Infliction

32

Daniel's POV

I park my car at the beach and walk to where I think she headed to. There's huge rocks and boulders blocking the street lights and making the area darker. I climb onto the rocks by holding onto the surrounding ones as they are slippery due to the humidity.

"Tess?!" I call out, hoping that she's not too far away and can hear me. And come back to me.

I spot a figure sitting extremely close to the breaking waves and I slow down my steps as to not frighten her. She seems distant, like she couldn't give care in the world. I stand behind her and just look down at her, hoping that she'll notice my presence and say something.

After a while of total silence, I squat to her level and touch her shoulder lightly. She lets out a scream and jumps forward and, in my attempts to catch her, I slip too. We both end up falling off the rock and landing face first into the wet beach sand with a grunt.

She sighs heavily when she realises it's just me and I see the faintest smile on her face when she leans her back against the rock, her legs tucked beneath her body. I move closer to her and sit cross legged too.

"How'd you know where to find me?"

"There's only two places you go to, here and back at my place."

She doesn't say anything after that and I decide to let her be the one to speak first. I glance at her and see tears rolling down her cheeks. My heart felt like someone was stepping on it repeatedly when I look at her broken state.

"Hey," I say softly, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her to my chest. I'm glad she doesn't resist and instead allows me to hold her.

"Tess?" Another voice decides to join us. How fantastic! I look up to see that Kyle dude. What's his deal anyway?

"I'm sorry to interrupt, can I speak to Tess in private?" he asks respectfully, which is a shocker since his aura is anything but.

I look at Tess for her opinion and she just nods and looks away from us both. I stretch my hand up and he gently pulls me up, patting my shoulder as I walk past him to give them privacy.

Kyle's POV

"Why'd you run out?" I ask as I sit where he was sitting. "She's really worried about you," I half-lie.

"Yeah? How sweet of her."

"Listen, I know you're hurting and it's all because of me but I need you to forgive me and trust me to know that I'd never hurt you intentionally and I know it sounds like bullshit but please, Kar?"

I try reaching for her hand but she pulls away. "I just want to be left alone."

"Vivica needs you right now," I try to convince her.

"She doesn't need me, she has all of you," she says bitterly. "I just hurt everyone around me."

"No, I know you don't so don't say that."

"You- you don't know me," she says, her voice cracking.

"Then teach me, tell me all that I don't know."

"I'm sick, Kyle! My head is not okay. I need help, geez!"

"Then we'll do that-"

"You don't understand," she lashes out, standing on her feet. I stand up too.

"Then make me understand!" I repeat, getting frustrated with myself more than with her. She just snickers.

"I feel like a desert's blessing and an ocean's curse. Do you even know what that is? How that feels?"

"I'm afraid not," I say and she turns to walk away. "Is that it? Are you just gonna give up on us?"

She turns around and her face is fully drenched in tears. She throws her hands in the air and screams, "There is no us left, Kyle! I'm sorry I'm a fuck up, a psychopath, and probably even a sociopath if I try hard enough! Just leave me and go back to your perfect little world with your perfect mommy and perfect ex-girlfriend."

"We're fifty shades of fucked up! Do you think it's easy for me to be here? Do you know how difficult my life is? You don't know the troubles I face so don't you dare say my life is perfect when it damn near isn't."

"What do you want me to do?!"

"I want you to stay and fight for us!" We both freeze, our breathes being the only sound against the crashing waves.

"We don't have to be what we were before but we can at least be two people who never gave up on each other. And stuck together. Through thick and thin."

I touch her chin and wipe her tears away as best I can with one proper arm. She tries to remove my hand but I grab her waist and pull her closer to me in a tight hug. At first she tenses and tries to wiggle her way out but after a while she relaxes and wraps her arms around me as well.

"I'm sorry," we both say at the same time as we pull apart. We exchange a small smile and she takes a step back.

"I'll explain everything at a later stage, but for now, just know that I'm always here when you need me. I'll never cause any harm upon you ever again. I swear on my life," I tell her, needing her to believe every word I say because I fucking mean it.

"I need the full story. Now or never."