Play Me | ✓

Chapter 37

"Summer," Alec cautiously takes my hand in his, in an effort to calm me. "You can't stay here. Kai's been through a lot and he'll find a way to get through it. He always does. Don't make his fight yours."

But it is my fight, it always has been, I think to myself.

"That's where you're wrong. I've been where he is, Alec. I can promise you that he is not going to come back from this alone. He can't. I stood right next to him and watched everything play out today. He – he was crying. Kai cried in front of me. He's either going to come out as someone worse than he was before or someone a bit better."

Alec's eyes ignite with realization. His jaw hardens as he thinks.

"Um, I'm going to call some people. Cole was with Lucy and he's not answering his phone. The baby's with Lily in the hospital room and I'll get her to bring you food once she's done with the baby."

He get's up and leaves. I watch as his figure disappears behind one of the corners and I'm left alone. My head leans against the door as I let my eyelids drape over my eyes and try to calm myself mentally.

This situation is much more than it seems. Something still doesn't piece together like why did Kai take me out in the first place? Maybe, once he feels better, I'll find out.

All of sudden, I hear a loud growl. My eyes fly open. The hallway empty, the bubbling sound startles me again, but this time I recognize it. Immediately, my hands feel my empty stomach and the desire for a lunch buffet comes in mind.

With everything that went on, I haven't had the time to eat. The last time I ate was early, last evening. Man, how I wish I had eaten before going out this morning. I've stayed without food for more than just days before, but I don't know why it feels like I haven't eaten in days now.

Deciding that the best way to distract myself from the food is to sleep, I close my eyes and let it come to me. Before I even know it, I lose full conscious.

...♛...

I wake up in a dark room. Yawning, I sit up.  Stretching my arms, I try to figure out where I am. The bed I'm in, it's not mine. The room is dark with only a ray of light seeping in that doesn't let me see much. My eyes follow down its path to the back of a large canvas.

Kai.

I look around the room, but he's not here. I wonder how I got here. The last thing I remember is falling asleep outside of his door.

I take another look and my eyes stop at the balcony.

Smoke.

There's a cloud of smoke.

It vanishes and another appears.

He's smoking?

I take the edge of the blanket in my hand and lift it off myself to jump out. The marble floor makes me shiver, but I ignore the numbness remembering the events of the last twenty-four hours. Nothing is more cold than the heart of Nicholas Black, I remind myself as I walk towards the balcony door.

My mind curious to explore Kai's room, I ignore it and decide that it's top priority to get through to him first. As much as I dislike him, there's a similarity between us that is too big to deny.

I slide the door open and breathe deeply trying to adjust to the low temperature. Once I'm comfortable, I find Kai on the far right, leaning against the railing as he takes another hit.

Before stepping right into the scene, I mentally prepare myself. The cigarette in his fingers is one of my biggest weaknesses and the more I see him with it, the more I'll want it.