Page 21 of Ruined

“I’m not going anywhere; you know that right?”

Do I?

I would like to think I know this, but I’m not entirely sure I do. I’ve trusted those sworn to protect me before and got bitten in the ass.

“Blake, you look at me right now.” Gripping my chin, he forces me to look at him. I can feel the blonde’s gaze on us, and I can’t say I don’t mind it. “I’m not going anywhere; I’m not leaving you.”

I try to nod, not fully convinced, but needing to be done with this conversation.

“I’m not having that. You don’t trust me, but I will gain it. You will trust me; you will learn that when I say something, I mean it. So here I am, telling you, I’m not leaving you, not now and not later on. Now, my friend over there, her name is Luna, she’s a good person, and I promise on my life that she won’t hurt you.” He never once glances away. “She won’t, and if for some reason shetriesto, I’ll snap her neck.”

I’m not sure who was more shocked by his words, her or me. While the blonde, Luna, gasps, I find myself smiling at his words. Knowing that he would kill his friend if she were to hurt me.

Promise, I sign.

Promise,he signs back.

8

Iwatch Blake the entire time Luna cleans and then begins stitching her shoulder up. Now, I’ve seen grown men cry and turn into big babies when someone stabs them with a needle, let alone when their wound is cleaned—but Blake takes it as if she’s been through it a million times before, and that only raises more questions.

When I told her I would snap Luna’s neck, I wasn’t lying. I didn’t think about it until the words flew out of my mouth. And I would, I’d snap her neck and anyone else who thought they could touch her. Blake is mine, even if she doesn't know it. The protectiveness creeping around my heart is no longer a lingering effect. It has fully taken hold of that organ and sprouted roses inside with Blake’s name written on them.

So even though I know Luna is helping her and doing the best she can not to hurt my Blake, that doesn't stop me from taking a step forward when she flinches as Luna threads the needle into her skin.

“He’s making that murder face, isn’t he?” Luna whispers to Blake.

“I’m not making any type of face,” I answer for Blake. Not that she would respond to Luna herself. Blake has a way of ignoring everyone, and I have a feeling she was like that before she even lost her voice.

“Then why are you standing behind me, crowding us?” she snaps right back.

“She flinched,” I said, waving at them as if she could see me. Blake could, and that’s all that mattered to me. “You hurt her.”

“So what? You’re going to snap my neck now? Kill me before I even finish her shoulder or get that knife out of your thigh? You should probably sit down before you pass out from all the blood loss.”

“I’ll sit down when you’re done with her,” I say, ignoring the fact that Iama little dizzy, for multiple reasons. Blood loss plays a majority of the cause, but lack of sleep and food is a big part as well. I can go for two days with no sleep, but my senses have dropped quite a bit since I've been fighting more men than I'm used to nowadays.

“That’s what you said about me once before too.” Luna chuckles under her breath.

Blake’s eyes flicker between us as if she’s trying to figure us out. Frowning down at Luna, Blake’s eyes flicker towards the scissors sitting on the tray next to them. Oh, fuck.

“Blake, no,” I snap. I’m at her side in an instant, gripping her wrist. “Don’t you dare think about it.”

Luna sits back, confusion and worry crossing over her face. She glances over at Blake, who’s shooting daggers at Luna.

“I—what, did I do something…?” Luna trails off, hands shaking.

I don’t look over, forcing Blake to once again look at me. “Nothing happened,” I half lie. Luna kissed me once, a long time ago. But Blake doesn’t need to know that because from the look in her eye, Blake wants to stab her.

“She think—”

“Move,” I order. Luna scrambles up, handing me the needle and thread. Sitting down, I bite back a hiss from the motion. That knife is going to be a bitch to pull out.

“Luna is an old friend,” I mutter, picking up where she left off on stitching Blake’s shoulder up. “She’s nothing more than a friend; there is nothing you have to worry about with her.” I’m almost done with her shoulder when I see the tension in Blake slowly leave as she starts to calm down. After cutting the thread, I set the needle and thread aside.

“You can clean up in the bathroom inside that room. There're towels and everything else you need. I–uh… there’s extra clothes I laid out,” Luna says from behind me.

Blake nods her head, making the motion to stand up. Stopping her, I grab ahold of her chin forcing her to look directly at me. Bringing our noses together, Blake freezes, her body telling her to fight against my hold. To do anything to get away.

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