Page 16 of Fiend
I step into the house, leaving the door open for Leo, and make my way into the kitchen. The automatic lights I had installed after we found out Essa was pregnant kick on, lighting the rooms in a subtle glow. She must have dimmed them—which she knows annoys me. Typical fucking Essa.
I don’t bother looking in the kitchen, instead, heading straight up the stairs to our room. Just as I make it to the landing of the stairs, Leo calls out, “Hey, is Jax up there? I don’t see him on the couch!”
What the fuck?Then where the hell is he?
I make a detour and open the door to Essa’s old room instead. If Jax isn’t on the couch, then he’s probably sleeping in—
Okay, so he’s not in here. I swear to fucking God, if he’s sleeping in the same motherfucking bed as my baby doll, I’m going to wring his neck. I don’t give a shit if he’s gay or not.
I throw the door open with so much force, it smacks against the wall.Gonna have to start replacing shit soon if I keep this up.
The lights come on, even dimmer than the ones downstairs, but still enough to illuminate the room. Theemptyfucking room.
“Baby doll!” I yell, fear and fucking anger flooding my system simultaneously. I run to the bathroom and lurch to a stop when the scene around me unfolds.
Blood. And water. Fucking everywhere.
“What the—”
“Vincent!”Leo’s gruff voice shouts, loud and deafening. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I stare unseeingly into the bathroom, at the mess I can’t process. Why the fuck is there water flooding the floor? And the blood. Why is there so much of it?
I step further into the room, ignoring the squeak of my boots in the water. My fingers trail along the cool porcelain of the tub, right over the blood staining it. I pull my fingers away and bring them to my lips. My tongue darts out and hesitantly laps at the blood coating them.
I groan involuntarily, my eyes fluttering closed at the taste of her blood on my tongue once more. It’s like a shot of heroin straight to my system. My cock turns to steel in my pants, instantly throbbing. I suck the rest of her blood off of my fingers and go for more when it fucking hits me.
It’s Essa blood.Essa’s fuckingblood.
“Vincent, you stupid motherfucker! Get down herenow!” I instantly recognize the fear in Leo’s voice. It sounds exactly the same as it sounded that day when I…
Fuck.
I spin on my heels and almost slip from the water, but I manage to catch myself with a grip on the edge of the tub. I use it for balance to push myself up, accidentally glancing down as I do. My stomach sinks, a pit settling deep and hard.
I swallow and blink rapidly, fighting the burn in my eyes. My hands land in my field of vision, and for the first fucking time, the sight of her blood on my hands has my stomach clenching painfully. Before I know it, I’m leaning over the edge of the tub and spewing the contents of my stomach into it.
A cold sweat breaks out along my skin, clinging to every pore, making me feel overheated and oh-so-fucking cold.
“Goddamnit, Vincent. There you are! C’mon, we have to go.Now!” Leo runs into the room and grabs my bicep, yanking me along with him. I stumble, moving on autopilot as he jerks me around like a puppet.
“Why’s it so quiet in here?”
“Fuck! No time. In the car!” Somehow, we make it to my car, and he’s shoving me in the passenger seat before slamming the door. He jumps in the driver’s side and shoves my keys in the ignition. My ‘69 Camaro roars to life, thundering beneath me as we peel down the drive, gravel and dust spitting out in a cloud behind us.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” I don’t even bother asking, not really. I suppose, in a sense, it is a question, but I already know the answer. This is what I deserve. This pain. After everything I did, it’s how I always fucking knew it would end. With Essa leaving me or her dying.
I just always fucking hoped it was the former.
She doesn’t deserve death—she’s too fucking good for that. I’m the one that deserves it.
I let my eyes sink closed in defeat. I chant in my head—to whom, I don’t fucking know. I suppose to anyone or anything that will listen.Please don’t fucking take her. You can’t. Take me. Fucking. Take.Me!
A heavy sob explodes from my lips, broken and wretched. The tears I’ve been fighting fall fast and hot down my face, making my guilt and shame evident.
I fucking did this. Goddamnit, Ialwayshurt her. Why the fuck do I always need her pain?!
“Vincent, fucking look at me!” Leo shakes me, the force rattling my fucking bones. It jars me, and I whip my head around, delirious. Everything around me is a blur. Nothing makes sense.
A sharp sting hits my cheek, radiating throughout my face. I suck in a harsh breath, using it as a focal point. My gaze finally fixes on Leo’s serious yet forlorn expression.
