Bound

Love | HALE

I leaned over the sink in front of the mirror, staring into my own eyes for once in a long time. I knew they shouldn't look like this. I hadn't seen myself in such a way in a long time. Not ever since her. But I didn't know why it was happening or how.

I should've stayed and said something. Though I knew she wouldn't have had the answers to my questions, I still wanted to speak to her. Perhaps it would have at least eased my mind, maybe stopped the pained feeling in my heart that kept telling me to go to her. Everything urged me closer to her. The way she'd said my name echoed in my mind. She had every reason to hate me. She meant nothing in her words, but the way she had so softly spoken my name with what sounded to be curiosity and so much concern, somehow, it only made these feelings stronger.

I hated this.

She didn't realize what she had done. She didn't realize the pain and the dilemma she put me in and surely she never would.

If she wasn't human, if we were in a different world, in a different time, or a different place, I wouldn't care to drag myself through this. I would do what instinct told me, rather than what my fearful mind demanded I do. I wouldn't care for dumb senseless "love", if that's what you could even call this, if not for the consequences.

In a different, time and a different world, I wouldn't even go through this again.

I wouldn't have to lose again.

There was a knock at the door of the room outside.

I took my hands off the sink and tried to stand up straight, but I let go of the only thing steadying me. I fell backward, hitting the wall with a loud thud as the weight of my body plunge me to the floor, forcing me to sit.

"Hale?" It was her. Back again to torture me even more.

"Lord Hale?" I said nothing.

I could hear the door open as I finally decided to lean my head against the wall. I relaxed fully, my shoulders giving way, sinking as every bit of tension in my body and mind left me for the first time in a while.

"Hale?" She chimed as she rounded the corner into the room.

When she first came in, she didn't see me. She moved her eyes glancing around the room cautious. She was a deer ready to dart at the drop of a pen, but she relaxed a bit as she began to believe no one was here. Her loose dark locks, swayed as she turned to walk back out, but as she spun, her eyes caught sight of me. They locked with mine and widened with a sort of fear and horror, and yet concern. A wide array of emotions.

"Hale?" she asked.

She stood frozen by the door debating whether or not to come closer.

I lifted my shoulders in a weak shrug and dropped them.

She finally decided to approach me, slowly and carefully. She was still in her pajamas, but to my slight disappointment, she had decided to listen and put a shirt on.

The one time she decided to listen.

When she cane just barely within reach, she placed the back of her palm on my forehead.

Oddly enough, it didn't feel blistering warm. It was comforting and made me feel better despite how weak I felt. Her eyes widen to me.

"Hale...you're warm."

She took her hand away and maybe I would've grabbed it and asked her not to had I possessed the strength.

"You're not supposed to..." She leapt up. "I-...I'll call a nurse or something. You need-."

Before she could turn to leave I reached out and grabbed her hand. Though it was a dumb gesture, in that moment I could think of nothing more.

With the bit of strength I had left, I yanked her into my lap. I placed my lips gently onto her forehead and immediately, she pulled away. She didn't resist my loose grip on her, and as her face flushed red, she didn't move. She stared into my eyes for just a moment before she scrambled out of my lap, pushing me away.

"Why-?" She still sat on the floor, staring over at me, confusion and anger prominent in her eyes. "I-..." She stood up from the floor.

Without another word, she rushed out of the room.

I leaned back against the wall and let her go. I could feel an ever so slight tingle strength trickle back into my body. I hated it as It only confirmed what I feared.

The more I denied her, the more I'd wanted her.

The more I hated her. The more I'd loved her.