BEATRICE“Mommy, please…”Bailey’s right in front of me. Her hands are on my face, patting, shaking, trying to wake me up. Her lip’s trembling.“You’re bleeding,” she says. “And your eyes looked weird. You weren’t blinking. I—I didn’t know if you were breathing.”“I’m okay,” I whisper. It’s a lie, but it’s what she needs.She starts crying, but not loudly. “I thought something happened.”I manage to push myself upright with a grunt, leaning against the wall. My arms feel like rubber. I’m still soaked in sweat. “I’m okay now. Just… tired.”She doesn’t look convinced.“You’re not okay,” she says. “Your lips were turning purple. I shook you, and you didn’t even blink.”“I just passed out,” I say, leaning back against the wall. “I’m fine now. I promise.”“Did someone hurt you?” she asks, pointing to my destroyed mark. It leaves behind an ugly scar.“No,” I say softly. “It was something I had to do.”“I woke up, and you were gone,” she whispers. “So I followed your scent. It took a while.
Last Updated : 2025-04-21 Read more