like a rose

sydneyreed-inthemurderhouse‌:

As soon as Syd’s hand connected with Greg’s face, she could feel the anger ebbing away. Slowly, like a whole river of molasses, but still noticeably leaving. 

What he said made more sense than she wanted to admit. Sawyer had been borderline abusive to her before Greg came along, and he had shown her what love could be like. Gentle love, the kind that made her feel good about herself. Not the possessiveness and murder that came with Sawyer’s love. It still pained her to hear how he felt about Christine, but deep down she knew he was right. A stab of hurt echoed through her chest as she watched them hold hands. She’d ruined this. She’d caused this. If she had just been strong enough to leave Sawyer behind, something she still couldn’t completely do, none of this would have happened.

She felt tears pricking her eyes and wiped at them roughly. “I’m sorry,” she said, still slightly reluctant and feeling more and more out of place as the show of affection in front of her continued. “I shouldn’t have done that. And said that. I just… I was angry and upset, and I.. I’ve taken this out on both of you. And it’s my problem. Not yours. I’m just… sorry.”

Finally. At least things had stopped being an emotional mess…if only for a few moments. It was hard not to still feel wary of Sydney’s hands as Christine started to speak. All he needed was either of them to get offended again and smack his other cheek. 

Face softening even more as Christine asked her question, Greg looked down to the ground. “Like I said, I’m not stupid. I would have come to talk to you,” he said, trying his best to catch her eyes so that he could show her he wasn’t lying. “I don’t see why this has to hurt anything about us.” 

Sydney’s voice brought him back to her. So this was what it was really like to be between two women. The look of hurt on her face made him sigh. 

“Syd…I get it. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I just..I just want you to know that someone out there still loves you. Still cares about…you…and just…I don’t know. I just…I want you to know. 

Christine had had loves before Greg, before death. But none of them were as pure. Most were out of lust, and a majority were unfaithful. She’d never really had a good experience with men ---- her father was strict, but an exception. He was kind, and valued her, respected her. And the spectrum went from men like him, to men like Ricky. 

sydneyreed-inthemurderhouse:

Sydney could feel the anger bubbling up even further, very close to spilling over the edges of whatever container she’d managed to keep it in so far. They’d argued before. They’d fallen out and broken up and gotten back together with long nights of sex and talking and forgiveness, but this was different. She was hurt. Deeply. At both the hypocrisy of Greg and the fact that he didn’t seem- in her eyes- to want to come up with any solution other than grovelling.

Christine’s exclamation made Syd turn to her, taking in the tears and the sobs. Jesus. “See?” she snapped at Greg, gesturing at the blonde who was close to just turning into a blubbering mess. “You see what you’ve done to her? You don’t care if you hurt us. Either of us. As long as you get your rocks off. You can hate the other guys I’ve been with because they’re horrible and evil and whatever else you wanna call them. But how the fuck are you any better?”

The fact that he kept apologising hurt her even more. Why wasn’t he doing enough to make things right? Why was he standing there all meek and pathetic instead of fighting for one, or both, of them?

Sydney had had enough. She pushed herself away from the table, strode right over to him, and slapped him across the face.

“I don’t deserve this. We don’t deserve this..”

The second the tears started swelling in her eyes, Greg’s heart dropped to his stomach. This had to have been the worst decision he ever made. Maybe he should just try to find a way to turn back time and find a way to give Marley her gift away from Sydney. Avoid this entire mess together and just continue to be happy with Christine. He was happy. He loved her so goddamn much, and now because of his actions she was crying.

Fuck, I really am an idiot.

He wanted to bang his head against the countertop. Why wasn’t any of this getting through to the two women. It wasn’t that he was trying to play games. He wanted to be up front and honest. It wasn’t like he told them to have a three way. If anything he was just clearing the air between them.

“…But how the fuck are you any better?”

Wait, why the hell am I a bad guy in all of this?

That brought him around. How was he any better than Sawyer, the fuckhat who had killed her and then manipulated her worse than he ever had? Just because he loved Sydney and Christine at the same time suddenly meant that he was worse than that asshole? Eyebrows scrunching together, Greg was about to say something when Sydney’s hand came out of nowhere and smacked him across the face.

