Love Bite | Yandere!Vampires x F!Reader

27: Honesty

Caleb doesn't understand what's happening. Is this some kind of sick joke? Did Kai secretly bring some people along to film this tasteless prank and post it online so that it goes viral?

There's no way this is a genuine apology. It just can't be. And so, Caleb holds his breath and impatiently awaits the punchline.

But it never comes.

"I'm sorry... for punching you," Kai grimaces. He looks away, presumably embarrassed, which is even more unbelievable, because last Caleb checked, this guy had never felt shame a day in his life.

Kai doesn't stop there, though. "I'm sorry for punching you," he mumbles begrudgingly. "And... I'm sorry for being an ass and forcing you and [Name] to spend time with me. I could tell that it made you feel horrible, but I did it for a laugh. I don't really know why. I just got the urge to get under your skin. Not saying it's an excuse or anything, but... yeah. I guess I'm just a piece of shit sometimes, okay?"

As far as apologies go, this one is certainly nothing to write home about. It leaves a lot to be desired, and Kai has to forcibly grit out every word, so it clearly doesn't come easily to him. His tone is also snappy and rude.

Still, it's... it's an actual apology. Caleb kept on waiting for Kai to do a full one-eighty and reveal that he was just fucking with him the whole time, but as the seconds pass, it seems increasingly less likely that'll happen.

Kai awkwardly scratches his neck. "So, uh... I'm not really sure what else to say. [Name] told me that you ended up in the hospital because I broke your nose that day. Vampires are a lot stronger than humans, so I didn't even think you'd get hurt that bad, to be honest. I was annoyed that day and felt like blowing off steam. But how about I pay your hospital bills? Just tell me how much it cost, and I'll compensate you for it. If I do that, can we move past this and call it water under the bridge?"

Although they've only had a few interactions, Caleb knows all too well that Kai isn't the type to apologize. In fact, this may be the first time he's ever apologized. The whole thing seems painfully awkward enough for that to be true.

Getting an apology from Kai is basically like finding a needle in a haystack. The odds of such a thing happening are astonishingly low, and most people in Caleb's position would probably have just taken the good news and ran with it.

However, that's easier said than done, and unfortunately, the resentment Caleb feels towards this man already runs too deep.

"Seriously?" Caleb scoffs. "You think waving some money in my face is going to magically change my opinion of you? Compensating me for my injuries is the least you could do. Normally, you would have been charged with some form of assault, but the only reason there weren't any consequences is because you're an entitled nepotism baby whose daddy always cleans up his mess."

Kai's brow twitches, and it's clear that he's irked, but despite the urge to snap at Caleb or threaten him to shut his mouth, he just sighs.

"Fine," he acknowledges. "I'm not an idiot. I know I can get away with all kinds of shit that others can't, and yeah, I've exploited it a few times. I'm sure anyone else in my position would have done the same. Nobody likes following the rules, and it feels nice to be able to do things that most people aren't allowed to. I already admitted I can be a piece of shit sometimes. But I'm trying to do the right thing here and take accountability, which is why I said I'd compensate you for whatever you lost."

"No, not anyone else in your position would have done the same. Believe it or not, even with connections, most people wouldn't go around punching strangers just for the hell of it. Don't bother with the bullshit excuses. There's no justification for your behavior. You're just a prick."