CHAPTER SIXTEEN

We went back upstairs to look for Shelby and Dominic, but they were both already gone. The only ones left were the cackling spirits who all turned to us as we approached. Edward was also noticeable missing.

"Where did they go?" I demanded, but they merely laughed at me. I shook my head and was about to look for them myself, when Matt marched right up to one of the lanky spirits and pulled him up by his collar.

"Tell me where they are!" he shouted. His voice echoed in the house. I wondered if even the living heard him. "TELL ME!"

The spirit gulped and pointed a shaky finger up the stairs. "B-bathroom…"

With a huff, Matt let go of the trembling spirit. No one was laughing, now. I followed him up the stairs and held my breath when he pushed the door open.

There was immediately a clatter that hit the tile. Shelby looked startled when the door opened by itself. "S-stop…" she sobbed. "I'm sorry, Matt. I never meant to k-kill you… I'm so sorry. I love you." She reached again for the small blade that she dropped and pointed it at her neck. "I don't deserve to live, not after what I've done."

Matt immediately lunged at her and ripped the knife from her hand.

She gaped at what just happened. "M-Matt…?"

"Tell me how to talk to her," Matt asked me. I didn't know the exact science to it, but I told him everything that Edward taught me. I slipped my hand into his and hoped for the best.

He took in a deep breath. Several minutes had passed before I felt the tug at my gut. The warmth from within travelled up my arm and out through my finger tips.

"Oh, my God! Are you really here?" Shelby continued to stare at her late husband in disbelief. Matt smiled sadly back at her. "Yeah, it's me, but I can't be here for long. I just wanted to tell you that… I never stopped loving you, even after what you've done – what I've done. I was only with her as revenge. I never cared for her, at all."

Shelby let out a sob. "And I k-killed you." She reached forward to try to touch his face and he kissed her palm. "What have I done? Ever since we bought the place, it's as if everything is suddenly wrong with us. I love you so much. I never wanted to hurt you like I did."

I looked away. This seemed too private for me to watch, but I couldn't let go or he was going to flicker back out. At least they were making up. At least they had an excuse for their infidelities.

"I promise I'll never stop loving you," Matt told her. "But I have to go, soon, and I want you to be safe. There's a tunnel down in the basement where you can exit from. Get out and never come back. Warn everyone else to never come here."

"No! I won't leave you, again!" She flung her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. "Will you come with me?"

Matt looked at me, but I shook my head. There was no way we were ever going to be able to leave this place. "I can't, but I want to know that you're going to be okay. I know you'll find someone else who will love you as much as I do."

"I don't want them. I only want you," she protested.

He kissed her lips, softly. "You have to and I know you will."

She stared at him with teary eyes. "I can join y – "

"No!" he exclaimed. "Just listen to me for once. Leave this place and never look back."

The tug at my gut was beginning to become painful. "Matt…" I didn't want to interrupt, but the pain was growing quickly.

"I'm almost done," he hissed quietly at me.

Shelby had a confused expression on her face. 'Who are you talking to?"

"You can't see her?" He glanced back at me, but the pain was nearly unbearable. I was bent over with a death grip on his hand. "I have to go. Leave, Shelby. I'll try my best to protect you, I – "

I let out a cry before a pair of arms pulled me back, separating me from Matt.

"Matt?!" Shelby called out when he suddenly disappeared.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?! Can't you see you were hurting her?" At first, I thought it was Edward, but when my vision cleared and the pain slowly dissipated, I saw that it was actually Rory who had me against his chest.

"I only wanted to help Shelby!" Matt defended himself. "Look, I need to get her out of here. After, I'll get on my knees and grovel for forgiveness if that will make it better."

I waved my hand at him, understanding his urgency. "Go. Do what you have to do," I mumbled.

Had it hurt that much for Edward? Or perhaps I was just too weak to lend anyone my strength.

"Thank you, Madison. I'm really sorry."

When he was gone, my legs finally gave out. Rory placed his hand beneath my knees and scooped me up. "Let go…" I half-heartedly argued, but I was too tired to put up much of a fight.

He carried me on to the soft bed of a familiar room. "Stay here. Rest."

