Love Bites

LOVE BITES Chapter 12 : Too Sweet

Chapter 12 : Too Sweet

The mug shattered to a million pieces at my feet.

The sound jerked me back to reality. Blinking, I looked down, eyes widening.

"Shit!" The word left my mouth before I could stop it.

Shards of what was once my favourite coffee mug now coloured the kitchen floor like a splattered painting. Sinking to the ground on a squat, I silently chastised myself for being so disorientated and clumsy.

It's been days, shouldn't I be better by now?

It wouldn't leave me alone, this unexplainable feeling I had. I couldn't think, I couldn't concentrate. I felt like a ghost, roaming and floating without memory.

Where was I, really?

I picked the broken pieces off the floor, placing them in the palm of my hand.

This isn't right. Focus.

"Wait, Nikki, don't pick it up with your-!"

Too late.

I hissed at the sudden sting of pain, throwing the sharp splinter away, as my finger opened and a red liquid pooled out.

I squeezed my finger, teeth grounded tightly. "Ow, ow, ow, that kinda sorta hurts."

Alastair was next to me in seconds, seizing my hand in his own larger one.

"Sorry, Alastair; it was an accident. I just blanked out."

I saw the hardness in his eyes, something I couldn't work out. "What's wrong with you, Nikki? You've been "blanking" out a lot lately."

A drop of blood fell onto the white tiles. "It's nothing, I'm fine." Because I didn't know what was wrong with me.

More blood dripped down the side of the finger, coating my knuckle in red. It was funny how the tiniest cut hurt and bled the most.

Hurriedly, I went to move around Alastair in search for a band-aid only to realise his hold on my hand prevented me from doing so. He stood there, unmoving, his fingers curled around my bleeding hand.

I tugged gently. "Alastair, let go. It's dripping blood all over..." I trailed to a stop when I saw the look in his eyes.

He was staring... but not at me though.

As if in slow motion, another droplet of blood dropped from my wrist, falling like something precious to the ground between us. I watched it pop on impact, flicking a small spray of red over the white tiles.

And all the while Alastair's ash mauve eyes followed it.

Under the lashes of my eyes, I looked up at him. "Ala-?"

Before I could comprehend what he was doing, he flicked the water faucet on, yanked my arm forward and held my bloody finger under the cold running water. Together we watched the redness disappear down the drain, Alastair's hold on my hand loosening.

"I don't like this," he said after a moment of silence. "Maybe you shouldn't go to school." He was back again.

I shook my head. "So I spaced out for a second, what normal teenager doesn't?" I turned to him, chin raised indefinitely. "I feel fine so I'm going to school, Alastair."