Blade

Chapter 37: It's my turn

Blade

I slip on the suit jacket, tugging it neatly over my shoulders before adjusting the tie until it sits just right. The leather shoes go on next, their shine catching the faint morning light. Composed on the outside, though restless within, I walk out of my room, forcing myself to ignore the persistent urge to check in on Sienna.

"You look dashing as always, mio caro." Matilde greets me with a warm smile, her arms wrapping around me in a hug that I return, though my body remains tense.

"Thanks, Matilde," I reply with a stiff smile that does little to disguise the hollowness in my voice. She notices instantly, the warmth in her expression faltering as a faint frown tugs at her lips.

"Is something wrong? Did you sleep well last night?" Matilde cups my face in her hands, her thumbs brushing lightly against my cheek, her gaze filled with concern.

"I'm fine, Matilde. Just tired, that's all." I tell her the half-truth with another stiff smile, forcing my lips into something that feels almost human, before gently pulling her hands away from my face. I shift back and settle at the head of the table, the chair creaking softly beneath me. "No one's awake yet?"

"Yeah," Matilde answers, as she motions for a maid to fetch me some coffee before moving toward the kitchen to prepare pancakes.

A girl glides quietly across the room with a steaming mug in her hand. Her eyes never lift from the table, as though meeting mine might be forbidden. She sets the mug carefully in front of me, gives a small, respectful nod, and disappears back into the kitchen.

I curl both hands around the warm porcelain, savoring the heat seeping into my palms, and raise the mug slowly to my lips, letting the bitter scent of coffee wash over me before the first sip.

I feel myself begin to relax, though not completely, as the coffee seeps its warmth down my chest. My fingers linger on the mug, clinging to its heat while I brush the stubborn drowsiness from my eyes. I take another long sip, hoping the caffeine will finally do its work and push me into wakefulness.

Last night had been nothing short of terrible.

I only got two hours of sleep, each one shattered by the incident replaying over and over in my mind. It drove me to the edge of madness, pushing me to swallow the entire bottle of pills. Now a pounding migraine has claimed my head, my vision swims with blur, and my bones ache with every movement.

I press my fingertips into my temples, hoping to massage away the pain, and take another sip of coffee, letting the bitter warmth linger on my tongue.

I will never admit this to anyone, but I came terrifyingly close to dying from the overdose. It would not have been the first time.

My lungs felt tight. My heart raced and then slowed, leaving my body weaker and weaker. I clutched my pounding head as the world spun around me, a blur of colors that seared my eyes.

My knees gave way on the cold tiles, but the pain didn't register. Nausea hit me instantly from the air I breathed. It was stale and suffocating, and I felt the urge to vomit my guts out.

Then I heard his voice. His cruel words slammed into my ears, sharp enough that I felt blood trickling from them.

I wasn't sure if I was imagining things, but the silhouettes of a man and a woman flashed before my eyes. I opened my mouth to curse my sanity, but no words came out. It was as if I were physically mute, though I could hear the words clearly in my mind.