Head whipping back so that he was able to look at her once more, Greg was barely able to contain his anger. He understood how she could be upset that he was in love with her. The girl didn’t understand love if it had run her over ten times with a semi. But her smack had just sent him over the edge.

“I’m allowed to love both of you. Just like you were allowed to love that asshole and me. I didn’t stop you from loving him. I hoped you would. I hoped you would see that someone could love you and treat you better than you could ever dream, but you didn’t. I was willing to give up all of my shit for you. And then Christine came out. My fucking world flipped on its head when I was with her. She loved me. I didn’t have to contend with some asshole that you would drop me for at the drop of a hat. That didn’t mean I stopped loving you, but it did mean that I could be happy too. You chose me because Sawyer left. She chose me because she wanted me. I’m risking everything by coming out and saying I love you.”

Greg had stood up by the time he was finished talking. Looking down at Sydney, his scowl softened as he looked over to Christine. His hand moved across the counter to be a fraction of an inch from Christine’s.

“I’m a hypocrite. I get it. But I’m not playing games. If I was playing games, I would have done something far worse than I’ve done. I’m stupid, but I’m not that stupid.”

The scene before her had snapped her out of her tears, her self pity. She looked on with more shock than anything in her expression, the slap had echoed in her ears and Greg’s words to follow did so even more. The situation had escalated quickly, again and again, and as her love continued speaking his truth she found herself calming down ---- if only a little. He had been through a lot with Sydney, she didn’t even know the half of it honestly, but it still hurt her to hear him say those words out loud. That he loved her. After all she did to him, he loved her. And her faithfulness and dedication wasn’t enough to sweep her from his memory. He loved her. 

Blue eyes locked onto his hand as he set it near hers. When Christine first came out of hiding, she met Sydney. Tried to befriend her, in fact she thought the two could be quite the pair but something with them never quite clicked. But the brunette didn’t make it easy, and they soon became the opposite of friends. With Greg in the middle, that ship had sailed and she saw no hope in any kind of relationship with the girl. 

wxywordsoul:

He wanted to be a puddle. A puddle in the middle of the road where a car could run him over again and again. That would be better than seeing the hurt and hate in their eyes. Why he always had to put his foot in his mouth, Greg would never know. He had known he had spoken the wrong thing the second it came out of his mouth. Seriously, the puddle was sounding a whole lot better by the second.

“I didn’t…I wasn’t…” Their words had left him grasping for something. At least they were agreeing on something. “I’m a hypocrite. I’m…I’m the worst kind of hypocrite…” He shook his head, and poured himself another drink. He needed to get his words right. “I don’t want to play with either of you. And Sawyer…I’m not going to go there.” He leaned forward, elbows braced against the counter as his hands rubbed his face. The ghost couldn’t think of something that was nice to say about the man Sydney had been in love with since whatever the hell happened with them.

“I just…I would understand if either of you wanted nothing to do with me. As long as I got to see the kids, it would be fine. I just want..I want you two to have some kind of friendship. I ruined that. It was me…that just broke everything and I’m willing to take the fault.” Greg slammed down another drink, allowing himself to be berated before trying to say anything else.

Sydney clenched her jaw. It must’ve been the first time that she and Christine had agreed on anything- the first time she’d felt like they were on common ground. She nodded. “Selfish is an understatement,” she tagged onto Christine’s admission. “I think you’re being pathetic.”

As Greg continued to prattle on Sydney scoffed again, almost hurting her throat with the severity. “You don’t wanna go there? You don’t wanna-” She stopped, her voice beginning to shake and her eyes filling up. She wouldn’t let him make her cry. Fuck that.

“I was the happiest I’ve ever been with him. And you ruined everything. And for what? For this? To convince us that you wanna have your cake and eat it too? I’m so glad you’re willing to take the fault. That’s so noble of you.”

