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Trembling, I grab a wad of Kleenex and blot the blood from my hand. The wound won’t take long to heal, thank God.
Breathing raggedly, I tilt my head back and close my eyes, consumed by a fog of misery. Visions of Carly flash before me.
My God, I’ve got to have her.I don’t care about the consequences. I don’t care if I’m damned to hell for all eternity. Even if it’s just for one night, I’ve simply got to!
I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling, focusing on my breathing. In and out, in and out…
Okay, okay, pull yourself together. Just calm the fuck down. It’s not the end of the bloody world. You’ll think of something. You always do.
With shaky fingers, I pick up my mobile, scroll through the list of contacts and dial her number. Nervously, I run my hand through my hair, waiting for the call to connect.
As soon as Carly answers, my heart skips a beat.Fuck, I want her so bad.
“Hello?” She sounds a little scared.
“Carly, it’s Nick Craven.” There’s a short pause. “Carly, are you there?”
“Y-yes, Nick, I’m here.”
“Tara told me you don’t want to continue with your treatment. May I ask why?”
“There were unforeseen circumstances.”
“Such as?” I lick my lips and try my best to sound natural. She hesitates, and I wonder what she’s thinking. “Is it for financial reasons?” I push.
“Yes,” she answers quietly.
“I thought so. Now listen, I think we can come to an arrangement.”
“What sort of arrangement?”
“In June, I’ll be attending a hypnotherapy convention in Toronto,” I lie. “In the lead up, I plan to write a paper about the effects of hypnosis on smokers, and I will present my findings to the National Healthcare Trust. With your consent, I’d be happy to waive my fee if you’d agree to be my case study.”
“You mean you’ll treat me for free?”
“Exactly.”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
“All right,yes. A thousand times, yes! And thank you. Your kindness is overwhelming.”
She laughs and my heart starts to sing. “So, I’ll see you this Friday, as arranged?”
“Yes. I’ll be there.”
I hang up, too choked to speak.
Punching the air, I spin my chair around, my face the picture of pure joy. Carly sounded so sweet on the phone, and I could tell from her voice that she was genuinely delighted to hear from me. Despite all of the darkness, this gives me hope that perhaps there is something worth fighting for.
I may as well admit it—I am completely and utterly besotted with her.
Suddenly, my limbs slacken and my chest gets tight. It’s like a heavy weight is dragging me down. I know this feeling all too well—the hunger for blood is taking over.
The walls of the room seem to be closing in on me. My throat feels dry. In agony, I double over as a great wave of pain strikes me to the core. I won’t be right again till my thirst has been quenched.
Somehow, I manage to pick up my phone and dial Ahmet’s number. He’s the only one who can help, the only one who understands my predicament.
