The Shrink Program

Chapter 136

"...idiot." was my only heartbroken reply. A pathetic whisper, as held in tears made the room blur.

"You're not supposed to make me feel this way. I don't care if you make me mad, cause you're a stubborn, arrogant jerk and I'm a hot-headed idiot, and it's pretty much unavoidable. I don't even mind if you hurt my feelings sometimes, because I know you lash out when you're worried. Trust me, I can handle all the painful things that comes with being close to an emotionally constipated control freak like you."

Blindly I reached forward and yanked on his hair, wanting to inflict some sort of sensation stronger than what my tiny body was capable of. "But how dare you? After making me go through all that just to be with you again, how dare you let me go."

The hand beneath me convulsed, shirking at the painful words even as Vain let out a humourless laugh.

"You too." He gasped, not moving as I still gripped his hair. "Why do you always leave me behind?"

Leave him behind?

Trembling, I forced myself to release the death grip I had on his hair, scooting back a little so that my back was pressed against his fingers.

For a long moment, I tried to think of something to say. Something that would turn the tables back on him, someway to deny or at least justify the idea that I would ever willingly abandon him.

But the way I had been going off and doing dangerous things without him almost our entire friendship.... sort of won him the argument right off the bat...

"I leave everyone behind Vain," I told him softly, voice hesitant with the fragile words. "Look at me now. Nigel and Artemis are still in danger, and here I am, having a heart-to-heart with Alex, then now probably you... and really, right now isn't the best time to be doing this, so if you want to just forget everything I said and head back on over.... okay not moving, that's good too, we'll just stay here then.... ahem, all of this because I don't have the brain capacity to focus on anything but what's right in front of me."

I shook my head tiredly, but Vain still wasn't looking at me... or acknowledging my words at all...

"I can't help but get caught up and carried away in the moment... And that pretty much makes me the most insensitive, oblivious, self-centred jerk I know.... and really, I know a lot of those guys, so that's saying something...." I took in a deep breath, trying to rein in the rant a little.

"What I'm really trying to say is that I just.... took the idea that you would always be there... for granted." Feeling sick, I curled an arm around my middle.

Finally, Vain's head shifted below me, his red-eyed gaze watching me guardedly, tiredly.

Like he had had enough.

Panic hit me like a rock, rapidly escalating to terror.

Because I was suddenly sure that he was going to tell me he was done.

That he couldn't handle it any more.

That this was the end.

And that thought made one traitorous tear spill over, even as a small smile quirked my lips, the rush of emotion making me light-headed.

"It's funny, how I always seem to have these stupid realisations when it's just too late. All along, I kept fighting what you and Devin tried to tell me. And now, at the last possible moment, I finally realise...."

I reached up to shove away at the damning little drop of water hell-bent on making me look vulnerable. Cause being five inches tall and stuck in his damn hand isn't enough...