Blood and Roses

18 | Vulnerable Devil

~Angelo

After Luca and I confronted Mr. Ryuu in an attempt to capture Camila’s attention, she found herself with no other option but to seek refuge in my apartment. I could sense her reluctance, and I realized I had committed a grave mistake. Camila had every right to be furious with me, and she had every right to withhold forgiveness. Regrettably, I carry the burden of an unforgivable sin: I was responsible for the loss of her parents.

Though I sought vengeance for my own parents’ demise, at no point did I wish for this situation to destroy what we once had. My desperation for Camila’s forgiveness was immeasurable. Nevertheless, she remained resolute in her stance, not yet revealing the path to earning back her trust. Regardless of the hardships she wanted to inflict upon me, I accepted it willingly. I was ready to risk everything in the hope of capturing her love once more, even if it were just a faint glimmer within my reach.

As I busied myself in the kitchen, preparing dinner, I noticed Camila on the couch, curled up with her knees drawn close, her gaze fixed on the blank TV screen. It was evident that she wished to avoid any interaction with me, and I respected her feelings entirely. In those moments, she seemed lost in her thoughts, occasionally sniffling and wiping her eyes with her fist. Though I suspected she was crying, I hesitated to approach her, sensing she needed her space. Deep down, I understood that something was clearly troubling her. However, I refrained from asking such an obvious question, as it would have been insensitive at that moment. It was clear that she needed time to process her emotions.

As I shredded the chicken breast using two forks, I carefully added a handful of the succulent, flavorful pieces into a bowl filled with delectable, savory juices. Unfortunately, a small mishap occurred, and some of the hot liquid splattered on my hand, prompting an involuntary reaction. I couldn’t help but let out a brief exclamation before regaining my composure with a roll of my eyes and a sigh.

Amidst the culinary endeavors, I became aware of Camila’s movements on the couch. Respecting her desire for solitude, I refrained from turning around to inquire about her actions. It was evident she needed space, and I was more than willing to grant her that. So, I continued with the task at hand, working on another chicken breast until she felt ready to interact once again.

“The dinner smells decent. I wasn’t aware you possessed culinary skills.”

“Well, you see, I don’t really find myself in the kitchen too often, which could explain why you weren’t aware of that. However, I do appreciate your kind gesture of calling dinner ‘decent.’ It’s worth mentioning that I learned to cook from my mom during the rare moments I had some time off from my training.”

“Hmm, well, I suppose it does make sense. Listen, I’ve been thinking about things lately, and I thought it’s worth mentioning. Maybe, just maybe, I might have been a bit too harsh on you when I found out the truth about what you did. I can imagine I might have unintentionally bruised your delicate feelings, and for that, I’ll offer a sort of apology. I guess, in some twisted way, you don’t qualify as a complete monster. We both endured the same pain of losing our parents, and it’s not like I can deny that fact. Perhaps we should consider supporting each other through these inconvenient situations instead of wasting energy on pointless shame or ridiculous grudges over our slip-ups.”

“Listen, Camila, there’s really no need for you to go on saying all these things, and I’m not expecting any kind of forgiveness from you. I’ll be honest, my mistake was colossal, and it inflicted a deep wound. I know your parents were everything to you, and it was me who snatched them away, and for that, I’m genuinely sorry. But, despite it all, I appreciate that you can see the pain I’m grappling with as well.”

“I suppose there’s a part of me that’s feeling regretful for the things I blurted out. I understand that love has its share of hazards, and this surely qualifies as one of them. To be honest, I don’t regard you as a monster, at least not in my eyes. These past issues shouldn’t be some sort of insurmountable barricade that taints our relationship, regardless of how bad it was. It’s all in the past, and we ought to release those burdens and fix our gaze on the present and the future, on us.”