Chapter Text
-Where are you?-
"I-I'm at the beach. Luz's body... is in the trunk with me."
Anne sped off down the road in her white Ford Mustang, gripping the steering wheel tightly. She hung up the phone and hit the accelerator hard.
Meanwhile, Sasha's car was parked on the white sandy beach. She sat on the sand, crying, everything around her in chaos.
It wasn't long before Anne showed up in her White Mustang and went straight to Sasha. She drove the car onto the sand while Sasha slowly stood up, weak and shaking.
Sasha's eyes were puffy, her face covered in tears and blood. The straps of her tank top had slipped off her shoulders, and she was only wearing her underwear. Blood was splattered all over her body, her mascara was smeared with blood, and her hair was a mess.
She stood there like a statue, her gaze distant, unseeing. The headlights from Anne's car shone directly at her, but Sasha didn't seem to register the light.
As soon as Anne got out and rushed toward her, she yanked off her sunglasses, her expression tense as she looked at Sasha's state.
She looked like she had lost all sense of direction, like a woman who had given up. So different from the strong, determined Sasha Waybright Anne had always known.
Anne stood in front of her, her eyes darting around, taking in every detail of Sasha's confusion.
At that moment, Sasha broke down again, her sobs echoing across the beach. She covered her mouth and let out a scream, a heart—wrenching cry of pain.
Anne's face softened, filled with sorrow. She dropped her sunglasses into the sand and took another step forward, gently pulling Sasha's hand away from her mouth.
-Let it out. Scream if you need to,- Anne said softly, holding Sasha's cold, trembling arm.
The wind from the ocean blew over them as Anne stood there, watching Sasha-weak, vulnerable, a shadow of the woman she used to be.
Sasha's sobs suddenly stopped. She stared blankly ahead before quickly turning and opening the trunk of her car.
-This... look. I killed her, I killed Luz- Sasha stammered, pointing at a large black plastic bag in the trunk.
Anne remained silent. She opened the bag, her expression unreadable as she saw Luz's body. There was a deep stab wound in Luz's neck, torn across the front. Her body was mangled, with every bone broken, and her head cracked wide open, exposing her brain.
-She... she tried to rape me,- Sasha continued, her voice shaky. -She forced herself on me, tore my clothes, and her tongue—....
—And then you killed her- the brunette interrupted, her voice flat. Sasha nodded, her eyes still vacant.
-I stabbed her in the neck with a knife from my drawer. Then I put her in this bag and threw her out of the window- Sasha explained in a shaky voice, rushing through her words.
-Does Grime know that you killed her?- Anne asked, her tone calm but cold.
-Grime? Grime who?-
Anne's brow furrowed. She looked at Sasha, who appeared more confused, her tears silently streaming down her face.
-Grime Waybright... your father.-
-M-my father... My father?- Sasha repeated, her eyes darting around wildly before focusing back on Anne.
-My father died a month ago. He shot himself in the head. He left me... he left me alone Anne... He left me... Alone- She said, her voice hoarse.
She looked like a broken, disoriented woman. Her tears kept falling, her eyes bloodshot, but there was a smile—a twisted, painful smile that showed just how deeply her mind had unraveled.
Anne was stunned, unable to believe what she was hearing. She stared wide-eyed, shocked by the revelation of Grime's death.
-Nothing can protect me anymore,- Sasha whispered, her voice still trembling. -My rock, my shield... all gone. Now I've got to stand on my own feet-
He stares at Anne, her fingers twitching nervously, her thoughts seeming to drift away.
-My father suffered from depression and paranoia for years,- Sasha continued, her voice barely audible. -He shut himself away, hearing voices in his head, losing his grip on reality. He always told me to be strong, to be resilient because he knew one day he wouldn't be there anymore-
Sasha's eyes were fixed on the sand beneath her feet as she continued to speak, her gaze lost as if without direction. Like a madman with no sanity left.
-I tried to stop him many times. But that night... I couldn't. I came home late from the company, and when I went into the house... they had already buried him in the basement. He had to be buried immediately... because his head... his head was gone- she choked, her voice trembling with emotion.
Sasha's gaze grew distant as she spoke, reliving the pain. -Since I was a kid, he put everything on me. He made me run the company when he couldn't. He was already so lost in his head... he couldn't think straight. There was nothing left in him but the will to die.-
Sasha's face twisted into a painful expression, her eyes meeting Anne's.
-I kept his death a secret. Do you know why?-
Anne didn't speak, just stared at Sasha with a sad, unwavering gaze.
-Because everyone knew... my father was my strength. Without him, I'm nothing. I'm weak. I'll be destroyed without him- Sasha said, her words tumbling out faster, her voice cracking with desperation.
The blonde-woman couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She burst into tears in front of Anne, wrapping her arms around herself as she wept uncontrollably. Her head hung low, and her body shook with the intensity of her sobs.
Tears of sadness and helplessness streamed down her face. Sasha clutched her chest to stifle the tightness of her heart that felt like it was being crushed. She fell to her knees, digging her nails into the sand as she let out a high—pitched scream, her voice cracking with pain.
