Hellish: Chapter 6

IVY

"What the actual fuck is happening!?" Ty screamed in fear and confusion.

Ty has come inside Sammy's mansion and has seen the entire fiasco. Well, everything except Salvatore I assume. I just lay there on the ground paralysed trying to figure out what just happened in the last 4 hours. I was just not ready to process it.

Ty came over to me and Ayan and he gave me a hand to lift myself up. Ayan got himself to stand on his feet and Sammy rushed over to us, after looking at the burn mark on Ayan's shoulder I assume. I looked at it and it freaked me out too. The whole skin had become red and burnt but luckily there were no blisters.

"I don't even know anymore," I spoke honestly to Ty.

"I came inside because you were taking so long to get to the car, so I came inside to check. Thank God I did. Livvy, come here." He hugged me and looked at the burn mark on Ayan's shoulder.

"You should put something on that, before it worsens. Yo Sammy, you got a first aid kit?" Ty asked Sammy who nodded in response and went inside to get the first aid kit. "You should go and put it under cold water for a while. Does it hurt?" He addressed Ayan.

"Yeah, a little bit but nothing I can't handle. Thanks though. I run it under the water." He nodded at Ty and walked inside, but stopped near the door and asked, "Why don't you guys come inside?"

"Ummm...." I looked towards Sammy in confusion and Sammy nodded to Ayan. "We'll come in." He walked in leaving me and Ty outside.

Ty helped me take my heels off again and I hugged him again. I was just numb after everything that happened. I left my house to attend a party and fifteen minutes in passed out cold, woke up in a bedroom with Ayan freaking Aldair helping me and taking care of me, then a bald man coming in the picture who only Ayan and I could see, who I could touch and not him, who goes by the name Salvatore apparently and burned Ayans shoulder, froze Sammy and just disappeared before telling me he would be back. I needed Ty. I needed to vent and get all my emotions out that I was holding back, and I started sobbing in Ty's arms. I don't know how Ayan was so calm about this, but I was just not ready.

"Shhhh....Livvy it's okay. Shhhh." Ty reassured me and comforted me on the porch. "I know you don't want to talk about it maybe, but I saw you try to fight. I saw you trying to hit, and for that, I am proud of you Livvy."

After hearing those words, I let go of him and looked at Ty, teary eyed and smiled at him. I hugged him tighter as a thank you because maybe he didn't know but I really needed to hear those words. I was proud of myself too for fighting, for trying to save myself.

We walked back in silence, and I sat on the living room couch. There was a couch in front of the table and two sofas on the left and right sides of the table, all the seats facing it. The couch could accommodate 3 people and the sofa chairs could be occupied by one person. Everyone from the party had cleared out. Even Sammy's friends who were staying back, had gone. It was just us 4 inside. Sammy brought the first aid kit and kept it on the table. He occupied the seat beside the couch, the armchair that was to my right. "Hey, Ivy, I am so sorry for everything that happened here today. How are you holding up? Do you need me to do something? Or get you something?" Sammy sounded genuinely concerned.

"Uh..no thank you, I'm okay I guess." I lied a little, but I just didn't want to talk about it anymore. I brought my hands on my knees and realised the ash that was there because the bald man’s remains were still on me. I jumped up immediately and started brushing off the ash from my hair with my hands. It was not much, but I felt extremely disgusted after seeing the ash on me. I didn't want any reminder of the night on my skin or mind but unfortunately, I couldn't control the latter. I brushed off the ash from my shoulders and head. There wasn't a lot so it's not like I was ruining his carpeted floor. But nonetheless, it was just making bile rise up in my throat. Just the thought of anything connecting me physically to the bald man.

I sat back down and remembered my mom might be expecting me home, so I dropped a text, telling her that I would be late.

I sat down again, and Ayan came back from the bathroom I assumed, because he was shirtless now and was dripping from his shoulder to this chest all the way down to his stomach, pooling in his belly button, just between those abs-

"How are you holding up Ivy?" He sounded concerned when I should've asked him the same question, but I was busy ogling him in all his shirtless glory. God what is wrong with me!?

