Safe in my Dreams (The Story)

She should have known
The way he had looked at her
The full lips that had smiled at her from across the room
The way his eyes had burned into her body as if they were glowing coals
He had stood so far away from her
Yet she had felt like the heat of his body had burned her soul

She had been warned
His kisses had been the harbingers of the catastrophe
That now spread sluggishly before her
Like the sweetest syrup, burning her like lava
Washing over her in slow waves

She wasn't surprised to see him in the room
She wasn't surprised when her target joined him
And engaged in intimate conversation
He was so beautiful
The memory of his taste hadn't entirely left her lips
As she set about assembling her sniper rifle

She hid behind the wall that lined the roof, hiding her from prying eyes
She had had to search for her target for a long time
And without him knowing it, he had led her to them
Would it pain him to know that his betrayal had brought her closer to the prey?

It had been so perfect, so safe, so familiar
And yet, without thinking twice
She positioned her rifle and watched the two figures
Sitting next to each other on the windowsill, their backs to her
She saw his shoulders move slightly as he waved his hands around
And talked like he always did when he was excited about something

She wasn't surprised to see him
And yet the disappointment slowly and steadily ate through her gut
The taste of coal and tar filled her mouth as she adjusted the lens
Without taking her eyes off him
She grabbed her phone and blindly dialed his number
She saw him stiffen as his phone must have vibrated in his jacket pocket
Before he pulled it out and answered the call

Hello? Hello?

His shoulders looked tense as she glanced at her target
He slipped his free hand into the pocket of his suit pants
Then shrugged disapprovingly as he clicked his tongue in disapproval

Who's there? Who's there?

She sighed and laughed softly, enjoying the sight of his carefully trimmed hair
Barely touching the collar of his shirt

Turn around

Without waiting long, he turned to the window so that she could see his face
Her target did the same and for a long moment
She allowed herself to meet his angry blue eyes that searched the night
And then he saw her
Recognized her
He knew immediately what would happen
But she didn't give him a chance to say anything
She didn't want to allow him to change her mind

The shots echoed far into the night, drowned out by the approaching helicopter
She got up without looking back and ran to the other side of the roof
Where a rope was already being lowered

She should have seen it coming
She had been warned