Every night since Grime's death, she cried endlessly, screaming alone in her room, feeling like she had lost the will to live. But when the sun came up, she had no choice but to put on a strong face and force her body and soul to remain calm in front of everyone.
Grime's death was the biggest terrifying tragedy in Sasha's entire life. It stripped away her passion, her ambition, and the vibrant world she once knew. All that was left was darkness, and her spirit was broken beyond repair.
Her cries grew louder, her body shook violently. She collapsed forwards, her face pressed against the sand as she screamed at the top of her lungs in the embrace of the night.
The brunette woman's eyes turned red as she looked at her. Her vision was blurred from the unbearable tears, but she fought to remain composed.
With determination, Anne crouched down beside her, placing her hands on Sasha's trembling shoulders. Gently and carefully she lifted Sasha to her feet and pulled her into her arms. Sasha's crying intensified as she cuddled with Anne, her body cold and shaking uncontrollably.
-Hold on to Me- Anne's voice whispered softly, her embrace getting tighter. The obedient Sasha made her hands grip Anne tighter; as if Anne was her lifeline. Her entire body trembled as sobs shook her, and she cried harder than ever, overwhelmed by pain too deep to bear.
-He saved me... he saved me from death eight years ago,- Sasha sobs against Anne's chest; her voice breaks. -But now... now he's the one who's gone...- She spoke in fragments, barely coherent, but the brunette woman knew each of her words.
Anne took a deep breath, trying to hold back her own tears. But no matter what, Anne's heart was not strong enough for that. Silent tears streamed down her face as she hugged Sasha even tighter, as if protecting her from the painful wind. Her heart ached from her pain, and for a moment, she was taken back in time; remembering when she and Marcy once cried together like this.
Sasha was the first to break the hold. She continued to sob, her face streaked with tears, her eyes swollen, and mascara running down her cheeks.
Anne's gaze softened as she looked at her. Her eyes were red and wet with tears. Slowly, she gently wiped away Sasha's tears and fixed her messy hair that was stained with dried blood.
-Does your head hurt?- Anne asked gently, her hand gently rubbing the wound where Luz had thrown the bottle.
Sasha nodded but continued to cry, speechless. She raised her hand and started slapping her lips repeatedly.
-Sasha... Please stop it... Don't hurt yourself, okay?- said Anne quietly who tried to hold and resist Sasha's wrists as she continued to slap her own mouth.
-I have to make it bleed! It's better to bleed than to leave Luz's disgusting marks and traces on my body,- Sasha babbled in her trembling voice; fragile as paper in her current state. -She... she used her mouth on me, on my lips, on my body-
Anne clucked her tongue in frustration, holding Sasha's hand firmly to stop her. The blonde woman's lips trembled as she thought of her late father and how Luz had desecrated her.
-Let go of me. I have to clean myself in the sea- Sasha snapped, desperate to get clean.
-You're wounded, Sasha. You're—
-I don't give a shit about my wounds!- she screamed, her voice breaking. -I just want to feel clean!-
-Sasha— Anne cut her off with her tired-sounding voice. Sasha's emotions were still uncontrollable, her wild and empty gaze reflecting her ruffled inner turmoil.
-Let go—
-I'll clean it-
Silence enveloped them. The sound of waves crashing on the shore and the howling wind filled the air as Anne moved closer.
Without warning, Anne pressed her lips to Sasha's. She cupped her face gently, kissing her deeply, her lips moving tenderly against hers. Her kisses were slow, almost methodical as if she were trying to erase every trace of Luz's filth from Sasha's lips.
The blonde was froze, her mind going blank. Her body went still, her tears drying as she felt Anne's lips on hers, gentle yet purposeful.
Anne broke the kiss and pulled away, her breath hitching. For a moment she lowered her gaze to the sand as she swallowed.
-I've cleaned it- she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. Now the brunette woman moved to pick up the black bag containing Luz's corpse from Sasha's baggage and threw it into her car.
Anne approached Sasha again who still seemed to be rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out why she didn't fight back and push Anne earlier, not even thinking of trying to get mad.
As Anne quickly removed her shirt, exposing her breasts that were cupped beneath the tight black tanktop, she slipped the shirt on to Sasha with the same awkward gesture.
-Wear this and go home. Take care of your wound,- said Anne stiffly as she tried to avoid Sasha's gaze.
-I'm sorry- she added softly, wiping Sasha's lips once again. -Go home and rest okay? I'll handle everything. You'll be safe-
Sasha looked at her with a furrowed brow; speechless. Her heart was full of questions that she could not ask. Why wasn't she mad? Why didn't she attack Anne when she kissed her like she attacked Luz when Luz wanted to kiss her? Why did Anne cry with her and promise to protect her from this nightmare?
-Why did you do this for me? Why did you save me?- Sasha finally asked, at least one of the thousand thoughts she had managed to get out.
Anne was already walking towards her car. -Because if it's not me, who else? No one. I'll make sure your name is spotless from Luz's death. Trust me.-
-Anne—
-I love you, okay? Now go home!-