The razor slices my skin, and the pain hits like fire. Tears mix with the blood running into the cold bath. My voice fails, leaving only small, pitiful whines. The blood spreads in the water like ink.
There’s a palpable sense of tension and anxiety in the air. I keep my eyes on him, hoping to catch a hint of sympathy in his gaze, but all I see are icy, heartless looks. My heart feels like it's going to explode out of my chest from the drugs and rising panic.
Trembling from the fear and cold water, I gather the strength to speak. My voice quivers, betraying the panic coiling tighter, silent but screaming.
"Please," I implore, my words barely audible.
“It’s okay. He's never going to want you again anyway. You were nothing but trash in his mind after what we did to you. I promise I'm saving you from a lifetime full of heartache.”
He moves to the other wrist, then sets the blade aside as if it were an afterthought. The dripping water, my shallow breathing, the echoing silence—it all presses in, suffocating me.
As a sharp throb in my wrists begins, I try to scream, but nothing comes out—only a slight whine. My head leans against the side of the bathtub wall, and I watch the blood run down mywrists and into the water. Soon the water will overflow, but he'll be long gone.
Tyler's face hovers over me, almost pleased.
As if his work is a piece of art.
Nobody will know Tyler did this, adding one more thing he did to ruin and end my life. But I guess it was kind of over anyway.
My voice cracks, and a sob escapes my lips. I struggle to regain composure.
A knock at the bathroom door makes him pause, a flash of fear crossing his features. He looks down at me once more, then he slips out the window silently.
As my eyes begin to droop, I see Tyler climbing out the window without so much as a glance back.
The candle flickers weakly. Water drips endlessly. Every second stretches, heavy and unbearable.
Nothing hurts now as the blood drips into the cold water and onto the floor. My body grows heavy, and my eyelids droop.
And in that last moment, I wonder if anyone will come.
If anyone will ever care.
Chapter 19
Sebastian
IwatchasMarydisappears from view and into the bathroom, looking more drained than I've ever seen her. Before the door clicks shut, her eyes catch mine, something shining in them I can’t quite place.
I need a drink.
Pouring myself a tall glass from one of the kegs, I search for one of the guys—someone or something to distract me from tonight. It's all been too much, and even when I tell myself I don’t want her, it doesn’t change the fact that I actually do.
My heart aches for her—for her touch, her lips pressed against mine.
After I came downstairs, I thought I’d be able to ignore her. But even as she made her way in the direction of her friends, I had to force myself not to go to her. To pull her into my chest and never let her go.
“What’s got you looking so pissy?” Damon asks from the other side of the couch I’m lowering myself onto. I shrug and sipmy beer. My eyes roam over the room as I search for Tyler or Anthony. I don’t even know why those pieces of shit showed up tonight.
Ace catches where my eyes are lingering and shakes his head.
“I can tell by the look on your face that you really want to go over there and beat the shit out of Anthony, but they aren’t worth it. Don’t let them mess with you, man. I’m sure they’ll get bored and dip soon.” He tries to calm me with his words, but it does nothing as I watch Anthony lean against a wall, talking to a redhead, while Tyler is nowhere in sight.
Looking back at the group, I ask, “Hey, have you seen Tyler?” They all shake their heads and go back to their conversations. My eyes drift toward where the crowd is still gathered near the bathroom, waiting for Mary to come back out.
A cold, sinking feeling opens beneath my ribs. No reason I can name—just the kind of bad you can feel in the air. It's suffocating me.
The front door opens, and finally Tyler enters, crossing the room to Anthony. I keep my eyes on them and watch as they talk in hushed tones. Tyler leans in, then steps back and nods toward the door. They both move together through the crowd of people.
