Page 54 of The Bitter Words

Every breath tastes like fire, and I don’t know if it’s fury or the poison he left behind.

My mouth is as dry as chalk. I try to swallow and open my eyes. Livianna’s in a ball and I’m curled around her. We’re both fully dressed.

Where the fuck are we?

I scan the room. We’re lying on Leon’s couch in his home office.

The TV is on, but the sound is off. Soft, haunting music plays in the background. A weird flash of having sex with Livianna strikes through my memories of last night.

I shake her. “Lily, wake up.”

She stretches out and opens her eyes. “Hi, love.”

“Hi.” I push up.

A burning sensation shoots through my asshole and goes straight to my heart, causing it to ache. I grimace.

What the fuck?

A sinking feeling settles in my gut. Something awful has happened. Acid crawls up my throat and I gag.

“Callum, what’s wrong?”

“I’m gonna be sick.” I shove off the couch, sprint to the bathroom, and heave up all the contents in my stomach.

“Can I do anything to help?” She runs her hand over my back.

“No, but I need a minute alone. Wait for me in the other room.”

“Okay. Call for me if you change your mind.”

“Yeah.” My insides cramp. “Shut the door on your way out.”

She leaves and closes me inside. I rest my forehead in my palm and balance my elbow on the rim of the toilet with my face hovering over the bowl.

What the fuck happened last night?

I can’t pluck any concrete memories out of my brain. Everything is convoluted and confusing.

Images and strange sensations float around in my thoughts. A flicker of Zara and Sebastian flares through the pictures trying to burn their correct place in my mind.

They were with us. My blood goes cold and a wave of nausea takes over.

I throw up again. This time when I do, a huge gas bubble passes from my scorched hole.

Fuck! I’m gonna shit my pants.

I hurry to pull down my pants and get on the seat. I make it just in time. Diarrhea comes out of me. Sweat trickles down my back and beads on the top of my lip.

I lower my head. The sight before me has me wishing this were a nightmare.

Small streaks of blood cover the insides of my gray boxer briefs. My chest caves in, my limbs go numb, and my world takes a turn of the worst kind.

Even though I can’t pull up the event, I know with asickness in my veins and a jarring pain in my ass what occurred. My entire soul empties. I can’t breathe.

How did I let this happen?

My heart flatlines and I go into survival mode. I get cleaned up and get ready to meet Livianna in the other room.