A Taste of Darkness

Chapter 11: Help You but Hate You

Julio

I never realised how long this corridor actually was.

After what seemed like forever of taking the quietest footsteps that I could as to not wake anyone up and see me in this state, I finally came to the conclusion that this hallway was playing on an infinite loop and I wouldn't ever be able to make it to the privacy of my bedroom if I kept walking like this. I also realized that even if I tried to walk as quietly as possible, my leg with a bullet inside of it that dragged behind me made that task quite hopeless.

Scarlett was right.

Well, I already knew she'd been right. I believed it from the second she explained her reasoning to me, just when I thought it would be impossible for her to impress me any more, but there she was again, proving me wrong. However, even though I had that knowledge, I still agreed to go with that snake to the docks.

I told myself it was because I wanted to publicly show rats like him what happens when you crossed the leader of one of the most powerful mafias in the world- or because it was my job to check on the shipments. I didn't want to believe anything else, because those were the reasons I should have had, that I was supposed to have, but I couldn't deny this nagging voice inside my head quietly and constantly trying to tell me something different. They forced images- memories in my mind of a different reason, something that I would absolutely despise to be true.

Her.

Maybe I left to cool off after my body got heated a hundred degrees warmer. Maybe I left to take a breather after seeing her, after being in her presence. Maybe I needed to get that earlier image of her in that crop top and those extremely short, tight shorts out of my head that made me feel the need to give myself a release - or maybe it was because I needed a break from her after the hard peaks of her breasts grazed against my chest.

But I didn't believe in any of those reasons- I didn't want to. Even if I did feel something- which I didn't- I couldn't. I couldn't because of who I am and how I live. Plus, I didn't believe in having real feelings for someone, nor would I ever have them for someone in my lifetime being the emotionless and uncaring person that I was.

Suddenly, an unexpected image brings me out of my wandering thoughts. Scarlett.

Scarlett standing frozen in the middle of the hallway, staring at me.

Am I imagining this? I was just thinking about her, it's a possibility. Maybe the two bullet wounds in my leg and stomach are getting to my head. I don't feel the pain, I've gotten use to the feeling of a bullet puncturing your skin, but you'd never know. Maybe the bullets this time have found a different way to torture, by fucking with my vision.

Fuck, I really have gone crazy. All I wanted was to be away from her for a while, to not see her, but of course my mind decides to work against me once again.

She starts to run towards me, a look of complete shock with a slight sense of panic in her eyes- and before I know it, she's standing less than a foot away from me once again. I can feel the heat radiating off her body, her alluring aura, her breath on my skin sending a certain sensation down my body.

I'm definitely not imagining this- I can't be, it feels too real. She's actually here.

Shit. Out of all of the people who could see me in this state, it had to be her. She can't be here.

"Are you o-" she stops herself and swallows- "I warned you that that guy was lying to you, but of course you didn't believe me and now look what happened," she argues, but something about the way she says it or the look in her eyes seems unconvincing, like she's hiding something. Holding something back.