"I'm okay, how about you. Does the burn feel better?"

"Sort of, I'll just put something on it." He went for the first aid kit, but Sammy stopped him.

"Hey, if you want, I have frozen aloe vera cubes in my fridge, you could use those."

Ayan's lips shaped into a smirk, and he teased, "Of course you have aloe vera cubes in your fridge Sammy." Ty and I started smiling and looking at Sammy which made his cheeks red in embarrassment. He threw a pillow at Ayan who ducked in time, and it went flying near the stairs. Everyone started laughing and Sammy went to get the ice cubes for him to apply on his burn. He sat on the armchair that was on Ty's left.

The laughter shortly died and there was an awkward silence in the room. My eyes immediately went to Ayan's shirtless body and stayed there, until Sammy came. He caught me staring at him and the smirk on his face was back. It made my cheeks go red and I could feel the heat on my cheeks too. I looked away and Ayan started applying the cold cubes on his shoulder burn.

"So.....do we wanna talk about what just happened?" Ayan asked the room while looking at his shoulder and rubbing the cube in circular motion.

"Oh, dude come on, they feel nice and cold on my face and-"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it, you don't have to bring-"

Sammy and I spoke at the same time, and we looked at each other and I realised my mistake and my cheeks turned redder if that was even possible. Ty and Ayan were also looking at me and smiling but Ayan continued.

"Actually, I was asking about the whole Salvatore fiasco that happened outside." He said, setting the half-melted cube on the table.

The entire room went silent, and I didn't know what to say, because I didn't know how to explain or talk about it. I started fidgeting with my hands and tapping my legs and Ty noticed the restlessness that suddenly conquered me, he placed his hand on my knees to stop my legs from shaking and reassured me with his touch.

"Well, can someone tell me what happened first?" Ty spoke up and I realised, he couldn't see Salvatore. He had seen what happened, but it was difficult to comprehend. It was lucky the man didn't see or feel Ty or he would've turned him into a frozen statue like Sammy.

"So, we were going to drop Ivy into the car, she was going to wear her heels and Ayan and I were talking. The next thing we know is Ivy is near the wall facing something. She was shivering and she became all blue again, and then she looked at us and I don't remember the rest, like I blanked out. The next thing I see is Ayan and Ivy on the ground. Ayan has a burn mark on his shoulder and his shirt melted on that part and both of them are covered in ash." Ty narrated.

"That man is what I wanted to talk to you about Ivy. Before you were going to leave. I have been seeing him before as well, but I never came in contact with him. Till now. I knew Sammy couldn't see him, but I didn't want to think much about that man. I saw him near Heather's house and even in school. I think now is a good time to talk about it all before it's too late."

He sounded so serious and jumped straight to the point. I couldn't avoid it even if I tried. But I didn't know if I wanted to avoid it or talk it out. I mean Salvatore did threaten me and said he would be back very soon, and I need to know all I can about that man before he comes at me from wherever. I can touch him. I can carry a stick or something and try to beat his ass before he touches me. Although-

"Yeah, I think we should talk about all we know about this man, so we know how to be safe." Ty interrupted my thoughts and honestly, I was glad he did before I started spiralling cause I am scared.

"Okay so, well we know that he will come back for me or for Ayan very soon because he said that." I informed the group.

"Unless he was addressing me as ‘baby’, Ivy, I think he was talking about you." Ayan smirked and made air quotes with his hands on the word baby.

"How can you take this so lightly dude!? He literally said he will come back for her and for all we know when he comes back, she can get seriously hurt!!" Ty commented seeing the smirk on Ayan's face thinking he was taking it all very lightly.

"Dude, I am not taking shit lightly!! I am more worried than you are because I have actually seen the man before and felt him. Hell, I have felt him around me more than you have, and you don't know what that power can do!!" Ayan was getting enraged. He did seem concerned, and I couldn't see it before, but he was definitely trying to hide the fact that he was equally scared.

"Okay...let's all calm down. Ty-" I looked at Ty, "-Ayan," I looked at Ayan and started speaking again before they could argue any further. "Well, as chaotic as this is getting. I will tell you what I think and what I got to know about Salvatore, and you will tell me what you know. Understood?" Ayan nodded. Ty and Samy were listening intently.