My eyes fluttered closed. I was in between states. I was asleep, yet awake and aware of everything that was happening around me, but I could also feel my strength slowly returning.

The bed dipped down beside me a hand ran through my hair, while he whispered into my care. "I'm sorry, Madi. I know I've been the worst thing that could happen to you. Hell, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have even been here. You wouldn't be head and you wouldn't be stuck here. This is all my fault."

I wanted to open my eyes and tell him that I was still awake. I wanted to yell and shout at him. I wanted to cry and kiss him, but my body refused to listen to me. This was torturous. I didn't want to see this side of him, again. It was better if he remained despicable and I could continue hating him more than I loved him.

"Now, I have to see you fucking that pompous ass. Does he remind you of me? Is that why? I'm right here, Madi. If you gave me another chance, I swear that I'll never treat you wrong, again." He kissed my forehead. "Give me a second chance, please."

…

Rory sighed, lying back down on the pillow as she continued to slumber. She was so beautiful. He never thought he would see her in this position, again. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that everything was alright, again, but then, he could see that bastard holding her, kissing her, wrapped in her warm, soft flesh.

He could feel his own pants tighter when he remembered her erotic cries and how her back arched in pleasure. Even though he hated seeing them together, while he couldn't even touch her, he also found that it aroused him. He never thought that watching her do these things to other men would make him feel this way. Was there something wrong with him? Could it be because this Edward had his face and he was imagining that I was him who was holding her close?

A growl rumbled out of him. His desire to throw off the cover and tear away that skimpy nightie grew. The lust had hit him so hard that it even frightened him. He was obviously no stranger to sex, but he had never felt something so primal. He was on the verge of going caveman on her.

Unable to hold back any longer, he scooted closer to her. He went closer and closer until he had her flushed against him. Her soft curves fit so perfectly to his body.

His hand wandered to her stomach, up to her breasts. He growled, remembering how wonderful they felt in his hands. She was so beautiful, but the thin fabric was still in the way.

He tugged impatiently at it, but when he felt her twitch, his conscience came rushing back. He quickly retracted his hand and backed away from her. What was he doing? He couldn't possible have thought of… raping her, did he? And she was unconscious! She couldn't even put up a fight! What kind of monster was he becoming? He knew there was a better way to earn her back and this was definitely not it.

"God, damn it!" he cursed loudly before getting out of the bed. He could see her stirring and he didn't want to explain himself.

As soon as he phased out of the wall, he immediately stopped in front of Edward who was regarding him with narrowed eyes. "What were you doing in there?" the geezer demanded.

Rory sneered back at him. "None of your damn business." With that, he stomped off to cool down. He had a problem downstairs and he wondered if the other man was able to see it. He really didn't want anyone to find out what he had almost done to her.

He went into the kitchen and was about to raid the fridge when he remembered that he couldn't exactly do that anymore. The action had been so natural. He always ate whenever he was upset, but he couldn't do that anymore. He was going to have to change most of his habits.

Loneliness began to creep up on him. He didn't have anyone here. He was not an actor. He was not a lover. He wasn't even alive. He was nobody in a strange house full of strange spirits.

"Look at that hot piece of meat," he heard snickering from behind him.

He turned and saw two women leaning against the wall. From their old, dirtied nurse outfits, he assumed they were the two murderous nurse aides who had been killing their patients in this house. They were the ones who had painted the word MURDE on the wall above the fireplace.

"What do you want?" He glared at them.

The brunette smiled coyly at him, sauntering over. "Don't be like that. I'm Miranda." She sidled up to him and ran a finger down his chest.

Two arms wrapped around Miranda from behind. The blonde gave her a kiss on the neck. "I'm Bridget. Haven't you ever fantasised about being with two sisters at once? Doesn't it thrill you to have us both catering to your… every… need?"

Rory took several steps back. "Look, I'm not interested. Go find someone else to play with." By the way they were interacting, he wondered if they were in some sort of incestuous relationship.

He quickly turned away from the sisters. They weren't people he wanted to deal with, especially when he was already feeling so out of his element, but they were persistent. They followed him around, making lewd comments.

