Free Web NovelChapter 212: You Need To Stop
After tucking Princess into bed, I stayed beside her for a while. She was still unconscious. I helped change her clothes and gave her a bath to wash away the blood, then put her in her nightwear and tucked her in properly. I wiped down her skin with a warm washcloth, watching her chest rise and fall steadily now, the terrifying gap completely gone. Once she was clean and resting under the blankets, I kissed her forehead before stepping away.
I decided to check on the others in the bar. Malo mumbled something about sleeping here instead of going home. He was curled up on a small armchair, his arms wrapped tightly around his own shoulders as he stared blankly at the floor, Mr. Richard telling him to go to his room but I don’t think he listened he was a goner.
Mr. Richard was busy checking Beam’s wounds. I heard him saying that the injury to her chest was too deep and would take months to heal. His voice was grim as he applied fresh bandages, his hands stained with red. Kiara was helping herself to alcohol, drinking straight from the bottle. She threw her head back, taking a long, desperate gulp as if trying to wash away the memory of what happened.
Kiara spotted me as I reached the counter. On it sat a knife and a shot glass. I stared at them even though I already knew what they meant. The blade caught the dim light of the bar, sharp and waiting. I looked up at Kiara, my jaw tightening as I locked eyes with her.
"What the fuck is this?" I asked. My voice was low, the tension from earlier rushing right back into my muscles.
"Put your moon blood in the glass," she said. She set the alcohol bottle down with a heavy thud, her expression totally blank, but her fingers were trembling against the glass.
"Is that a command or what the fuck is that tone?" I shot back at her. I took a step closer, my eyes narrowing.
If she wanted my blood, she better be nice. I was already dealing with Princess and her commanding tone. That didn’t mean her friends could do it too.
"I am not commanding you, Faye. Beam is in pain. Your blood happens to heal faster than any medical attention," she said, staring at Beam, who was grunting in pain. It wasn’t loud. She was trying to keep it in, but I could still smell her bleeding. The scent of her raw opened flesh was heavy in the air, making the room feel suffocating.
I swallowed my pride, picked up the knife, and slit my wrist. The blade cut sharp and quick across my skin, a hot sting blooming instantly.
"I am doing this because of my free will, not because you mentioned it. I can’t stand seeing people in pain," I muttered. I held my arm over the shot glass, watching the dark red liquid drip steadily into the bottom.
After dropping the required amount of blood into the glass, my wound healed immediately. The skin knit back together in a second, leaving nothing but a faint pink line that faded right before my eyes.
Kiara picked up the glass cup without saying a word. Not even a thank you. It wasn’t like I was expecting one anyway. She didn’t even look at me as she swiped the glass off the counter. She walked over to Beam, who was still on the couch, wincing with every shallow breath.
"Here, drink this," she said.
"I’m fine, I don’t need..."
Kiara didn’t let Beam finish. She forcefully opened her mouth and shoved the red liquid down her throat. She tilted Beam’s head back roughly, ensuring every drop went down. Without another word, she turned her back and returned to the counter, tossing the empty shot glass aside.
After some time passed in complete awkward silence, Beam looked better. Her wounds had healed. The ragged gashes on her chest closed up, the color returning to her pale lips as she finally let out a long, painless breath. frёeωebɳovel.com
Beam thanked me for the blood, her voice soft and genuine, but honestly, I wanted Kiara to say thank you because earlier she was the one who looked desperate, needing my blood to save her impulsive lover, friend, or whatever their relationship was supposed to be. She had been the one holding the knife, after all.
I asked Kiara to say thank you, and she did it with that annoying attitude of hers, rolling her eyes and letting out a loud sigh. She muttered the words under her breath, completely dismissive, before telling me to go check on Princess because she might be looking for me once she woke up.
Both Beam and Kiara left after saying goodbye to Mr. Richard, who had started cleaning the bloody couch. Good thing it happened to be leather. The rag made a loud scraping sound against the material as he wiped away the dark stains, the chemical smell of the cleaner filling the room.
It was 4 a.m. when I finally went to sleep. I crawled back into bed beside Princess, slipping my arm around her waist and letting her familiar warmth finally calm my racing mind until I drifted off.
...
Third Person POV
Beam drove Kiara home. As the car parked in front of her house, silence filled the vehicle. The engine idled with a low hum, the headlights cutting through the dark, quiet street.
Kiara checked her face in her makeup mirror, fixing herself up and wiping away a smudge of dirt from her cheek. She noticed Beam staring at her from the driver’s seat.
"Stop staring at me like that. You look creepy," Kiara said, snapping her makeup compact shut and putting her makeup back into her purse.
She was about to step out when she paused by the door. She gripped the handle, her knuckles turning pale white. She didn’t look at Beam as she spoke, her gaze fixed firmly on the dashboard.
"You need to stop," she muttered.
"I’m not staring at you," Beam said, turning her face to the other side, looking out her own window into the darkness of the yard.
"Stop loving me. I don’t want it. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t waste it on me... it’s not worth it," Kiara said before opening the door. Her voice was flat, totally devoid of emotion, cutting through the small space of the car like a knife.
Kiara got out of the car. She walked toward the front porch, her heels clicking softly against the concrete. She was about to enter her house when Beam opened the door and stepped out too. The car door slammed shut with a loud bang.
"Kiki... thank you for tonight. I know how hard it must have been for you to go that far to save my life. Also, I want you to know that I will never stop... not now, not ever. I will continue to love you until you love me back, and even if you never do, I will still love you... always," Beam said, staring at Kiara’s back as she stood there without moving. Beam’s hands were clenched at her sides, her chest heaving as she laid everything out in the open.
It didn’t matter how many times Kiara pushed her away. Beam would still be her puppy if that was what Kiara wanted. She would take the insults, the cold shoulder, and the rejections, as long as she could stay by her side.
Kiara said nothing. She didn’t turn around, and she didn’t offer a single word of comfort. She tightened her grip on her purse, the leather creaking under the pressure, then walked into her house and shut the door behind her.
Beam waited until she heard the lock click and the porch light click off, leaving her in the dark. She stood there for a long moment before getting back into the car and driving off.
