Page 64

“I know. It’s what I meant.” The tears I’m trying to hold back burn inside my eyes, so much so that I have no choice but to let them fall. “It’s all my fault.”

“Oh God, honey!” She cups the back of my head, pulling me into her.

Despite her motherly instinct to console me, she doesn’t deny my words. I never expected her to, but the silent agreement is crushing.

“I think you should get some rest.” She gives me a tired smile.

“Yeah, okay.” I nod, taking one final look at Oliver before heading back to my room.

The time drags by ever so slowly. Every hour I find myself breaking, sobbing into my arms as I curl up on the hospital bed.

Then a small episode of exhaustion would lull me into a nightmare riddled sleep.

By the time it’s supposedly morning, my eyes burn from both crying and a lack of uninterrupted rest.

For the sixth time since last night, a nurse comes in to check my vitals. That pity that’s come to wear me down plastered all over her face.

“How are you doing, hon?” She asks in a soothing voice.

I shrug, the truth too much to admit right now. “Fine.”

Removing the blood pressure cuff from my arm, she flinches before asking, “Do you think you might be up for visiting your friend?”

“Oliver?” My breath stalls, hope an evil thing to hold on to .

She nods. “We don’t normally allow this, but the patient in room 115 is demanding to see you. Refuses treatment until that happens.”

“Uh, okay. Is he okay? Is everything alright?”

With a soft hand, she helps me from the bed and even though I’m sore, I’d much rather not be touched at the moment.

“I’ll be honest, he isn’t in the best shape. If you don’t think you can handle it, please by all means, you can refuse.”

I shake my head, “No, no. I’m good. Please, I need to see him.”

She assesses me one last time with a concerned gaze before nodding.

As she leads the way to Oliver’s room, a barrage of violent shouts fills the hallway. The sound of his scream penetrates my being so deeply, my body reacts on instinct. Barreling into the room, I find Oliver cornered, demanding the three male nurses to back off.

“Oh my God!” I cry, nearly tripping over my own two feet to get to him.

A desperate groan of relief puffs past his lips as he yanks me to him, his grip unbearably tight. I flinch and the nurses get even closer.

“Back the fuck up! Touch her and I swear to God, I will kill you!”

“Hey! It’s okay.” I whimper past the sob caught in my throat.

My fingers find his cheeks and I lightly bring his gaze to mine. His blazing eyes soften, the tension in his brows release. I can feel the muscles beneath his skin deflate as if I am all he needs to breathe again.

“Ash.”

There’s a tremor in his fingers as he brushes my hair back from my face. With wounded lips, he plants a kiss on my forehead, his hold on me tightening.

“It’s going to be okay.” I tell him.

“I thought you were dead.” He sighed into my hair.

I shake my head, looking up into his face the color of the galaxy. “I’m here. I’m okay.”

“I can’t let them have you, Ash. They can’t take you away from me.” He murmurs.

“I’m not going anywhere, Oliver.”

His muscles tense beneath my hold and he winces from pain.

“Oliver is dead.” He reminds me through gritted teeth. “He’s dead, Ash. I’m all that’s left now. Can that be enough? Will you love me anyway?”

I nod, “Of course.”

Khaos’ amber eyes search my face, his fingertips grazing my skin, careful not to push too hard on the tender bruises. He’s still covered in specks of blood and dirt, his hair slick with grease. The only clean thing he dons is the blue hospital gown.

He drops his face, his wounded lips brushing against mine in a painful kiss. Neither of us acknowledge the nurses standing behind us, preparing for their next move. It causes an air of tension that is clearly putting Khaos on edge.

“I couldn’t save you. I tried, but I failed. All I could do was watch as you were dragged away, screaming for me. I wanted to save you. I-” His throat bobbed as his eyes shut.

“Don’t. Don’t do that. I’m alive and I'm okay.” The way his face twists in agony causes a whole new type of pain inside of me. “Are you? Tell me you’re going to be okay.”