"Look at those arms," Bridget purred, reaching out to touch him, but he quickly stepped away. "And those legs… He had big shoes, doesn't he? What do those people say about shoe size?"

They both snickered.

"I'd love to ride that big, hard cock of his," Miranda moaned obscenely, touching herself.

Her sister happily joined in, tugging away at the brunette's clothes, until both were naked. He could feel their eyes on him as he tried his best to ignore them. He focused his attention on the television, until they moved in front of him. Their cries and moans were annoyingly loud. He could see that slowly, the other spirits left the room, while the sisters… went at it. Only one remained. It was an older gentleman who wanted in on the action, but the women pushed him away, so the man brought himself to completion. It only took a few seconds and then, he was lying lazily, watching the ladies continue to play.

Rory stood up in annoyance and moved back upstairs. He didn't want to check the room, worried that Madi would be wrapped up in hisarms, again. The sisters had also killed his erection and he didn't want to bring it back any time soon. It was like some monster with a mind of its own. He glanced down at the spot between his legs. The offending thing remained innocently out of sight.

"Hey, man. You're here, too, are you?" a familiar voice greeted him from behind.

He saw Matt looking exhaustedly back at him. "Hey, I didn't expect to see you here. When did, uh… it happen to you?"

Matt rubbed his eyes. "Too long, it already feels like."

"What've you been doing? I haven't seen you around, until now and I've been all around this house," he inquired.

"I was helping Shelby out of here," he replied. "Not sure what happened, but one moment I was following and pulling those bastards away from her, the next, I was back in this frickin' house."

"It's the barrier. There's something keeping us here," he sighed.

"Yeah, I figured." Matt sounded particularly irritated, but Rory couldn't blame him. Dying would ruin anyone's mood.

The two of them decided to hang out in the kitchen, lamenting all the food that was going to rot in there. They each shared their stories, telling tips and tricks. It was like two freshmen trying to survive school, again.

And then, they both talked about the women in their lives. Rory found that even Matt knew Audrey had been cheating on him the entire time. He also learned that Shelby hadn't been much better. It seemed that fame really changed people.

Even Madi had become someone completely different. She had been in a relationship with her agent, then that pompous bastard. That man was a stranger! How could she trust him – like him – over Rory? He just couldn't wrap his mind around that. That old fart was probably full of dirty secrets and the age difference! Did she even consider how much older he was? That man was a cradle robber!

He had to get her away from him. He just needed to show that Edward Mott wasn't right for her!

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind. He sighed, leaning into the person. His thoughts had still been on her when the voice cut through his fantasy.

"I knew you'd warm up to me, sugar," Miranda purred, stroking his face.

He recoiled back so quickly that he had gone toppling off his chair. To make things worse, Madi and the pompous ass had just walked in.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

HAPPY NEW YEAR! (Almost… I don't know whether to say it now or next chapter, but… Yeah :D I'll mention it again next week!)

Thank you AGBreads, Vivi H88, Mystery Angle, Brookie Twiling, guests (Guest, anonymouscsifan, Guest) for reviewing!

Guest: A little bit of Rory and Madi this time! But how long is it going to last?

AGBreads: In terms of Guinness, it's up to Edward if he wants to mention his little guilty pleasures :P

anonymouscsifan: I thought about including Matt's indiscretions in the story, but he probably didn't want to tell everyone about that, especially when he's stuck with them. Hope you had a good Christmas!

Vivi H88: Thank you! Hope your Christmas was wonderful!

Mystery Angle: Thank you! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Brookie Twiling: Matt's tale is… both truth and lies. Rory needs to get his act together… Poor Madi can't help herself.

Guest: I really didn't like Rory for Rory in the show, but… I'll give him a chance just because he's Evan Peters. Hehe… I'm so bias… Also, yes! I kind of really want to write a story on Cult. I love Kai Anderson almost as much as Tate, but not quite (Those psychopaths are so interesting…). I'm probably going to change a lot of things about it, though. The timeline of the story is really confusing for me. I can't seem to place exactly what happened when. And thank you! I don't feel pressured at all!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you enjoyed this!