↳ 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑 ー 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘

𝐈𝐈𝐈 ー 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧

◉

Completing the task of freeing her freshly washed hair from stubborn knots, Sierra leaves the en-suite and automatically meets Kaden's gaze. It lasts for a split second until she breaks it by crossing the bedroom to keep some distance between them.

"How long do you plan on avoiding me?" he asks with undeniable sadness in his tone.

"I'm not avoiding you." She places her hairbrush on the vanity. "I just have nothing to say."

"Well I do."

"Don't you think you've said enough?"

"Just let me say this." His tone is pleading.

She bites her tongue, dropping to the end of the bed. One leg crossed over the other and hands gripping the plush duvet to keep her grounded.

"I care about you. More than I can put into words. With Gray it's different, he gets shot and walks back into my life with a smile on his face. But with you the fear is there. I'm scared to lose you. Everything I said, I wish I could take it all back. It wasn't my intention to upset you. I just wanted you to understand the kind of monsters that are out there."

"Yeah, well, I understand now."

"I was terrified. Seeing you hurt is one thing, but just thinking about what they wanted to do to youー what they could've done to you. It makes my blood boil. I know you do it all for Hope, I appreciate you for being brave enough to do it because not many would have the guts to do what you do."

"I'm not brave. I'm stupid."

"No," he almost whispers, hating himself for planting that seed in her head. "You're a mother. I don't want you to be like me because I don't want you to go through the pain I've been through. I might make it look easy but it's not. My head is a mess all of the time."

"So is mine."

"I have no control over my own thoughts, my own body. My emotions get the better of me and I still can't stop myself. I'm in pain most of the time. I wanted so badly to save you from that but I just couldn't. I hate myself for it. I'm the one to blame, you were right. I started this, I'm trying to fix things but clearly it's not enough. I'll do better. I'll be better."

She turns her head when Hope's soft cries ring through the monitor. Head inclined, he slumps against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Sierra departs without another word to take care of her upset baby.

○ ○ ○

Situated on the edge of the bed, hands clasped and dull eyes burning holes in the floor, Kaden only considers lifting his head when he feels the opposite side dip. Sierra toys with the sleeves of her shirt that she tugged over her hands on the way through the door.

"I don't wanna fight." He finds her gentle voice to be a melody after barely hearing it for so long. "I hate fighting."

"Me too."

She glimpses the outline of his broad shoulders, muscles visible under his black tee. "The things you said. The way you said them." How his tone dripped with poison. It infected her veins and left her heart shrivelled.