The Moon Isn't Always Right (Bxb)

6. The Conflict

2.23.20

James's POV

I walked slowly down the corridor. Kody is so beautiful both inside and out, and he doesn't even know it. I have always wanted longer hair, but I could never have it and seeing it on Kody was just as good. His eyes always had a sparkle of mischief in them, and I longed to explore it. I just had this undeniable attraction to him.

I descended to the first floor with a lot of uncertainty. I felt like a stranger in my own home, so I wondered what would happen if I ran away from Kody. Could we fall in love and grow old together? What am I thinking this way? The moon chooses who I love, not me. I couldn't shake this attraction though, and I have to wonder if he was secretly my lunar pairing.

I pushed open the door to find the room totally empty. No maids, no food... No parents! I turned on my toes and sprinted down the halls. I was on the staircase when there was a bloodcurdling scream that came from my room. I ran even harder to see that the door was wide open. I threw myself into the room to see that Kody was forced into a corner. My father held a firearm against his head with a rock solid face.

"P-please sir!" Kody begged loudly. The fear in his voice made me cringe.

"You deserve everything that's coming to you."

I pulled my own gun from my waist band and nervously took aim. I had been forced into lessons, but I had never had to use it or even aim it at anything real.

"Shoot him, and I'll shoot you," I called.

"You, shoot me? You're too weak to do that."

"Wanna bet?" I shot the floor beneath him to add effect to my words.

"Why do you want to protect him so much, huh? What is this, stupid-" he shoved the gun harder against Kody causing him to whimper. "dog worth more to you than your own family?"

"You aren't my family. You treat me like a stranger in my own house, and I'm sick of it! He actually cares about me; more than you ever did."

Suddenly my eyes met Kody's, and we stared at each other for almost 10 seconds straight. I felt something blossom in me, but I ignored it because of the adrenaline coursing through my veins. My hand began to shake slightly because of nerves.

"You kill him then you're a murderer too," I stated truthfully.

"It would be justified."

"No, it wouldn't. We still don't know if he really did it."

"Open your eyes. It's obvious that it was him!"

My father clicked off the safety, and I did too. It was silence, then two gunshots were heard all throughout the castle.

Kody's POV

I heard the sounds, and my eyes shut twice. Pain shot up my leg and spread to the rest of my body. I heard the telltale sign of James's father calling to the ground, yet I knew he wasn't dead because he immediately shouted, "What the hell!?"

"I warned you. I'm not all bark and no bite. I say I'll do something, I will."

My leg was on fire, and I just lie as still as I possibly could so that it hurt less. "Well! Get out of here!" James shouted with malice, and I could hear the scampering when his father limped out as fast as possible.

I felt cold hands press against the place where the bullet had originally impacted. I groaned loudly at the pain from such a gentle touch, and James immediately apologized loudly.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, and I could tell that he had never been around anyone seriously injured. It was probably part of his parents' stupid sheltering.

"Get bandages or a shirt or something and stop the blood flow by wrapping it tightly around my leg above the wound," I demanded. He walked away from me and returned a moment later. He tied it carefully, but that wasn't going to work to stop the bleeding. "It needs to be tighter. We're trying to stop blood flow, not tie a toddler's shoes!"

He took it off and wrapped it on really tight. "Good," I complemented. "When it stops bleeding so much, I need you to find where the bullet went in and pull it out. I would prefer not to heal with a metal bit inside of me."

About ten minutes later, he put tweezers in the wound and made quick work of pulling out the bullet. "It's bleeding harder, what do I do?" he asked calmly. I was glad that he wasn't panicking since it would be harder to work with him.

"That's completely normal. Since you removed something that was helping to block the blood flow, it'll bleed for a bit longer. Start cleaning it with water, and when you get the excess blood off, clean the actual wound with alcohol."

He walked away to get a wet rag, and when he returned he wiped the blood with gentle strokes. "How are you so nonchalant about being shot?" he asked while using the alcohol to sanatise the shot.

"Easy. I was raised on the streets. Things like this happen every single day. I never experienced it myself, but I've seen enough people shot to know how to handle it and know that it's easier if the victim isn't freaking out. Anyways, when you're done with that, wrap it with actual bandages to keep out infection."

"I forget that you grew up around violence because you're so kind. I'll be right back, don't go anywhere."

"Oh please, like I can."

I rested my head against the wall while waiting for him to come back and reflected on everything. He came back in and wrapped up my calf with the bandages.

"What do you say we make our own lunch," I suggested.

"I'm a failure in the kitchen because I was never taught," he admitted shyly.

"Me too, but what's the worst we can do."

"Uhh... Start a fire?"

"We're young. However, if you are so concerned about it, I know how to use a fire extinguisher," I reassured.

I went to stand up, and my leg almost collapsed underneath my weight. "Are you sure that you should be on that?" he asked concerned.

"I've had worse."

"Well you have me now." I was lifted up into his arms which caused me to squeal slightly and hold tightly onto his shoulders.

"Please don't drop me!"

"Does that seem like something that I would do?"

"Yes," I responded jokingly. He carried me in his arms while I giggled immaturely into his shoulder. His muscles felt nice against my back and legs, and I slowly relaxed into him. We finally reached the kitchen, and since no one was in here, he set me down onto the counter.

"Ready to blow the kitchen up?" he asked cheekily.

"I was born ready."