A Locked Box

Chapter 24

She ruined clothes again. The sticky feeling of blood covered her from head to toe. She was pretty sure there was even blood in her hair. It had been cut boyishly short. It made her look more male than female. That was the whole point. To change her. To mold her into a selfless killer. You would think after years of this treatment, she would be this mindless puppet and yet, here she was. Imagining a different life. Daydreaming of what would happen if she had given all of those people mercy and let them go instead of ending their lives. Her boss and mentor was roaring like a pissed lion. She didn't wince or flinch at his actions or words. She didn't even react to the punch thrown at her. She just stood there, letting the pain seep through her body. And then, Jake was there. He was defending her, sending their mentor into the wall opposite them. His little smile flashed around her.

Kat bolted awake, snapping into a sitting position. The room was dark and there was no one in the room other than her and Devin. He blinked awake, sitting up in a more slower fashion. Kat was already up off of the bed and checking her window and closet. Her bag was still there, untouched.

"Kat, what are you doing?" Devin asked, watching her in a groggy confusion.

Kat sighed, her muscles relaxing after making sure they were alone. She brought a hand up to her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Nothing," she said after a moment of silence. Slipping back onto the bed, she faced away from Devin and struggled to keep her eyes shut. Every movement and noise, either inside or outside, made her neck hair stand up in alarm. She would wait in long seconds of silence, awaiting the deadly patter of an assassin's feet or the ticking of a gadget to blow the floor out. They never came. It was the third time that Kat had woken Devin up that he finally said something.

He pulled her closer. "What's bothering you." his breath tickled her skin as he held her close. In the days that had followed his attack, Devin had felt even closer to Kat. Kat seemed just as attached, no longer using her amazing sarcasm to push him away but in a joking manner to make him laugh. In school, she was still the annoyed student who could care less what happened but the moment Devin looked at her, she would instantly morph into a smiling, laughing college student that you would see in the movies. They often joked about it.

She rubbed her tired eyes. "Nothing. I didn't mean to wake you."

Devin rolled his eyes. "Tell me."

She smirked. "I don't see any food here." it was funny to think that little 'peace treaty' had been the thing to bring them so close. Not Devin's understanding personality or Kat's moments of emotion but of the idea of buying food and getting to ask a question. It was childish and it made Kat smile.

"Don't change the subject but I will get you food right now if that means you will tell me." he moved to sit up and pulled the duvet off of him but Kat pulled him back down by the collar of his shirt.

"Fine, I'll tell you." she faced him as he got comfortable once more and wrapped a comforting arm around her. She paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. Devin waited patiently. She pouted at his bright smile despite the fact she had woken him up at three in the morning. "Don't smile like that. You are way too understanding." she turned away, the feigned annoyance a good distraction.

"That can not be the reason you are having insomnia," Devin said chuckling quietly. Kat looked away. She normally kept her word but when it came to her own problems, she hated, no loathed, the idea of talking about them. He grabbed her hand, squeezing lightly. "Did you have a nightmare?" Kat's mouth twitched. She hated how easily he could guess her feelings and what was on her mind. He smiled, silently laughing. "It was just a dream." he snuggled closer to her. "It can't hurt you."

Kat looked over at him with a mix of disbelief and sadness. "It wasn't a dream. It was memory blown out of the water," she said it blankly but her eyes betrayed her true feelings. His eyes opened and they stared into each other's eyes. Kat's onyx orbs were shimmering with indescribable amounts of pain. Devin hugged her, his chin resting on her head.

"Your memories can't you in the real world. You are safe from them."

Kat pushed herself out of the hug, palms flat against his chest. Her pained expression was hard to read. "My demons hurt everyone." Devin tried to encompass her again but struggled to fight her strong force. She was a light person but with the right determination, she could be as heavy and strong as a wrestling heavyweight champion. Her eyebrows were pushed together in worry. She worried about Devin and everyone else in her life. Her own life never came to mind. She met his gaze with a pained obstinacy.

"You can't be so hard on yourself."

Kat stared in disagreement. "Mr. Nuzum..."

Devin shushed her and finally managed to pull her into a tight embrace. "That wasn't your fault. It was those people."

"My demons," she whispered, suddenly feeling the exhaustion surrounding her. She could withstand a couple days without sleep but it was now her fifth night with interrupted sleep. Devin had been busy elsewhere to be near her during this. She had been meaning to speak to him about it. He always looked upset when his father would drag him to their company, at least when he was with Kat which was often.

"There isn't a word I can say to fix what happened. All I can give you is the evidence that you are still human. And humans feel things." Devin said, clearly hearing her. Kat looked up at him with a bewildered look on her face. He met her gaze with a kind smile. "You still remember. If you remember and feel guilt, then you. Are. Still. Human." he emphasized his point with a stabbing finger to where her heart should be. "And if you weren't human then you wouldn't have let me in or even left that place for that matter."

Kat looked away with mixing emotions. He was way too good for her. She barely deserved to live let alone this saint of a man. "I don't deserve you. You know that?"

He chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest. It made Kat melt against him, fitting like puzzle pieces. "You think so badly of yourself. Just be happy."

Kat felt a smile on her lips as she relaxed against his chest. "I'll try." They were both sleepy, the conversation dropping off. Devin smiled along with her as he closed his eyes. Kat finally drifted to sleep, her deprived muscles and joints thankful.

A/N

Midterms and studying is exhausting. Sorry for dropping off randomly after saying I would follow a schedule. School and things are tiring and writer's block does not help either. So, I will try my hardest to keep up with this story.

Author out!