delicate

18

Kai held my arm tighter as we walked further. My hands were bound together behind my back with rope. He had a knife in his other hand.

I wanted to break away from him and jump off the edge of the quarry and into the lake. But his hold was bruising my arm. He pulled me closer and stepped in front of me. My breathing was heavy as my heart pounded.

The cold look in his eyes made my knees weak. It sparked a fear in my mind that I haven't felt around him in a long time. His eyes flicked to my lips before boring into my eyes.

"Try to run and see how fast a bullet goes through your head."

"Why not just go ahead and get it over with?" I tilted my head. "It'd be much less of a headache."

He lifted his brows for a split second. He stepped closer, leaving an inch of space between our bodies. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "You think I'm kidding?"

"No. But I know you won't. Who else will sleep with you?"

I felt the blade of the knife press against my throat as he leaned closer. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut unless you want this pretty throat of yours to be cut open."

"You're bluffing."

He tilted his head, "Am I?"

I twisted my wrist to try and relieve some of the tension in my body. "You wouldn't cut me. You know what it would mean for you." He trailed the tip of the knife down my body. I continued, "You know it would change everything about our relationship because you'll turn out to be the person everyone thinks you are." My breathing was shallow as the tip of the knife stopped at my stomach.

"Maybe you should've listened to them."

I opened my mouth to speak but instead was robbed of the air in my lungs as he shoved the knife into my stomach. I felt tears well in my eyes from the pain. My hope for him drained from my body along with the blood that spilled out of me as he ripped the knife out of me. I was too stunned to yell for help.

"Maybe..." He moved his hand from my arm to my waist, keeping me upright as I started to fall forward into him. "You should take things for what they are." He moved the knife to my chin, tipping my head up. I swallowed. He moved the blade of the knife to my throat and applied pressure, making me whine.

"Stop!" Caroline's shrill voice pulled Kai's gaze from the knife he was threatening my life with. "Hurt her again and you'll be dead before she hits the ground!"

Kai laughed softly. "You expect me to believe you? I know you turned it off. She doesn't mean a single thing to you."

There was a pause. "She's... She's all I have left." Her voice wavered. "Let her go."

Kai pulled the knife away from my throat. He pulled me against him, making me face Caroline. He held his arm across my chest and put his hand over the stab wound, making me yell out.

Caroline's chin wobbled as her head tilted to the side. She was frozen. I could see the tears in her eyes. Her hands were shaking as she raised them. She formed fists before biting down on her bottom lip. I was starting to get lightheaded.

I heard her giggle. Her body relaxed and her expression smoothed out. She looked around for a second then looked at us again.  She laughed.

Laughed.

The sound echoed in my mind making me feel uneasy.

"It was a nice attempt." She took a few steps closer.

I blinked but it took longer than it should've to open my eyes. "Caroline-"

"Did you really expect me to believe you would actually kill her? That this wasn't a set up?"