It was strange to be siding with Sydney on this one. It was strange from waking up that day next to the man she loved, only for it to progress to this situation. So he loved them both, but something about that hurt her. Was she a fool for having him on her mind before she slept, and first thing in the morning when she woke? Was she a fool for thinking someone could adore her for an eternity the way she wanted? She sure as hell felt like it. 

Tears began running down her cheeks, all this time she didn’t like Sydney ---- but for what? The other girl only wanted the same thing she did. To love unconditionally and be loved in return. To be the one and only. It occurred to her then that this wasn’t their fault, and that Greg would never make up his mind. 

wxywordsoul:

This was going to either be the worst mistake he ever made, or turn everything around for the better…there really was no in between for Greg in that moment. Sydney hated Christine. Christine hated Sydney. And the common denominator just happened to be him. He just hoped that the two of them would still be talking to him after this.  At least for the children’s sake. 

Getting up quickly, he grabbed a third glass for Christine, and went about pouring some more of alcohol into all of the glasses. The male ghost knew that he should probably be the one to get the ball rolling, but he wouldn’t be able to do that until he had two more drinks down his throat. Dispensing the other two glasses to the women, he drank his like a quick shot and poured another one only to repeat the process one more time. 

“I love both of you.” There the words were out. “Where should we go from there?” 

Where should we go from there? Syd had to fight the scoff that she wanted to make. He was sat there as if he wanted them to come up with the solution, as though he wasn’t the one causing this.

She finished her drink in one swallow, setting the glass back down. Right now Syd wanted to be anywhere other than here, with anybody other than the two of them. She didn’t glance at Christine as she sat there looking pitiful. Instead she shook her head, glaring at him. “You’re a hypocrite.”

She was furious, and hurt, and heartbroken. “Remember when I said I loved both you and Sawyer? Remember what you did? What you said? You made me hate myself for how I felt. You made me feel like I was hurting you. On purpose. And now you do the same goddamn thing?” She fought to keep her voice from shaking. God, she was hurt. “I never stopped loving him. Or you. But you called me a slut. You called me a whore. What exactly are you wanting to happen this time?”

She felt out of place, oh how she really felt out of place. She couldn’t help the light cringe that took over her features as Sydney started going off. Christine couldn’t imagine falling in love with her killer, she wondered if the girl had some sort of Stockholm syndrome. Is that what had messed Greg and her up in the first place? She almost wanted to ask, but instead kept her mouth shut on the subject. She was good at that, at biting her tongue. 

wxywordsoul:

Greg’s hand shot out and grabbed Sydney’s arm lightly. Mostly to keep her there. He wasn’t about to let her leave feeling like shit as well. Shit. Shit. Shit. Looking up, his eyes went from Sydney’s to Christine’s–trying to implore each of them to stay. If only for just a few minutes longer.

“Christine…” The blonde’s voice nearly broke his heart when she said his name. Shit. “Christine…” Looking back down, this time towards the counter, his eyes fell back to the bottle. “Drink with us.” The words came out slowly, as if he was trying to figure out some good way to make this better.

 “I..I’m sorry,” he said to no one in particular. Greg wasn’t about to let his world fall apart so easily. He couldn’t lose either of the women standing before him, but he knew that they would rather be worlds away from each other. “We can sit. We can talk. This doesn’t…this doesn’t have to hurt us..” Greg could feel himself beginning to ramble so he shut up, and moved back to his spot at the counter and sat down. “Please…please..just sit?” His eyes again looked from Sydney to Christine, indicating the chairs waiting for them.

Sydney hated Christine. Everybody knew it, and she didn’t exactly try to hide it. Still, despite the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes as the blonde brought her hands up to her mouth, Syd also felt a wave of sympathy. She knew how this felt. She’d seen the two of them together- felt the sharp pain of betrayal and heartbreak.

Looking at them both now, saying each other’s names like that alone would fix everything, she suddenly felt extremely out of place. Like a third wheel intruding on something intimately private. She wanted Greg. She loved Greg. But seeing them now made her feel very aware of the fact that he’d chosen to become a family with Christine, and not with her.

She was about to leave when Greg’s plea stopped her. There was no way sitting down and talking would make this better. It would only make things worse- if that was even possible. Still, she did her best to hide the wave of emotions stirring inside, and sat down on the edge of the chair, feeling ready to run at a moment’s notice.

