Twisted Knot

another goodbye

~Stefan~

            It is amazing what money can buy you. I managed to slip into the hospital and find a young looking man, a nurse or some sort of medical assistant. He glanced down at my outfit and saw blood staining my pants and shirt. Blood spatter was what it would be called in an evidence room where they’d submit this shirt as evidence one day. I didn’t care, they could lock me away. It was worth it to see that man suffer, the only man who had hurt Elizabeth more than me. I handed the man a wad of hundreds and watched his eyes grow big.

“I need some scrubs,” I said. He led me to a closet and watched as I grabbed the blue outfit from him.

            “Do you need medical help sir,” he asked me curiously. I shook my head.

“That’s not my blood,” I said coldly. He gulped and walked away, probably questioning his actions. Who knew what was going through his head. I changed and put one of those hospital masks on my face, walking around like I owned the place. No one stopped me as I found the room I was looking for.  

            I opened the door a walked in, sitting down beside the bed. Kelsey didn’t look like the vibrant, beautiful, conniving young woman I’d known. She looked like a carcass, picked apart and ravaged, bloody and purple. I could still her face and recognize her, but I had to squint to see the similarities. I remember our night together, guilt overwhelming me. She won’t be playing truth or dare now…

“Kelsey,” I whispered, removing my face mask. She peeked up at me, her eyes heavy and swollen.

“Stefan,” she said. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“I came to see you, Kelsey. I know this doesn’t make sense, but this is my fault. I wanted to apologize.”

“How is it your fault,” she said. “You didn’t do this to me. I was just walking home and someone hit, and I blacked out after the third kick. They threw me in a dumpster…like I was trash.” She cried, just one tear. It was different than when Elizabeth cried, subtler, and somehow she still seemed more broken to me.

            “Kelsey, you’re going to be ok,” I said. “I found the man responsible, and I took care of him. He’ll never hurt you, or anyone, ever again.”

“What?” She asked. “Did you just confess to killing someone? Stefan, what are you saying?” I stood up, realizing I scared her.

“He was a bad man,” I explained. “I probably saved enough people by killing him to justify myself.” She shook her head.

“You don’t understand,” Kelsey explained. “Right before I passed out, I saw my attacker’s shoes.”

“So, what does that have to do with anything?”

“Stefan, they were boots,” She said quietly. “They were women’s boots. I was attacked by a woman, I am positive.”

            I felt my world crash down and it dawned on me, I’d been wrong, Javier even said he hadn’t killed the girls. He’d just come for Elizabeth, to kidnap her or whatever, but he didn’t kill the others.

“I have to go,” I said. “Stay safe Kelsey.” I turned to walk away, hearing her call out my name. I didn’t have time to stop and talk, I needed to get back to Elizabeth and Jeremy. I ran out to my car, no one stopping me, and climbed into the seat. I had left my gun in the glove box, locked with a key, and I went to open it. The glove box was cracked open.

            A sinking feeling overwhelmed me as I opened it, and then I heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of a gun cocking, my gun.

“Hello Stefan,” I heard a woman say. I didn’t need to look; I already knew who it was.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, trying to stall.

“I never meant to involve you, I was looking for Javier and I knew Elizabeth would lead me to him…” I shook my head, feeling anger burn me.

“But let me guess, then you wanted revenge on me too,” I said. She laughed.

“Stefan, I loved you. You thought I was just another one of your whores, and you were wrong. We could have been great together”

“Well,” I said. “You have an odd way of saying I love you.”

            “Goodbye Stefan,” she said. I knew then that those were the last words I would ever hear.

((Thanks for reading. Sorry I keep posting short chapters, but this is close to be done!  ))