as this sounded.

Which is why she had sent him a letter a few days ago, innocently asking him to meet her for a tea party at her house, just the two of them. An invitation to which he had answered positively of course, incredibly eager to see her and hear what she had to say.

She could imagine him jubilating at the idea of her caving, a disgusting and nerve wracking thought.

Ew. Distaste twisted her features as she sat in her garden, waiting for him.

She was donning her prettiest sundress, her blond locks curled to perfection and her makeup light but working wonders in hiding just how tormented she'd been these last few days. She had asked for the maids to take advantage of the Sun outside and dress a table for two, Penelope had taken care of the baking.

Some Earl Grey to soothe her nerves, some peppermint tea for Artty, and a mouth-watering apple pie she knew he wouldn't be able to resist either.

Everything was ready. Now she just had to wait for him to show up.

She glanced down at the golden watch on her wrist. He should be arriving any minute now, and in spite of her determination to get this done and over with, she couldn't help the apprehension swelling in her throat as the seconds ticked by.

The plan was simple, really. Make Artty lower his guard by telling him that she was ready to be his, make it believable by shedding a few desperate tears and giving his sadistic ass the pleasure of seeing her pain... Then get him to drink some of the tea she brewed especially for him and watch him writhe and convulse on the grass as he rendered his last breath.

The tea was already hot and ready for consumption, Artty just needed to show up and drink it. And then Penelope's problems would be over. She would finally be able to rest at ease, knowing he wouldn't be a pest in her life anymore.

She should have done this a while back, should have gotten rid of him when he first started showing signs of being interested in her. But Penelope wasn't a murderer. She liked to scheme and plot, and liked to get others to do things for her, that was for sure. But she wasn't one to kill with her own hands. The implications scared her too much.

But sometimes, you simply didn't have a choice, right? And if she needed to kill Artty to guarantee he wouldn't be a threat to her relationship with (Y/n)... Then she'd do it in a heartbeat.

That was, if Artty finally showed up and let her.

But minutes bled into hours, and there were still no signs of Artty. Penelope's previous determination turned into anxious biting of her perfectly trimmed nails and rhythmic thumpings of her foot.

At first, she had imagined he was just a bit late, that wouldn't be unlike him, she could imagine him being late on purpose simply to rub her the wrong way. But three hours had gone by already and the more Penelope waited, the harder it was for her to stay still and not drown in her panic.

Until it became clear that Artty wasn't just late.

He wasn't coming. And for some reason, this realization had Penelope's stomach churning and twisting with dread.

He had played her.





















































"Gods, I can't wait to be done with this day." Lupita heaved a tired sigh, stretching her arms up over her head with grunt. A sight that made a small smile rise to (Y/n)'s lips.

This day had been excruciatingly long, indeed.

For some reason, the streets had been eerily empty all day, and not many customers had stopped by. Even Jasper who usually took the time to sit down and observe (Y/n) from afar had taken his coffee on the go, although reluctantly. Something about work and his father... Not that (Y/n) cared to know anyways, she was just glad he had left without attempting anything.

Jasper on the other hand, had looked like a kicked puppy the minute he had stepped out of Miguel's Kitchen.

As far as (Y/n) was concerned, not much had changed since the ball. Jasper had kept to his usual attempts at striking a conversation with her, still undeterred by her apparent unease. But he hadn't tried anything more so far, and (Y/n) wanted to think that it would remain that way.

Unfortunately for her, things were in fact far worse than she thought they were.

Now that Jasper knew she was Uninfected, everything had changed in his mind. And not in a way favorable to her either. The only thing that had kept him from reporting her had been Penelope's words, but even that wasn't sure to keep him from proceeding with his original plan eventually.

He was lost, between his need to make (Y/n) his and the intense fear of her hating him if he did. Jasper knew that with (Y/n) being Uninfected there was no way she would ever accept him willingly. He knew that the only way for her to let him love and adore her like he ached to, would be to report her and take her in as his Darling. But he was scared. He was so scared that she'd hate him for the rest of her life, Penelope's words playing on loop inside his head every time he thought about filling in a report.

This constant tug of war was bound to drive him mad at some point. But (Y/n) remained unaware and blissfully ignorant of just how bad her current situation was. Much like she was ignorant of Tobias following her on the daily, on her way to and from work.

