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𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫
I stood in front of the mirror in Jake and I's shared bathroom. My eyes raked across my chest, observing the wound that had started to grow. After visiting Bella four days ago, I went to the clinic and got some antibiotics for it, but instead of the infection getting better, it got worse.
Right above my heart is where it started, small indentations of teeth created two crescent wounds on the top my breast. Usually when he bit me, the mark was completely healed within a week, but this time it hadn't.
The bite was red and raw with dark black veins running across my chest, staring at the bite and moving outward. The darkness stretched across to both shoulders and on the left it had started to work its way down my arm and up toward my neck. If it didn't stop soon, someone was sure to see it.
Gently I ran my fingers across the bit, flinching as the pain surged through me at the simple touch. It was a constant pain that got worse as time went on.
Its all his fault, I thought bitterly, my eyes welling with tears as I looked over the poisoned flesh. Why did he have to leave me? Why did he break our bond and run off? It wasn't likely that I'd get answers anytime soon, if at all. His phone line was dead, as was the rest of his family. They'd completely disappeared.
I tore my eyes away from the wound, deciding it wasn't worth worrying over. He had sealed my fate when he broke our bond, I suppose I should just accept it. I sniffled, blinking away the tears that threatened to pour over.
My heart was aching more today than yesterday, my stomach feeling like there was a hole in it. I wanted to be mad at him, I wanted to hate him with every fiber of my being but I still missed him, I still grieved for him. Even as I stand here, slowly dying, I find myself hurting worse at the fact that I was all alone.
A knock sounded on the door and I quickly grabbed the crew neck I'd placed on the counter and pulled it over my head. "Just a second," I called, pulling on my sweat pants next.
I pulled open the door in the next moment, coming face to face with Paul. I hadn't seen him in two days, he was doing round the clock patrol with Jared these last two nights and hadn't had a break until now.
At the sight of him I felt immediate relief, the pain in my chest dissipating to a bearable level. My body relaxed and I sent him a small smile, fighting the tears that still wanted to come.
Guilt pooled in my stomach, filling the hole that Emmett left behind. I felt bad for the comfort I found in Paul Lahote. It felt like cheating, and I'd never been a cheater. He left, I reminded myself, he left so I was allowed to find comfort in whatever or whomever I wanted.
Paul reached a hand up, gently brushing a tear away as it dripped from my eyelash. "You're crying," he observed, his brows furrowing together.
I didn't respond and instead just stepped towards him and into his warmth. I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my face into his chest. He smelled of the forest and the ocean, like salt spray and evergreen.
