She remembered exactly how they had met. She was a headstrong first year student at University, her nose always buried deeply in a book, even when walking to lectures. It was how they had met. She was completely absorbed into Frankenstein, her mind full of the wonders of the story, not paying attention to where she was going when she walked straight into him, knocking both their folders all over the floor. She had blushed violently with embarrassment. He had helped her gather up the folders, and introduced himself as James. She remembered his soft, Irish accent and how genuine his smile had been that day.

He was the one who pursued her; she was too wrapped up in her studies and had just started to enjoy student life properly, to even consider starting a relationship. He had taken him over a year but he was persistent and in the end, she agreed to go on a date with him. He had taken her to a midnight street performance of Frankenstein in Convent Garden. He was charming and clever and she felt she could relax around him, someone she could share who she really was with. He was a few years older than her but it didn't faze her, boys the same age of her were too immature to even being considered as dates.

Several months passed, and she grew to like him even more and soon they were a couple, almost inseparable. They would spend hours just talking, deep in conversations that would confuse anyone else but them. When she finished University, she decided she wanted to travel for a bit. James was tied down with his 'work' in London, something that had never really come up in their conversations, it wasn't important to her what he did, she loved him and that was the only important thing to her.

So after the perfect summer that went too quick, they said goodbye as she left for a year long trip to America with her best friend, Lara. During the year, they had begun to drift apart, Eve only hearing from him once a week and then even less than that at times. She returned to England for a few months briefly, during which time her father passed away. As an only child, she was left everything and at her father's funeral, she decided she wanted to put her inheritance to good use by continuing travelling, possible working abroad, before finding permanent work in London. With her relationship with James fizzling out, she decided that now was the perfect time to continue her travels. She called time on their relationship, and set out to travel Europe for the next two years of her life.

She had sold her family's country house in the first few months, so she could comfortable live in Europe and enjoy the trip like a regular tourist. She put money aside for her return to London and sent 6 months travelling all over Europe, spending a couple of weeks in each stop. She fell in love with Italy, decided them to spend another 6 months just in Italy, exploring it in detail.

It was during her few months in Italy that James got back in touch. He said he had an idiot, allowing others things to come before her and wanted a second chance, even willing to move to whereas she wanted to be. She still remembered the times they had spent together and still missed him after all the time apart, so she agreed to give it another go. Two weeks later, she met him at the airport and it was like they'd never been apart. He was the same always, but there was a new darkness to him, something she couldn't quite place her finger on so she chose to believe it was just her imagination.

But she began to notice a completely different side to him, sometimes it was like he had been replaced by a complete stranger. Late night phone calls, raised voices during these calls, snapping people they didn't know when little things didn't go his way. He still treated her with the same care and love as always, treating her like a princess, always spoiling her but she knew something was up and she confronted him one night. He told her he still had a job in London still that was worth to much to even considering quitting, just some of his colleagues was mind-numbingly stupid and it angered him.

He apologized for his recent behaviour and one night, presenting her with a stunning blue diamond silver ring, not an engagement ring but a promise to her to not let things come between them and to show her how much he meant it, had rented them a place in Rome, because he knew Rome held special meanings to Eve. She was still uncertain, but she wanted to believe his words more than anything, so she had slipped on the ring onto her right hand and moved to Rome with him.

It was in Rome, a month or so after arriving, that she realised the heart-breaking truth. One night she overheard him planning, his words making her blood run cold. She never slept that night, he mind haunted by the words he had spoken which such malice over the phone, knowing the man she loved was slowly drifting away from her. When he left the next morning, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, she cried for hours her heart breaking, overwhelmed by his betrayal. He had no idea that she knew, and she decided to keep it that way, waiting for the right moment, still trying to make herself believe that this was all her imagination though she knew this was just the thoughts of a fool. She kept a suitcase hidden, waiting for the day she would had to walk away, the day she could no longer fake anymore. Then one day, after he returned from a visit back to London, roughly three months later he gave her the push she was waiting for.

It was a Tuesday, she remembers it vividly. He was in a good mood and promised to take her out to her favourite restaurant later on. He said he was busy today and asked her to take something to the bank for him. He handed her an envelope and passed her coat, nothing unusual until she put the coat on and noticed it felt heavy on the left side. She waited for him to leave, and then quickly pulled out a heavy square parcel from her pocket with a envelope attached. She pulled open the envelope, her hands shaking violently as she pulled out a coded letter. She recognised the code, but her heart already shattered enough, she didn't want to decode it and find out what he was trying to drag her into. She knew the moment was now, so she grabbed her suitcase, quickly filling it and fled to the airport. Not wanting to wait around, she got on the first flight out, not caring where she was going as long as it was away from him.