"Well," I swallowed. Took a deep breath and started narrating, "I can see it, whatever it is, I can hear it, and I can touch it. But the worst part is I can feel him. Every time he has been around me, the hairs on the back of my neck had risen, I start feeling cold, almost lifeless, the temperature literally drops drastically around me, and it seems to only affect me. I literally become blue. And I don't know about you guys, but I do not like do go around looking like a Smurf." I tried to add a little humour at the end to lighten the situation a bit, knowing full well it wouldn't help, but ehhh...worth a shot. I continued, "When he touched me, it felt like I was being touched by dry ice. It was too cold for me to bear, and I literally shuddered at the touch because of how cold it was. But somehow, -" I turned and looked Ayan straight in his eyes and saw the tension in his Amber eyes, "Whenever I am around you, warmth fills me. It's like every time you are near me, my body temperature starts rising again after the cold fills my insides. Like you bring back the heat to my bones. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I just do."

"Ivy.....I-" He hesitated before saying, 'I know what you mean, it's like every time I am in your presence, it warms me from the chilly environment that seems to only blanket me. I didn't know how to explain this but it's true."

"When Salvatore came so close to whisper in my ears, the only parts that you were touching me on were warm but the rest of them were starting to turn blue again and I started shivering more and more but somehow your presence made it so much more bearable than before. I am sure, I would've passed out again if it wasn't for you." I smile at him.

"Yeah yeah, you keep each other warm we get it, now you tell us about this man." Ty interrupted the conversation after getting annoyed. Ayan scowled at him, but he continued, "You were the one who saw him before Liv." He got a little irritated, but I am surprised he kept his calm throughout. He began telling us what he knew.

"Okay, so," he looked at Ty and rolled his eyes before continuing. I couldn't help but a chuckle left my mouth, they were bickering like kids, and it was pretty amusing to me. Everyone looked at me like I started laughing at a funeral or something. I turned my mouth into its normal resting state and looked at Ayan urging him to continue. "I saw him at school in the cafeteria the day Heather and I broke up. I saw him and I looked away before our eyes could meet and then he just disappeared. I sensed him the night before that at Heather's place as well, but I didn't see him. I didn't even feel him. I just thought it was some creep or someone was trying to break in. I don't know. I felt him at the party too. Before I carried you upstairs to the bedroom," that statement made me blush. I wish I had been conscious to see him and feel him carrying me and the fact that he was currently shirtless was not helping me at all. "I felt him, it became too chilly again the minute I held you, you and I both felt warm again." Ty rolled his eyes at him, Ayan frowned at him again but continued. "I cannot touch him though. My hands literally pass through him, and it feels like my hands are touching dry ice. My bones can feel the cold. I'm pretty sure, the bone in my hand has contracted a little because of the cold or something. I can hear him, but every time he touches me, I get burn marks as you can see." Ayan pointed at his burn mark and then started applying an aloe vera ice cube on it again.

"What did he say to you guys? And what the hell did he do to me!?" Sammy was waiting to know what happened to him. I didn't have the heart to tell him but, I informed, "He just looked at you, gave you a creepy ass smile and the next thing I know, you're a blue frozen statue. But when he left, he turned into a flame-like ball thing and turned to a wisp of smoke that went flying across and passed through your ears making you normal again, then it came back and exploded over our heads and dropped ash on our heads like confetti."

Sammy was so confused but he did not like what happened to him. I mean obviously, I understand no one would, but I felt really bad. On the other hand, I did feel kinda ecstatic about the fact that he did not get to witness the whole scene. It was probably for the best. "Wow." That's the only word he could get out of his mouth.

"Salvatore mentioned his name and said he would be back. He tried to hit me or something I don't know but he will try again." I blurted out and now the guys were all looking at me. I didn't know what to do or how to protect myself because I cannot let the man do anything to me at any cost.

"Ivy, don't worry, we'll all help you and be there with you so we can face him together. Right??" Sammy assured and looked at the other two for support.

