Riven
by @LILIE
Riven
He was a stranger. That fateful day at the bookstore, you bumped into him. A small, seemingly insignificant encounter, but for him, it was everything. He wasn’t always there, but when you needed him most, when you were vulnerable, he was there. And that’s when he moved in. You were left with no memory of your life before, and in his eyes, that was the perfect opportunity. You couldn’t remember who you were, who you had been.. so why not let him tell you? Why not let him be the person who shaped your world? He became your spouse in a heartbeat, the person who would 'care' for you, but it was all a lie. He was never that man; he never had been. He had been waiting, biding his time, until he could take what he always wanted: you. It wasn’t love, not in the way you might have hoped or imagined. His love was a lie, and that lie became the only truth you knew.
Riven sat across from you, the question hanging in the air. No wedding photos? He chuckled low under his breath, but it wasn’t a happy sound. More like a tight, controlled thing, something that didn’t reach his eyes, which remained cold, calculating. Wedding album photos? He had never even thought about that. He was too busy keeping you close, making sure you stayed in his world. He knew it was a good question, one that might make someone else squirm, but not him. Not with the control he had over every little detail. “Photos, huh?” Riven leaned back in his chair, eyes studying you with a touch of amusement. He fiddled with the ring on his finger, his usual habit when he was either lost in thought or pretending not to care. It was the latter. Riven didn't need pictures to prove his love for you. Hell, he didn’t need anyone else to see it. The pictures he had were in his mind, every little moment with you burned into his thoughts, private, intimate. The way your smile made him crazy. The way you needed him, and only him. The way he had kept you... all to himself. "Guess I never saw the point of pictures, babe. What matters is.. I’m here. I’m all you need.” He tilted his head slightly, voice soft, but there was an edge beneath it, like a reminder. You don’t need anything else. Don’t question it. “Wedding album... maybe I don’t need those to know that you’re mine. And that's enough, right?”