The first flight was to Paris, and as she took off leaving Rome behind, she crawled up into herself, tears slightly silently as she thought of everything they had been through together and how little she meant to him in the end. She had always noticed something dark stirring across his eyes at times but she had no idea how much it controlled him, or how long he had been the way he was. She cried harder as a thought so hard to process clouded her mind… Was he always like this? Was the James she thought she knew even real or just a mask?

She booked herself into a hotel in Paris, and never left her room for a whole month. Too exhausted by it all to even move, she heard nothing from James, something she knew wasn't a good sign but she couldn't be bothered to be worried about anything anymore. She felt completely useless, how had she failed to notice who he really was, but she still couldn't make himself believe he had always been that way. She rose from her slumber in early November, slowly waking up from her broken state and decided she had to get her life back on track. She threw away everything that reminded her of him, apart from the ring. Eventually though, on Valentine's Day, she stood by the river watching the world go by consumed by the emotion and joy of each other company, she looked down at the ring with disgust. It meant nothing to her now, just an empty promise. She took it off and flung it into the river, ready to start over.

She walked back to her hotel, feeling the pain fading with every step. He will always be there in her mind, but now was the time to forgot and be herself again. She stepped into her room, but before she could put a light on someone grabbed her from behind, holding a knife up to her throat. The lamp turned on and James was sitting in the chair in the corner, a crooked, twisted smile on his face.

'Eve, a pleasure as always' He laughed, watching her closely. 'If you promise not to scream, my friend here will let you go so we can talk in private.'

'I won't scream' she whispered, and in an instant the man let her go and she fell to her knees, rubbing her throat. She heard the man leave and it was just her and James alone in the room. He was now standing, observing her with a twisted interest.

'Where's your ring Eve?' He asked, his voice rising in pitch.

'I threw it in the river' she replied, trying to avoid eye contact with him but still watching him just as closely.

'Do you know how much THAT-WAS-WORTH?' He raged, his face twisting in anger.

'Worthless to me! Just like your promises! I overheard you once, planning something that repulsed me, but I choose not to say anything, hoping that the James I loved wasn't completely gone.' Eve cried trying hard not to cry in front of him.

'But then you used me, placing something in my pocket thinking I wouldn't notice and I knew them that it was all just a lie! I don't even know anymore if this is how you have always been or not!'

'I thought you wouldn't mind, you were only going to have to pass a parcel on! Made to look like a mugging so it would distract the guards so the plan could go ahead' He hissed his eyes dark.

'ONLY? ONLY?' Eve screamed, anger taking over. 'Who the hell are you! I wish so hard I could say I wish I never met you but I can't, I just wish I had left you sooner!'

Without any warning, his hand struck her hard across the cheek, causing her to lose her balance and stumble into the bed. Her cheek felt like it was on fire and the shock broke her hold over the tears as they became to fall.

'I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. You need to learn I don't like it when people screw my plans up!' He finished with a shout, roughly pulling her up and pushing her into the waiting arms of the other man, who had silently re-entered the room. His grip was stronger on her this time.

'I have thought long and hard about how I could make you pay for what you did' He slowly mused, his eyes twinkling with a craziness that made her start to fear for her life. 'Maybe burn you, throw you from a building, drown you maybe. But each one is just not good enough for you!' His voice went all high pitched again and the distorted smile that played on his lips made her squirm, trying to find a way of escape. 'So my friend here is going to give you a permanent reminder that I do not like being messed with, and one day, I will find you again and I-WILL-FINISH-YOU!' He spat the last words individually each filled with so much malice her body shook, his eyes never leaving hers, unblinking as he smiled at her.

'Anywhere but the face, it's too beautiful for even me to taint' He ordered to the man holding Eve, handing him a short hunters knife before sitting back down in the chair. She tried to break free, but the man holding her was too strong and picked her up off her feet, she tried to kick free but failed hopelessly. The man held the knife up to her neck, teasing the blade slowly over her skin, scratching the surface. She gasped in pain as he lowered the blade closer to her skin, pricking her skin finely. Then after stopping just below her right ear. He placed the blade hard enough on her skin so it broke through, the pain causing her to scream as James sat silently watching.

She tried to reach behind and stop the man but his other arm was crushing her arms into her body. She felt big, wet tears fall down her cheeks, stinging as they fell onto the open wound, as slowly moved the blade to just above her jaw line by her cheek. He pulled the blade away sharply and chucked her onto the bed, and as silently as he had entered he left, leaving her alone with James again. She grabbed a t-shirt from the end of the bed, placing it on her neck trying to stem the blood flow as she choked on her tears.

'See you around Eve' James whispered, as he stood up and walked slowly out of the room, leaving her alone as she lost the tiny thread of control she had and became hysterical.

Authors note:

I'm thinking about turning the tale of Moriarty and Evelyn into a full story, so please let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Gemma