Love and Pain || Enid Sinclair

Kiss and Make Up

Enid woke up to movement and a lack of warmth. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Kali sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to Enid as she looked down. She still had white gauze wrapped around her head from last night. Enid watched her carefully as she slowly sat up. She glanced past her and noticed Wednesday wasn't there. Then she glanced at the alarm clock on her desk and saw it was nine. Rather late for a Monday morning. Looks like they're skipping classes today. That's probably for the best though, and why Wednesday didn't bother to wake them up. Speaking of Wednesday, there's a note in her handwriting next to the alarm clock. She'll have to look at that in a bit. She looked at Kali's back again, wondering if she should say something. She opened her mouth but Kali beat her to it.

"I'm sorry you had to take care of someone like me."

Enid blinked in confusion. Someone like her? What did she—shit. Kali has a concussion and was pretty out of it after Enid found her. How much of last night does she even remember?

"I'll go now."

She stood up and Enid quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Wait! How much of last night do you remember?"

Kali kept her back to her. "All of it."

Enid sighed relieved. "But then you know I don't think you're a monster."

"But I think I am." End felt a stab to her heart. "And someone like you shouldn't be around a monster."

"Someone like me?"

Kali swallowed thickly. "You're amazing and perfect, Enid. So well put together. But I'm...broken. And a terrible person."

Enid frowned. "You're not either of those things. And I'm not as amazing as you think I am." She tugged on Kali's wrist to get her to sit back down. Kali did, but she still kept her back to her, so Enid kept holding her wrist. "I used to think I was broken too, ya know." Enid hoped that by sharing her shortcomings that maybe Kali would see perfection doesn't exist. And if a perfectly put together person doesn't exist, can a broken person really exist?

"I was a werewolf who couldn't wolf out. And my mother wouldn't let me forget it. I thought I was broken. But eventually I did wolf out. And it still isn't enough for my mother. First I was a failure because I couldn't wolf out, and now I'm a failure because I don't have a mate. I will always be a failure to her. And now there's this little voice in the back of my head that tells me all the time that I'm a failure. And it took some time for me to realize that it's not my voice. It's my moms. Because I had never considered myself a failure until she called me one."

Enid let go of her wrist and grabbed her hand, giving a gentle squeeze. "You never thought you were a monster until I called you one. I know it's my voice telling you you are one. So just ignore it."

"I can't. Your voice is my favorite sound."

Enid felt giddy and guilty at the same time. She bit her lip and took a deep breath through her nose. "Then listen to my voice right now. And remember these words instead." She shifted so she was sitting cross legged behind Kali, right hand holding hers. She brushed her hair to the side and leaned her forehead on the nape of her neck. "You. Are. An. Angel. Period. End of discussion." She stayed there for a moment inhaling the scent of apples and cinnamon. Then she placed a tender kiss on the keloid scar that ran up her spin and neck and disappeared under her hairline. "Can you listen to those words instead at least?"

"I'll...try."

"Good. And if you start to hear the other words instead, just tell me and I'll remind you of these ones, okay?"

"Okay."

They stayed just like that for a few minutes, Enid leaning her forehead on the nape of Kali's neck. Neither girl wanted to move. After a few more minutes, Enid lifted her head to kiss Kali's scar again. But then she kissed the skin next to it. And then the skin next to that. And the skin next to that. And she kept kissing Kali until she was peppering light kisses all along Kali's neck. She was lost in a daze, drunk on the scent of apples and cinnamon, drunk on the scent of her mate who she wouldn't allow herself to have quite yet. So she kept peppering kisses all over her neck, paying extra special attention to the spot between her neck and shoulder where one day—hopefully—a mating bite would go.