Blood Lust (COMPLETED)

Chapter Thirty: Zombie

He gazed up at me, amethyst eyes uncertain. "After I led you on the other day, I didn't think you'd ever speak to me again. Not that I'd blame you. I acted like a dick." He shrugged, turning his gaze back to his feet. "But when you were attacked... when I got shot...you showed me more affection than anyone else ever had."

I was beyond terrified that day. There was so much blood, and he was so still. I thought he was dead.

"I heard you crying when I was on the floor," he went on, turning his whole body to face mine. "No one has ever wept for me before."

He reached out to brush a stray hair behind my ear. "No one has ever held me the way you did when I was on top of you. No one's... I've never had someone to care for me the way you do. Or, the way I thought you did."

Nero looked heartbreakingly lonely in that moment. It hurt seeing him like that, because I knew exactly how he felt.

I felt that same crippling loneliness every single day before I came to Lachlan Island.

"I do care for you, Nero." I bridged the gap between us, wrapping my arms around his waist. "It's just yesterday--when you said what you said--that was the first time anyone had told me that."

"No one's told you they loved you before?" He whispered, finally returning my embrace.

"No."

"So, that's why you freaked out when I said it?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry for how I acted. I just didn't know how to accept it."

"It's fine, I get it." He cooed, kissing the top of my head. "To be honest, I don't know what I would have done if you had said it back."

I pulled away to gaze up at him.

He looked beautifully sad, maybe even a little confused. His eyebrows, which were a shade darker than his lavender hair, furrowed slightly as he studied my face.

Then his expression hardened, and his gaze traveled down my body.

"You were with Duke last night, weren't you?" His voice was quiet, cold. He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose. "I can still smell him on you." 

My heart stalled before slamming into my chest.

"Nero, please, you can't tell Dean Lachlan. He'll--"

"It's too late!" Nero snapped, carving a hand through his hair. "I think he already knows."

It was as if the ground vanished beneath me. "What? How..?"

"I don't know. But Duke never showed up for patrol, and when I walked past his room earlier I smelled..." his eyes grew wide, seemingly hit with some kind of revelation. "I have to go."

He pushed away from me and made it to the window in two long strides.

"Nero, wait!" I called after him. "What did you smell?"

He heaved himself through my window, and turned to give me a grave look. "Burnt flesh."

Then he was gone, leaving me to choke on horrified tears.

~~~

I had never showered so fast in my life. It was a silly thing to do, shower after my conversation with Nero. But I didn't know what else to do.

The door that led to the girl's dorms wouldn't be unlocked until six, so I wouldn't have been able to leave right then. Plus, I didn't want to approach Dean Lachlan smelling like Duke.