One of the male nurses clears his throat to speak to me, “I need to take his vitals.”

I nod, untangling myself from Khaos’ hold, but his grip just tightens. It feels good to neither of us, our bodies aching from wounds beneath the skin, yet it doesn’t force him to let up.

“Khaos.” His gaze narrows on the nurse that spoke, my attempt at redirecting his attention unsuccessful. “Hey, look at me.”

He doesn’t.

“Touch her and I promise I will kill you. It won’t be hard.” He threatens.

“Stop! I’m right here, I won’t go anywhere. He just needs to check you out. He won’t hurt you.”

Finally, he looks back down at me. “They’re going to try again. Ash, this time I know they will kill you and I will obliterate the entire human race before I let that happen.”

For the first time, I actually fear that Khaos might do just that. I’ve seen what he’s capable of and I know he would never hurt me, but he will hurt others if it comes to it.

“You don’t have to do that. They’re not going to come for us. They’ve been caught.”

A dark, maniacal laugh rips past his lips, his eyes wild. “You really think that will stop him? You think that he doesn’t have sway outside of jail bars?”

Suddenly, May’s face comes to mind. Her sweet, innocent story about being a victim rather than the villain. I believed it, I still want to believe it. She’s the one that saved us in the first place, but there’s always a chance she’ll change her mind...

Shaking my head, I rid myself of those thoughts. I can’t let his delusions get to me.

“Look, the sooner you get better, the quicker we can get out of here. We can move far away, just you and me. We can get that place together, be together.”

The nurse takes another step towards him and now even I can feel myself go rigid.

Khaos’ eyes snap up behind me, a dark film turning the color of amber into a midnight sky void of stars. My fingers twist into the front of his gown, desperate to get him to refocus. What he did with Bordeaux was defendable, what he’s doing now... isn’t.

Slowly, he forces me behind him as if shielding me from the stranger. I can see in the corner of the room, the woman that walked me over here is whispering into her radio, surely calling security.

“I warned you.”

In a mad rush, Khaos lunges forward, hands outstretched towards the nurse. Before he has the chance to commit assault on a medical professional, the other two are pouncing. Both of Khaos’ arms are restrained behind him as he thrashes in their hold, spewing threats.

Two security guards come jogging into the room, forcing me to press against the wall.

I watch in horror as four men lift Khaos and pin him to the hospital bed.

His back arches off the mattress as he strains and struggles to break himself free.

The more his body writhes, the whiter the nurses’ knuckles grow.

While a needle is readied, the guard at his left foot holds his leg as still as possible.

Tears stream heavily down my cheeks as the silver glint disappears into Khaos’ skin, his limbs twitching, and his fight giving out.

Slowly, the nurses and guards release their hold as Khaos’ head falls to the side, his eyes finding mine in a panic before they’re forced to close.

“You should go now.” One of the nurses tells me between heavy breaths.

Except, I’m paralyzed, my feet rooted to the tile floor. I can’t look away from Khaos, his body relaxed, but his face still so tense. Like he’s now stuck inside his own head, defenseless.

I want to crawl inside his nightmares with him and fight his demons that plague his reality now.

To curl up next to his unconscious body and wrap his limp arm around me.

To meld myself to him so he can never leave me again, but none of those things happen.

Instead, the woman that led me in here, grips my wrist and drags me away.

Horror replaces every ounce of blood inside my veins as I watch the nurses’ wheel Khaos out of the room.

“Where are they taking him? Where is he going?” I can’t stop the crack in my voice as if everything in me is breaking; my heart, my body, my soul.

I don’t dare look at her when she says, “He’s being transferred to a rehabilitation facility that specializes in behavioral and psychiatric health. He’s going to get some much-needed help. He’s going to be okay.”

Her tone is drenched in pity, striking a nerve deep within me. I want none of her sympathy or anyone’s for that matter. All I want is to rewind time before I even knew that Oliver was still alive and that he is Khaos.