"W−what is that? What's that noise? It's loud!" She was still lying on the ground covered in sweat.
"Hey, it's ok. You're ok−
His words came to an immediate halt when she sat up began to scream. "Make it stop! What is it?"
"Angelica−
She held both sides of her head covering her ears trying to mask the sound. "It's a loud banging. It's banging constantly...every single second! What is it Vince?"
He looked at the wall and then back at her. Touching her face gently he moved his hands to hers and removed them from her ears. "Listen to me. Just relax ok. Take a deep breath and just relax. Don't focus on the noise."
"I can't. It's too loud!" She yelled. "It hurts my head Vince, please make it stop. Please." There were tears in her eyes.
"I can't help you unless you listen to me. Try not to focus on it. Focus on something else; anything else."
"Please Vince make it stop, please! I can't take it anymore! Please just−
Vince didn't say anything else. Instead he grabbed hold of her face and brought her lips straight to his. He could feel her body, which was on the inside of his wrapped arms, relax. Her breathing returned to normal and so did her heartbeat. He realized that she had indeed listened to him and sent her focus elsewhere. It was no longer on the banging sound. In fact, it felt as though every inch of her focus was now on his lips; just his lips. It was one of the hardest things Vince ever had to do in his life, but almost five minutes of kissing Angelica, he withdrew his mouth from hers.
Her eyes were still closed when he looked at her and they only opened when he touched her closed lids gently. "It's gone." She whispered. "The noise is gone."
"Good." He smiled moving her hair out of her face.
"What was it?"
He hesitated before he spoke. "It was the clock."
Confusion formed in her eyes. "What?"
"The ticking of the clock. That's where the noise came from."
"How is that even possible?"
"Now that you've changed...things are gonna be different for a while until you learn to control them."
"Changed? Vince, what do you mean?"
He sighed and looked around the floor then took up a piece of broken glass that came from the window when Ian broke in.
"Close your eyes for a little while, then open them back." He instructed her while holding the glass in front of her face.
"Vince−
"Just do it."
She looked at him for a while then obeyed but when her eyes reopened, what she saw almost made her heart stop. "Oh my God!" Her breathing was fast again. "How did that, Vince what−
"Shhh, look I did what I had to do."
"My eyes they're glowing. Does this mean that...I'm a...am I−
"Yes, you are."
"What did you do to me? Why did you do that?" She shouted.
"I had to do it!" He shouted back. "Look at your stomach. The wound is gone; completely gone."
"Yea but−
"You were dying, Angelica." He said holding her face. "I am sorry if this isn't what you wanted and I don't blame you for not wanting it but I couldn't watch you die." He wiped the water off her cheeks. "I didn't want you to die." He whispered.
"Why not?"
"Because, I love you."
"I love you too." She said softly. "I'm sorry."
"I know you're scared and I expect you to be. But I am gonna help you through this ok. I promise."
"You'll never leave me?"
"Never." He smiled and found her lips again.