Chapter 46: Little Monsters

"I'm not shoveling this time!" Lindsay crossed her arms.

Tanner did the same, "I did it yesterday."

They both turned to me, eyebrows raised. I usually didn't compare the two, but at that moment, they looked exactly alike. I crossed my arms as well, feeling left out. Besides that, there was no way I was going to shovel. I had spent the past few weeks writing letters and my hands were still cramping.

Sleep was a rarity at this point. When I did get any, it was never much. I spent the days with my family and the nights writing letters. It wouldn't be so difficult if I didn't add a personal touch to each one. Even though it would be easier not to, I knew I had to.

When I wasn't missing out on sleep, I was paranoid. Andrew's words haunted me. He didn't know for sure that I was being set up, which meant death could be following my every move. There wasn't a day I didn't glance over my shoulder or pay extra attention to my surroundings. As much as I wanted to go out on my own terms, there was still a chance I didn't have that option.

"Nose goes!" Tanner shouted, slamming his finger to nose.

Lindsay did the same, leaving me to do the shoveling. I groaned before pulling a coat on. I opened the door and let Mufasa play in the snow. I grabbed a shovel and got to work, cleaning the driveway and sidewalk. It wasn't a hard job, though it was rather tedious. After a while, Mufasa had to go inside, leaving me alone outside.

I sighed, watching the puff of air appear in front of me. Lindsay and Tanner were probably laughing at me from a window. My face felt just as frozen as my hands. Wearing gloves did nothing to fight off the cold. It just prolonged the inevitable. My feet were slowly started to freeze as well.

"You're shoveling? Seriously?"

I rolled my eyes at the sound of Griffin's voice, "No, I'm elephant hunting in the middle of a grocery store."

"How's that going for you?" I could hear the smug look on his face.

I bent over, gathering a healthy amount of snow in my shovel. I chucked it over my shoulder, knowing at least some of it would hit him. The sound of surprised yelling proved me right. I continued to shovel like nothing happened. Griffin marched up to me, eyes narrowed. A small mountain of snow sat on his head. I bit back a proud smile.

"How may I help you, Mr. Ryder?" I asked innocently.

He grinned, "I just wanted to say hello to my beautiful girlfriend."

I waved at him before grabbing the shovel again. Immediately, he took it from me, tossing it aside. Before I could open my mouth to ask why he tackled me into the snow. With a yelp, I sunk into the snow. Griffin was howling with laughter by the time I sat up. I shot him a glare, brushing off snow from my hat. Even as he helped me up, he was still chuckling.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my shovel. Once again, he took it away, tossing it aside. I frowned, backing away slowly. There was no chance I was going back into the snow. He had tackled me into the snow I just shoveled, which was like a smack in the face.

"Relax, I'm not gonna do it again," He smiled. "I came to invite you over."

I quirked an eyebrow, "Your house?"

He nodded, "I realized I've been over here hundreds of times, but you've never been over to my house once."

Despite my excitement, I kept my cool, "If it's as cold there, I might have to refuse."

He chuckled, "The Reaper world is strange in regard to the weather. We get snow, but it's not usually much. Even then, the snow doesn't stay long because it's not cold enough."

"I'm in," I shrugged, ready to get out of the cold. "Let me grab my phone."

I wasn't just getting my phone, I was changing clothes. My stained sweatpants were comfortable, but I'd have to sacrifice them for something presentable. The thought of seeing Griffin's house always lived in the back of my head. I didn't think I would ever be able to see it. Now that I could, I had no idea what to wear or how to act.

What if his dad's home? It's Saturday after all.

I tensed instantly.

He liked you for what Griffin said. For all you know, Griffin could've been lying and making you sound better than you are.

I shook her off and got dressed quickly. I swapped my sweats for jeans and a nice blouse. I didn't want to overdo it, but I also didn't want to give off the impression that I didn't care about my appearance. Griffin's dad might care about personal images. He was on the council. It was his job to care about those things.

After a few more moments of obsessing over my outfit, I rejoined Griffin. He rolled his eyes playfully when he saw my change in clothes. Instead of saying anything, he simply placed a hand on the small of my back and we appeared in front of a pale blue house.

