Deadly

Chapter 27

Two days after Dallas left

" Why are you still here?"

Bennett looked at me from the end of my bed, an old book in his hands. He hadn't left since that night, not even to get a change of clothes. " You know why, Katherine."

" And how long until you trust me to be by myself again?" I asked. Part of me was frustrated, he hadn't given me a second to myself. Sometimes he was so quiet I barely remembered he was there, but he always was. Reading, writing, sleeping, pacing. I couldn't do anything without his knowing, not that I did much. Another part of me, a small part, didn't know how to handle this, to accept that he cared.

" Until you can give me a reason," he said lowering his head to continuing reading.

" A reason to leave?"

" No, a reason to live."

Seven days after Dallas left

I woke up to the sound of three light knocks against the door. Bennett stirred, asleep beside me. It took several more knocks to wake him, he pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed the crust from his eyes.

" Who is it?" He asked me quietly.

I shrugged, curling deeper into the covers.

" You'll have to get out of bed at some point Katherine," he said sweeping his legs over the side of the bed. I watched him stride across the room and open the door, my arms wrapped tightly around my pillow. I didn't want to leave this room, let alone the bed. There was no motivation, no reason to live, no nothing.

" Bennett?"

" Felicity.. What are you doing here?" Bennett asked.

" I-I wanted to apologize.. to Katherine." She said hessitantly. " I said some things I shouldn't have."

" Come in."

In my head, I chatisised him a million times over. I didn't want to see her, I didn't want to see anyone. Out loud, I said nothing, I did nothing. I just watched.

" Thank you," she said walking around him into the room. Her eyes narrowed sympathetically when she saw me. The look she gave twisted something in my stomach tightly. Sympathy was always something I tried to avoid. I wanted people to care, but I didn't want them to think I was weak. I wanted them to show me they cared through actions, not soft smiles and pitied looks.

Bennett looked back and forth between us, settling on Felicity. " I'll wait out in the hallway."

She nodded, twisting her fingers together the way she always did when she was anxious. He left, for the first time in over a week, leaving us alone. She looked around the room, confusion etched across her face. I'm sure the lack of furniture and personal items must have confused her.

" So listen, I'm sorry I freaked out when I discovered what was going on between you and them." She said. Her eyes darted from one wall to another, never settling on me.

I told myself I didn't care if she apologized or not.

I didn't care if she wouldn't even look at me.

" You were just trying to help, and I should've handled things better." She said.

" Is that all?"

Silence settled between us, not the kind that echoed heartbreak or loneliness, but the kind that spoke volumes. She shook her head and looked at me. Really looked at me. With guilt, with sympathy and sadness. " I miss you, Katherine. I miss having you around, spending time with you. It hasn't been the same since you locked yourself in your room and refused to leave."