Ever since the Community Bonding ball, something had shifted inside of him, something dark and twisted, simmering just underneath the surface of his usual calm composure. Marcus failed to recognise his grandson, the cool and laid back Tobias he knew had been replaced by a tense and calculative man who seemed on the brink of lashing out. Not in hot anger, but in cold hatred, which was admittedly even worse.

Tobias didn't see a problem in his behavior though, to him he was finally being true to himself and his purpose; protecting (Y/n). Yes, these last few days had him on edge and preoccupied, but he would be much more at ease once he had made sure that the threats to her safety had been eradicated. Then and only then, would he allow himself some respite.

Back at the coffee shop, it was now five in the afternoon, and both Lupita and (Y/n) couldn't wait to put an end to this seemingly endless shift.

"Do you think Miguel would let us close early? It's literally dead today." (Y/n) asked calmly, washing the only teacup that was in the sink to keep her hands busy.

Lupita chuckled beside her, shaking her head and flashing (Y/n) a compassionate smile., "Nah, he'd probably kick our asses. Unfortunately we'll just have to... endure the last two hours, I'm afraid." She said, placing a quick kiss on (Y/n)'s cheek. "But hey, We've only got two hours left! Then I'll go pick up some groceries while you close the shop, and we can go home to enjoy a nice dinner!"

That brought an excited smile to (Y/n)'s lips. Tonight, the two of them had planned to cook together for the first time and have a candlelit dinner, with Lupita's mother of course. But (Y/n) didn't mind, her girlfriend's mother was the sweetest and deserved a nice dinner too. Her and Lupita could always have a real date just the two of them another day, at a restaurant or somewhere else. All that mattered for tonight was the experience of cooking as a team.

"That sounds wonderful." (Y/n) said with a grin, "Did you have something in mind?"

"Well yes, there's this dish I've been meaning to-"

The front door opened, its bell ringing through the shop to alert both girls of their new customer. Its usually warm and welcoming chime sent a cold shiver up (Y/n)'s spine as she turned around and saw a familiar face she couldn't quite place. She was sure she had already seen him somewhere though... Maybe as a customer too?

A light frown creased her brows as she wracked her brain for who he was, a sight that had the man smirk mischievously. It was clear she didn't remember him.

Artty remembered her though.

He chuckled, approaching the counter with a boyish grin, there was an edge to it though, something dark and vicious (Y/n) couldn't quite place. But the sight of it had her insides churning uneasily.

"Like what you see?" He teased, which only had (Y/n) shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. She shook her head, averting her gaze to the side. And to an extent, Artty could understand why his Darling had taken a liking to her.

(Y/n) was pretty, and perfectly adorable when flustered. Artty couldn't wait to torment her more.

Lupita scooted closer to her girlfriend, features impassable as she fixed her gaze into Artty's amused eyes. There was no denying the protectiveness and weariness that radiated off of her, she was on guard, Artty could taste it thickly on his tongue.

"Is there something we can do for you, sir?" She asked, composed and professional.

Silence beat around the three of them, deafening and suffocating, pushing from all sides. Until Artty flashed another smile and broke it.

"Yeah, I'll have an apple muffin and a peppermint tea." He said with an amused lilt to his voice. As if this was all a game to him.

"To go?" Lupita continued, trying not to let her tone betray the distaste brewing inside of her.

Artty shot her a playful wink and a smirk that had her skin crawling over her bones.

"To stay."

(Y/n) silently proceeded to prepare his order, keeping her eyes down so as not to meet his. Something about him unsettled her, put her on edge. Maybe it was the way he behaved, like a cat toying with his food before eating up whole. She shuddered at the image.

"Here you go." She said, in a voice that was too quiet and vulnerable to be hers, sounding almost like a squeak. A detail that seemed to amuse him.

"Thanks!" He said with the same grin, before turning on his heels and taking a seat in a corner of the coffee shop, eagerly digging into his muffin, stabbing it with his fork and tearing it apart.

Lupita placed a reassuring hand in (Y/n)'s back, stepping closer to her so that their shoulders brushed against one another. The both of them observed him carefully, looking out for any suspicious sign from him.

But Artty didn't even give them another glance, too engrossed in his food to even acknowledge their presence.

"That guy's odd." Lupita said with a quiet chuckle that didn't quite sound as humorous as she intended it to be.

(Y/n) turned to her, a shiver wracking through her. Odd wasn't exactly the correct word to describe him in her opinion. But she knew Lupita had meant it as an understatement.

Nerve wracking was more like it.