It was a small family house. It was similar to the other houses on the street. Every lawn was mowed, and the yards were well kept. Some of them had small gardens of flowers. I felt like I had left the real world and entered a book. Not even the suburban neighborhoods were this nice.

Griffin stepped forward, hand ushering me forward. We stepped onto the porch and he opened the door for me. I entered, eagerly observing every detail. Immediately, I spotted a few family photos. My curiosity got the best of me as I approached one of them. There was a baby resting in a woman's arms. Gram Ryder sat next to her, smiling at her.

That's Griffin's mom, huh? She is- well, was beautiful.

Agreed.

Griffin shared a few of her features, making it obvious it was his mother. She looked like such a happy woman. Smile lines rested at the corner of her lips. Her skin was glowing. I moved onto the next picture, seeing her again. This time, it was just her and Griffin. They were at a beach.

Griffin looked to be around five. Both of his front teeth were missing and a giant floaty wrapped around his small figure. His dark hair slightly covered his bright gray eyes. They were both next to a sandcastle. Griffin looked at it proudly while his mother pointed to it.

As I noted the details, I felt Griffin's arms wrap around m waist, his head resting on my shoulder, "You happen to be dating the best builder of sandcastles this world has ever seen."

I leaned into his touch, smiling, "Is that so?"

"Surely is," I could feel his chest rumble from his chuckling. "We used to see who could build the better castle. My mom sucked at it, but my dad was like da Vinci. He built that one. A few seconds after this picture, a wave came in and washed it away."

I laughed, "So you won then?"

He nodded slightly, "Mine was further up than his and it survived. My mom's collapsed before it could even stand. She would constantly talk about how she would've won if that stupid hermit crab would've left well enough alone."

"You two were pretty close," I whispered mostly to myself.

"My parents were my best friends. After she passed, I didn't keep up with friends anymore. Andrew was the only one who wouldn't leave me alone. Him and Jasmine."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Jasmine?"

"She's my ex-girlfriend," He said casually.

I turned my head enough to see his face. He was still staring down at the picture. His eyes were swirling with nostalgia. It was like he was reliving that day. I felt my heart beat with love at the sight. He looked like a kid again.

I smiled, "Somehow, I forgot someone came before me."

"Yeah, me too," He mumbled, pecking my shoulder. "Especially since you're in my life."

My smile widened, "You're such a closeted romantic."

"On the contrary," He tugged my shirt down, allowing himself access to my shoulder. His lips skated across my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. His kisses danced up my neck to my jawline. His lips left my jaw and he leaned in close to my ear. "I'm very upfront, no?"

Griffin pulled back, leaving me feeling suddenly cold. I whirled around to see him walking away. I immediately followed after him, wondering where he was going. We arrived in his room. It suited him. There were small pictures and awards around the room. Overall, it was neatly organized. Even his bed was neatly made.

I could see his ukulele sitting in the corner, small doodles decorating it. I turned to my right and saw a small gallery of photos. Of course, there were pictures of his family. To my surprise, there were pictures of me as well. The first was from the carnival. The second was a picture someone had taken of us. We were both asleep, me leaning on him and him leaning on an ice pack. It was the day his uncle attacked him. The last was just me. I had no idea when he had taken it. I was laughing, facing slightly away from the camera.

I couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was nice knowing I held a spot on his wall. I moved on, exploring the rest of his room. After waiting so long, I was finally seeing Griffin's room. It was almost surreal.

Once I was satisfied, I took a seat next to him. His room reflected who he was. It wasn't full of things, but what it did have carried meaning. There was almost nothing with only his face on it in his room. He slung an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I sighed.

Griffin kissed my temple, "I love you, Mackenzie."

I smiled, "I love you too."

-*-

We hung out in his living room, eventually falling asleep watching tv. My eyes fluttered open. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Ryder pass by. He was fully aware of us, but he chose to keep going. I was grateful he was so supportive. He could've easily thrown me out, but he didn't.

I was suddenly aware of Griffin underneath me. His chest rose and fell, a quiet snore came from his lips. He was entirely too peaceful for me to wake him up. However, I had to use the bathroom. Carefully, I slipped away and escaped to do my business. On my way back, I ran into Mr. Ryder.

"Oh, hello Mackenzie," He smiled warmly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," I replied. "How are you?"