How could it not hurt? She had to wonder. And to drink at a time like this? Well, she wasn’t above that. Christine lingered in the doorway a moment longer, truly and deeply contemplating whether or not she should leave them to it and find comfort elsewhere or... sit with them, talk, listen, like a mature adult might do. And she wasn’t about to let any ounce of immaturity take her over and create more drama by ghosting off without a trace. She owed it to her children to try, to not break down over this. 

wxywordsoul:

He tried. Greg really did try to speak. Had he wished that things would have worked out differently? Yes…in a way. He had wished that they had been able to leave as friends. He had wished he hadn’t lied about everything with Christine–mostly the pregnancy. He had wished that he could be in the same damn room with her without it ending in an argument. He had wished for a lot…but everything he and Syd had went through, Greg had learned to get over it. 

The sound of a throat clearing robbed Greg of the chance to tell Sydney what he had been thinking. Eyes turning to see who it was, the male ghost quickly dropped his hands. Fuck me with a pogo stick. Forcing a casual smile on his face, Greg leaned back against the kitchen counter. Opening his mouth to say something, he quickly closed it again. He wasn’t sure how long Christine had been standing there, but it was clearly enough. Slowly he followed her eyes down to the floor. 

Sydney tried not to think too deep into Greg’s silence. Her mind was her worst enemy, and all she could think was that she’d said too much. This was what she’d been avoiding: making a fool of herself by confessing everything to a man who couldn’t reciprocate. She was about to let her thoughts get the better of her when they both heard the sound of a throat being cleared.

Greg dropped his hands from the hug before Sydney even had a chance to see who it was. When her eyes landed on the blonde her face dropped, and she instinctually took a step back. Shit… She hated Christine, hated what she’d come between, but even she didn’t deserve to walk in on Syd confessing her love for the father of the blonde’s children. For what seemed like forever the painful silence continued, until Sydney finally spoke; her mouth dry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t- ah..” She stopped, genuinely at a loss for words. “I’ve had a lot to drink,” she lied. “I’m sorry. I should go.”

It was difficult for the blonde to say anything. Her whole world seemed to break apart right before her eyes, years of trust and love shattering. Christine was, for the first time in a long time, unsure of anything. She’d found comfort and safety in Greg, a connection that no one would ever understand. But what was it all really? As much as she wanted to run away from the situation, she couldn’t. 

wxywordsoul:

Greg was momentarily lost at Sydney’s confession. What was he able to say that didn’t leave her hating him again? Of course, he still loved her. Deep down, he knew that was something that would never go away. But how was he supposed to tell her that without it feeling like he was just saying it to make her feel better. 

Taking another long drink–this time straight from the bottle–Greg stood and walked over to where Sydney was sitting. Hugging her quickly, he smiled down at her. “I still love you too. And I’m sorry…” 

Even as she felt the relief of finally confessing her feelings out loud, Syd wondered if she’d made a mistake. Maybe she should’ve just acted like she thought of him as a friend, to make things easier? But his arms wrapped around her and suddenly everything else melted away. It had been months, possibly years- she’d lost count- since Greg had held her like that.

His confession reached her ears and she felt a small leap in her chest of wonderful surprise, and an immediate sharp pain of realisation that nothing could happen, regardless of how they felt. “You don’t have anything to apologise for, Greg. If it hadn’t been for- we were happy, and I ruined it. And I wouldn’t change- I have Marley. We have Marley. So I wouldn’t change any of it. But I just wish… I wish things could’ve worked out differently. For us.”

Elodie had been sitting on the bed, the five year old bored with her captivity. Much more captive than the rest ---- she was barely allowed to leave the bedroom without her parents, and she dared not explore on her own. It was far too scary, and she didn’t need to be told that to realize it. Horrors lurked around every corner, and through the eyes of the ghost child that was enough to keep her hiding behind her guardians, and even her brother. “I like the pink one, it’s sparkly.” El commented. The apple truly didn’t fall far from the tree.