Nothing Above You

Twenty one

Mateo Delacruz

"I never said you need to believe me. It's up to you. I just wanted you to know, that's all." I say as if it didn't matter to me. I decided to play the 'I don't care what you think' card because I couldn't show him how I felt anymore. Not anymore. "Because you will never ask me before jumping to the conclusions." I shrug and look down for a moment.

As much as I hate to admit that he was hurting my soul with his words, I couldn't ignore it. I look at him as he takes out another cigarette from his pocket and lights it up.

My eyes fall on his shoulder and then his biceps. My eyebrows furrow when I notice something much darker on his bicep, his coat was torn open and covered in blood. My throats goes dry as the worry in me floods. "Enzo. Your...your arm.." it takes everything in me to speak as I eye the wound on his shoulder.

"Hm? Oh this." He fakes a smile when he raises his elbow to have a better look at his wound. "It's nothing."

"No, it's not nothing!" I look at him as anger in me flows. How can this man not care about himself?
"You are bleeding, Enzo. Bleeding!" I move closer to him and grab his shoulder to take a better look. My heart was in my throat as I had a closer look at his wound.

He lets me hold him and studies me, piercing a hole in my head. "You need to treat this." I say without looking at his face, because if I did, I would never stop looking at him. "I'll go grab the kit, you stay here." I order him without hesitation and turn around to walk away.

"Why?" He holds my elbow, stopping me from going anywhere. "Why are you pretending to care for me?" His voice comes out devastated. I turn around to look at him and think how he thought I was pretending. He looks at me with sadness pouring in his eyes.

I know he doesn't deserve any kindness but I can't let him bleed just like that.

"And why do you think I'm pretending?" I hold his hand to release myself from his grip. "I could be generally worried for you." My face turns expressionless when I say that. "Even if you are an asshole." I mumble the last word under my breath hoping that he would not hear it but I assume he did heard me because a muscle in his jaw ticks and his eyes turn cold.

He turns around not saying a word and I take the cue to leave. I walk in the house and immediately start shaking as I search for the aid.

Ever since I was a kid, I hated the sight of blood. It made my body tremble and my stomach to churn up. It was probably the time when I went on a road trip with my family and a car from the other direction hit an animal, killing it under the vehicle at the spot.

It was horrifying me as I unwilling witnessed the whole scene.

As I walk through the doors in search of the kit, I find Leo and Ant in the bathroom. Leo sits on the basin shelf while Ant treats his wounds. "Um, guys?" I try not to sound so awkward and rude. "I'm sorry to walk in like this, the door was open and.." I slowly take steps towards them and they just smile warmly.

"It's fine. Did he call for me? I will be out in a minute." Leo says with a short smile and Anthony nods. For some reason I feel that Anthony is avoiding to look at me.

"Oh, no. I'm not here for that."I fidget with my fingers awkwardly. "I need some bandages and antibiotic." I look at Anthony who halts and stops what he is doing. He looks at me with wide eyes and runs towards me in worry. "What did he do to you? Where did that bastard hurt you?!" He asks as he checks up on me, checking my face left to right. His normally smiling face now very angry. "I'm fine. It's not for me. He's injured." I say looking down embarrassed to even mention his name in front of Anthony.