𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 | ✔

THIRTY

My lungs burned as I tried to get more out, having to push down the fury of kindness inside me. For a single minute I could spare this pain to apologise to someone who cared about me.

"I am sorry for what I said to you, I was angry and upset. It wasn't fair to challenge what you've done for me," I pause to take a breath before I started hyperventilating from the angst inside of me. "But I hope you can forgive me for being the biggest bitch known to Earth, because I know I am one."

Nella raises her head and nods for a second before laughing, she leans forward to wrap her arms around me unexpectedly. Her warmth felt strange to my cold skin but I accepted it rather than pushing her away. We both needed this.

"I know you didn't mean it," she mumbles into my ear, her curly hair tickling my face. "I forgive you Cleo."

My lips form and smile and I pull away from her. "Thank you," I tell her between breaths.

I try and concentrate on channelling the positive emotions rather than focusing on how the curse was trying to convince me to feel. My forehead creases as I try to focus and Nella stares back at me with a confused glance.

"Are you okay?" She questions as she drops her hands from my shoulders.

My head nods towards her as I take a step back. "Just trying to get used to this kind, friendship stuff." I say quietly.

Nella's lips stretch out into a bright smile, my words clearly sparking something inside her. "You're doing good," she gives me a confident nod.

"I'm going to go for a run," I tell her.

"No running off this time?"

I snort and look down to the floor. "Promise I won't."

"Okay, enjoy." She smiles back at me.

. . .

My skin burned like I'd dipped my body in boiling lava, no position in my bed was comfortable. Every toss and every turn only made everything worse. How the fuck was I meant to sleep when the curse was punishing me for trying to be nice?

I wince in my mind and move my cheek against my pillow, desperate for the cold patch on the fabric to try and cool my body down. But nothing was working and I was seconds away from bursting into tears from frustration.

My mind wanders to when Kassian traced his fingers against my bare back and that calmed me more than expected, even being near him would distract me from feeling like I'd been run over by a herd of horses.

"Fuck this shit," I grumble out as I throw the sheets from my body and stand from my bed.

The floor swayed from underneath me and I attempted to calm my movements before I ended up on my ass. I huff out a breath and force my way to my bedroom door and stumble out into the hall.

I clutch onto the wall and push myself down the corridor and straight to Kassian's room without a second thought. Pressing my hand onto his door handle and sliding myself in, his room was pitch black.

It was two in the morning, of course he would be fast asleep.

As I take a step in, his scent hits me in the face, almost giving me whiplash as I force myself to breathe. My shaky hands close the door behind me and I take slow and steady steps over to his bed, pressing a hand to the soft duvet and climbing into the vacant side.

The bed dips instantly and Kassian whips his head up from the pillow, grunting quietly. "Cleo?" His husky voice calls out.

My lips part as I lower my head down onto his pillow, then clenching my fists to try and contain all of my unwanted emotions.