He shrugged, "The very same. Though, it is nice to see my son so happy. After Grace passed, he stopped taking naps. He stopped sleeping as much. Now, I heard you two have decided to go steady."

I nodded, "Around two months ago, sir-"

"Please, just call me Gram. 'Sir' makes me sound old," He frowned. "And I'm happy to hear that. I've been waiting for him to invite you over. I want you to know you're welcome any time."

"Thank you," I beamed.

"I would invite you over for dinner, but I've never been one for cooking," He sighed. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to him. I have to get caught up on some work."

He waved, strolling away. I returned to the living room, taking my seat next to Griffin again. This time, he was awake, laying his head on my shoulder. He yawned, stretching his arms. Since I was so close, I could see his muscles flex through his shirt. I bit my lip to keep my mouth from watering.

You caught a good one. Way better than Michael.

Micah.

Exactly, Michelle. That's what I said.

I rolled my eyes and picked up the remote. Surprisingly, they didn't have any special channels besides the news. Griffin said it was because a lot of Reapers pursue careers on the field with clients. Those who don't often work in an office or some other necessity to them. Actors are rare, but they exist alongside humans.

How don't they notice the glowing eyes?

"Mackenzie?"

"Hm?"

"I like this," He sighed. "Being around you is always so relaxing. The massages help, but it's mostly your presence."

I opened my mouth to ask about the massage part when I realized I was unconsciously running my hand through his hair. I raised an eyebrow, wondering how long I had been doing it. My hand seemed to have a will of its own. For the time being, I was fine with it. Griffin was right, I was relaxed. His hair was soft, so I wasn't complaining either.

"I feel the same way when you aren't tackling me into the snow," I shrugged.

"Hey! You started it!"

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," I stuck out my tongue.

He leaned forward, biting my tongue and pulling me in for a kiss. I kissed him back without a second thought. Before it could intensify too much, he pulled back, gazing into my eyes. I couldn't help but stare back. I never wanted this moment to end. I wanted every day to be like this for forever.

However, it couldn't.

Griffin deserved to live up to his complete potential. Who was I to stop him? I've always heard if you love someone, let them go. That's just what I had to do. This entire thing needed to end. This circus show we were conducting had to stop so he could move forward.

That didn't make it any less hard to say goodbye. Griffin was more than I could hope for. He was more than I honestly deserved. I just had to hope we'd meet in another life. This one just didn't have it in the books for us. Unfortunately, it had this cruel game in the books. The cruel game where we fall in love and hope for a future that can't happen.

It was still fun to dream.

"Griffin, what we've got going... it's good. It's more than that. It's... perfect. But can you honestly see a future with me? It's a bit unreasonable. I'm a human and you're a Reaper," I bit my lip. "It's like a fairytale without a happy ending."

Griffin's expression became serious, "Mackenzie, I see more than a future with you. A future is distant dreaming. I see a lifetime with you. I see myself proposing to you and getting married. You possibly changing your last name, so I can walk around declaring that you're my wife. I see us starting a family of little monsters. Not too many though. I'm not good with kids. I see us growing old together and yelling at each other from opposite ends of a porch. I'd turn down my hearing aid just to annoy you.

"I don't see the perfect happy ending for us because we aren't a happy ending pair. What we get will be something close enough. What I see is a lifetime of happiness that I wouldn't dare dream of spending with anyone but you."

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. The saddest part was being the only one knowing that wouldn't happen. Griffin wouldn't know until it was over. I had hope that he'd move on. He did when his mom passed. He could do it again with me. She was more significant than me, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

I cupped his face, bringing it back to mine. I kissed him with so much passion, I was afraid his face would crumble. I kissed him like it was the last time. He did the same, matching my passion with his own. We were battling over control of the kiss. Eventually, he won, pushing me backward onto the couch.

I love you, Griffin Ryder.

Too much for my own good.

//

Cheesy filler chapter for you! Cherish this moment. Hold it close to your heart. Remember this moment where you might actually like me. I say this because... well you'll find out. Just remember these good times. Also, the next chapter is gonna be long. Strap in! Thanks for reading! I love you all so much (remember this too)!

Tatty bye <3

EDIT: It seems like I keep apologizing for uploading late... BUT ANYWAY, this chapter was ready and I could've SWORN I pressed the publish button yesterday. Sorry about that. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed :P