• CHAPTER 44 - FAREWELL

    You love that person so much, but there are so many things you wouldn't want to tell them. You're afraid they'll either get mad at you or they'll be angry with themselves and have...thoughts...

    I snapped my phone shut and threw it onto the ground. I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face in my arms and groaned. I balled my fists and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself.

    "Akatsuki, you retard," I hissed, "You told him."

    "It's for the better, Arisa," Akatsuki whispered, "You can't let things like that just pass by."

    "But nothing happened,"

    Akatsuki sighed, not wanting to argue anymore. Great. Now in another minute or two, Kai would come pounding the door down. I shivered after realizing I was still in my gym clothes. They were dry, but they were still cold. I couldn't erase the stray Vampire from my mind. I had never seen a Vampire act like that before. Maybe he was part human?

    "He's here," Akastuki mumbled while sipping on a soda.

    I heard Kai's stealthy car screech to a halt, sending chills down my spine a few times. I balled my fists tighter and waited...waited. Akatsuki's door swung open, but with not as much force as I had expected. I turned my head to look at Kai and my eyes instantly leaked tears. I was about to jump off the bed and into Kai's arms but he beat me to it. He kneeled down in front of the couch and embraced me tightly. My crying was acting up again as Akatsuki quietly shut his front door and he sat down at the breakfast bar again.

    "Kai!" I cried, holding him tighter.

    Kai held me tighter as well but he never said anything. We sat for about five minutes just holding each other and waiting for me to calm down. Kai finally stood up and turned towards Akatsuki with one hand on my shoulder and his face was apathetic.

    "I'll be taking her now," he told Akatsuki, halfway into monotone.

    Without another word, Kai picked me up swiftly from the couch and Akatsuki opened the door. Akatsuki and I peeked at each other with hints of concern on our faces. Kai carried me out of the apartments and put me into his car in silence. He slid into the driver's seat and he sped off into the dark streets. We drove for another minute, dodging cars, until we reached a near-empty parking lot and we parked more towards the middle and Kai put the car in park.

    I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but he didn't seem like he wanted to talk. He grasped my hand and filled the spaces between my fingers with his.

    "Is this too much?" Kai asked, squeezing my hand lightly and avoiding eye contact.

    "No," I wanted closer.

    He sighed and leaned back in his seat, rubbing the bridge between his eyes, "How far did he get?"

    "He...he almost completely undressed me,"

    "Did he bite you?"

    "Only a little," I rubbed the bandages on my throat, "He tried to bite into my airway."

    "Where is he now?"

    "In Hell," I answered immediately, "He's dead."

    Kai sighed and closed his eyes, "That Vampire you ran into...that's a typical Vampire,"

    I burrowed my eyebrows together, "What do you mean?"

    "He's the kind of Vampire the legend foretells," Kai opened his eyes again, "The kind of Vampire that tricks a woman with his charm and seduces her for his pleasure. Afterwords, he sucks her blood until she's dry to the bone with no clemency."

    I shuddered at what Kai said, "Were you...," It scared me to ask, "Were you...like that before?"

    Kai shook his head, "No, never,"

    Kai fell silent for another long moment. I couldn't get the images of the Vampire out of my head. He was lying on me, he almost completely forced himself on me. If Akatsuki wasn't there when he was, I'd have been dead rather than the Vampire.

    Kai shifted the car into drive and sped off onto the road again. We rode a few blocks and he pulled up on the side of the road at a carry-out restaurant. He unbuckled his seat belt and brushed my cheek with his knuckles.

    "I'll be one minute," and he left.

    I panicked a little and immediately made sure all of the car doors were locked and I kept a close eye out. I was more worried about Kai, though. He wasn't acting like himself. Not at all. I was worrying about him badly, although he'd probably only tell me that he was fine and that I shouldn't get worked up over it.

    I wasn't surprised to see Kai back at the car in one minute, like he said. He teleported into the driver's seat and handed me a paper bag. I could smell fried rice and tofu from it and I carefully removed it from his hands. Without aruging or protest, I obediently ate the food in silence. Kai took the bag and plastic tray from me when I was done and put them in the back seat. He shifted the car into drive once more and sped off, only a little slower this time.

    We rounded a few corners and drove several blocks, still in silence, until Kai parked on the side of the road with a few burnt out street lights. The building he parked in front of was small and had a few windows lit from the inside. Something about that building seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't lay my finger on it. I didn't notice Kai's absence from the car until he had circled around and opened my car door for me and unbuckled my seat belt. He helped me out of the car and supported me by having me wrap one arm around his shoulders and he wrapped one arm around my waist.

    He allowed me to stand on my own by leaning against the car as he opened the trunk. He pulled out a large parka coat and draped it over my shoulders. It was heavy and mistified with Kai's sweet scent. I was hit by a wave of confusion when he pulled out two small suitcases and a bag. He shut the trunk and lifted the suitcases and placed them on the sidewalk. I took a moment to look at the suitcases and then the building and vice versa. Was this a hotel? Were we staying the night here?

    "Arisa...," he seemed to have difficulty finishing his sentence, "Arisa, this is the orphanage."

    My body froze and I had forgotten how to more or breathe or even think for the longest second. The orphanage? What were we doing here?

    "I-I don't get what you're trying to say," I mumbled, my knees were starting to shake.

    "Arisa, you're going to be living here," his face was washed over in pain.

    "I-I still don't understand," I looked down.

    "The longer you're with us, the more danger you're put into," Kai sighed, "It's not safe for you to stay with us. Especially when there's two Vampires in the house."

    "But...what about stray Vampires? They're the dangerous ones." I refused to look up.

    "Of course they are, but you'll be safer here where there's more people,"

    "Kai--"

    "I can't get rid of the contract," he interrupted me, "I'm too weak. I can't do it."

    "Shut up, Kai, you're not weak," I protested, "Now let's go home."

    I tried to limp my way around the car only to be stopped by Kai's protesting arms, "Arisa, are you not listening? You're staying here."

    That's when it hit me the hardest. I tried to wiggle out of his arms, "No, Kai! I'm not going back to the orphanage!"

    "Arisa, it's where you're safest," he didn't seem fazed at my struggling, "And Chi is there."

    "I don't care! I want to stay with you!"

    "I want to stay with you too, Arisa," he sighed, "But so long as I'm under the contract, it's dangerous to be near me."

    "I don't care!" tears were brimming my eyes, "I'm not going!"

    "Arisa, don't try to argue with me,"

    "I will argue, you retard! Why can't I stay with you?!"

    Kai grasped my face with his hands and locked my eyes with his, "You don't understand how unbearingly difficult it is to spend the whole day staring at the face of your loved one that you're sentenced to kill!" he was starting to raise his voice.

    "That doesn't matter, Kai!"

    "Maybe it doesn't to you, but it does to me," he was trying hard not to yell to get a point across to me.

    "Kai, I love you!" I was inclined to argue, although I couldn't think of much else to say.

    "I love you too," he kissed my forehead, "But I can't bear the thought of killing you. I've been a horrible protector."

    "No you haven't. I've been a retarded klutz." I sniffed, "You've done nothing wrong."

    "Everything I've done was wrong. Scarring your neck, not watching over you properly, making you fall in love with me. Everything is wrong." he emphasized the last word clearly.

    "You're wrong!" I cried.

    "Don't think that it's all over," he whispered, "Once I find a way out of the contract then I might come look for you."

    Yeah "might" makes me feel better, "Kai, we're engaged, though,"

    Kai pursed his lips together tightly, "I'm...I'm afraid that's not true anymore,"

    I hit Kai's chest out of immediate reflexes, "Why, Kai?!"

    "I can't stand it when I look at you and all I can see is blood coating you from head to toe," he kissed my forehead again.

    I fumed and I couldn't tell if my tears were from anger or depression anymore. I clenched my fists, "I can't stant having to look into the eyes of my killer every day!!"

    Kai immediately compressed his lips to mine and he kissed me roughly for a minute, although I was struggling frantically to elude his grasp. I finally got him to stop kissing me after one of his fangs accidentally cut my lip open and I was fuming beyond belief.

    I was angry at the world. I hated everything, "Go away, I hate you!" I shouted at him.

    Kai froze and immediately dropped his hands from my face. He dug into his pocket and pulled out what used to be my engagement ring and he handed it to me.

    "Here," he sighed, "According to you now, we won't need this,"

    I shoved his hand back, "You keep it! I don't want to remember anymore!"

    Without another word, Kai walked up to the orphanage door, pounded on it hard, and climbed into his car and drove off into the dark. I was left in the cold with nothing more than my gym clothes and a parka and a couple of suitcases. The door to the orphanage opened and one of the workers peeked outside at me but I only ignored her. I watched the taillights of Kai's car as they dimmed in the distance and finally disappeared.

    And that's the last time I saw Kai.