Page 44 of Kaine

Chapter Twenty

HIM

Fuck.

FUCK!

I shut off the water and stand there, naked, dripping in the dark.

What just happened?

No. No....NO! I didn’t...I didn’t ever want her to see me this way!

What way is that? Naked and hard for her? Or exposing the scars on your face that you’re so embarrassed about?

Soap from my hair drips into my eyes, stinging, but I revel in the pain.

Dammit. I shake my head at the memory of me yelling at her. God, and the things I yelled. Why had I reacted that way? Why hadn’t I been able to hold back?

You know why. You didn’t want her to ever see the real you.

Well, she’s seen that and so much more now. There’s no reason she should ever forgive me for speaking to her that way. No reason.

There’s a tearing pain in my chest, and I thump my fist against my sternum, like I’m restarting my heart.

Go after her, you absolute fool,the voice says. And this time, I listen.

I skid out of the bathroom, glad that I know the layout of my apartment inside out. Even in the dark with burning eyes, I know my way around.

“Jade!” I yell, running past my bedroom and out to the living area.

Her things are gone.

Except for the shirt she was wearing the day she was mobbed. It’s laying crumpled on the floor in the hallway on the way to the elevator.

No. She can’t have left so quickly.

I run to the elevator, catching a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the mirror splashback in the kitchen.

Fuck.

I’m fucking naked!

I run back into the bathroom, pulling on the pants and hoodie I’d taken off to shower and run back to the elevator.

She can’t have gone far. It’s barely been a few minutes. She can’t have gone far. She can’t have,I repeat to myself.

As soon as the elevator hits the ground floor I hurl myself out of it, running to the front entrance.

“Patrick! Patrick!” I call out to the night doorman. He comes over to me, tipping his hat. “Did you... did you see a woman come out here just a few minutes ago? Brown hair, very pretty...”

“Oh yes, Mr, Ashley, she just left. In that taxi over there,” he points to a cab turning the corner. “Poor girl, I hope she’s okay.”

“What- what do you mean?”

“Oh, well, when she came down she was crying and she looked like she was in a bit of pain.”

“What? What happened?”