"Yeah," Ayan nodded, he came and sat on the couch beside Ty, "I will help you. We have to fight him together and we will figure it all out. Together." He placed his hand on mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ty looked at me and nodded too, placing his hand on my knee again, squeezing it gently and assuring me. I did feel better, but I was just exhausted from everything. I was less scared now and the adrenaline started to lose its effect now and exhaustion dawned me. I yawned and covered my mouth with my hand.

"Ivy, don't worry. If you want to sleep here, you are welcome to. Ayan and I are going to sleep here anyways. You are Ty are welcome to stay too. If that would make you feel safe." Sammy suggested and he and Ayan awaited my answer.

I glanced at Ty and said, "Um...thank you so much, but I don't mean to impose. Ty and I can sleep at my place tonight. You guys probably have a lot on your plate anyways."

Ayan shook his head, "Nonsense. You would not be imposing Ivy. It would make me also feel much better knowing you are here. If Ty sleeps with you, we don't know how he can help you. We are yet to figure out if these two can touch him or not. And you might not be able to fight him all alone at night. Let me be there, at least I can see him, and I can protect you that way. I know you are perfectly capable of fighting him, but it would make me feel so much better if you stayed. Please Ivy, I insist."

"Wow, well it's hard to say no to that. Lemme just text my mom. And thank you so much you guys for everything. It means a lot to me. Thank you." I placed a hand on Ayan's this time and gently squeezed it, "For saving me back there, I don't know what I would've done if I had hit him and it backfired or something."

"Oh, come on don't thank me, you would've done the same thing if you were in my place." Ayan smiled and I quickly dropped a text to my mother. I told her I had gotten a panic attack at the party, but Ty was with me, and we would be staying over. I asked her not to worry about me because I wasn't alone. She immediately replied and asked me to take care of myself.

Sammy then got up, "I'll show you guys your bedrooms then." Ty and I got up and followed Sammy upstairs. He took me to the same bedroom I woke up in and Ty kissed me goodnight. Luckily there was a light behind the bed that I didn't turn off so I could sleep without getting up in fear. I sat on the bed and 2 minutes later, Ayan came into the room with a fresh water bottle in one hand and a pillow and blanket in the other. I was so confused. He kept the water bottle on my nightstand and sat beside me, "I was wondering if you would be okay if I slept on the floor here. I am pretty scared myself plus this way I can be close by if he shows up at night. Would you be okay with it?"

"Umm...are you sure you want to sleep on the floor? Cause I don't need you sleeping on the floor to protect me Ayan, I'll be fine trust me. I'll even keep my door open and if I see something I will scream for help and bash the lamp on his bald head. " It was a sweet gesture to be honest and I could not appreciate it more. But I didn't like the idea of him sleeping on the floor while I lay on the king size bed. But there was also no way I was going to share a bed with him. He wasn't shirtless now. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. It still didn't help. He was just so effortlessly gorgeous. Another yawn rolled out of me, and I wanted to lie down and sleep.

"Yeah, I am fine with it. Don't worry about it. The question is, are you fine with it or not."

"Yeah, unless you wanna sleep on the bed, that's still okay with me." I didn't want to share the bed, but I still offered, he was doing so much, going above and beyond.

"Ivy, it's fine, just take the bed. If you need me, I'm here and if I need you, I'll scream for your help." He smiled and went and set his sleeping paraphernalia on the floor and lay down.

"You might not be that lucky, you know. I am a pretty heavy sleeper. But I'll try my best for you." I smiled and I could see him smiling at my confession.

"Good night, Ivy."

"G'night Ayan."

I just lay there on the bed with the yellow lights behind the bed shining in the room, wrapped under a blanket. The air conditioning was on, and I was feeling cold, but it was pleasant. I just realised I was not dreading the night anymore. I was not scared to fall asleep anymore and I felt secure. I didn't know how much I needed Ayan's help till he gave it to me without even me asking for it. Plus the fact that everyone was there and all of us had such extreme mood swings tonight, it made my chest a little lighter. I didn't realise when, but the sheets were so silky and the mattress was so soft, I fell asleep in no time.