Chapter 75

Chapter 75 "Kylan""

Katrina looked down the hallway in the direction of his bedroom and paused when she saw a light on. She wasted no more time, forcing her feet to carry her in the direction of his room. The knowledge that Ryan was on his way was furling her, knowing she wouldn't be alone in her quest to help Kylan

not startle him

him, the

She stepped into Kylan's room and quickly found him on the floor of his closet, a black shoebox situated on his lap. Slowly as to not knelt in front of him, placing a worried hand on his knee.

"Kylan, what are you doing in here?" she whispered to him.

"She was my best friend." Rylan mumbled, staring at a picture he seemed to have pulled from the box on his lap.

"Who was, Kylan?" She moved to sit next to him, trying her best not to notice how awful his hands were.

"Y-Yasmin." He showed her the picture and she saw that it was of Kylan and two other prople, a girl, and a boy. The boy looked to be his same age and the girl appeared to be a little bit younger, perhaps,

She took the picture from him, realizing it was an old one from a disposable camera, maybe. The colors were a bit faded, but she could easily tell that it was taken in Rhode Island at the beach. Kylan wasn't smiling, his arms were folded over his chest, and both of his friends each had an arm of their own around his shoulders in turn.

Though Kylan looked as stoic as he ever did, his eyes were son. So soft. It was clear he cared for the individuals in the photograph.

"Who is the boy?" she softly asked him.

James. He isn't dead, but he hates me. Kylan sighed, taking the picture from her and returning it to the box

She looked at him, wondering if he might listen to her now and let her tend to his hands. "Kylan, will you let me help you!"

Kylan stared at her, his eyes unfocused. She was thus incredibly surprised when he smiled at her. It was a sad smile. The saddest smile she had ever seen. It broke her heart all over again.

"Katrina, beautiful Katrina. You're too good. Too pure. Too perfect. You chose right, leaving me." Even though his words were slurred, they still cut right through her.

"I don't want to leave you, Kylan. I never wanted to" She knew it made no sense trying to explain anything to him while he was so out of it, but she couldn't help it. Somehow Kylan thinking she wanted to leave him. It wasn't right. Even with as much as he had hurt her, she cared for him.

It was never about wanting to leave him behind. None of it was ever about that.

"You should want to. I've hurt you. I've hurt so many people. I'm f*cked up. A f*ck up Kylan sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, gripping her face with his hand, despite how red it was. "But you cared for me, didn't you, Kate? You saw me. And I can't let that happen. I can't. It's too much I can't let you die."

Nothing he was saying was making sense. "Kylan, I'm not dying. I'm okay. I'm right here," she insisted.

lose you too. It's all my fault. All my fault. I'm sorry, Kate. I'm sorry I hurt you. I was scared of you." Kylan kissed her

swimming with confusion, brartache, and

even with a

minuscule amount of

"Let me clean your hands. We can talk in the morning, okay? When you've had a night

as her thumbs ghosted

to get away from me. Kylan whispered back to her, his cheeks flushing ever more beneath her hands. "Co, before

Trying to make sense of what he was saying "Who have you gotten killed. Kylan?" she

turning his face and kissing the inside of

"Kylan? Katrina?"

carried from outside the bedroom door

stood, walking out and meeting Ryan in the hallway "Ryan, thank you. I'm. He won't let me help him." She couldn't stop the tears

his chest. "Something like this happens every year, but never this bad. Even I

13

Chapter 73

completely embarrassed while she pulled away from Ryan with an apologetic smile. "Um, the floor of his closet. He's talking about someone named Yasmin" she explained to him, wiping her eyes with

than she knew he was capable of "Katrina, listen to me. It isn't my place to share with you anything about Kylan's past. I'll let him do that if he wants to But you should know that his friend Yasmin died nine years ago

his frown. "I'm not going anywhere. I. I care about Kylan. He's. Important to me. Very important," she

"Perhaps that care is what he needs right now." With that, he led the way

keeping her distance while Ryan knelt and helped Kylan to a standing

shoulder shower. Will you start making some

be given an

off mir, old mal. I

pry Ryan's hands off him. "You're not going to see me naked" he added venomously with a string of curses afterward

in the doorway of the bedroom. "L. I mean.. I

not at all surprised. She wondered what he knew about her relationship with Kylan, but that was a question for another day. Kylan, can I help you shower?" she

Kylin mumbled, glaring at

on, then, Come with me" She came to Kylan's other side and together with

Ryan, who

pulled off Kylan's glasses, setting them down on the

expression remained impassive. "Come on, Kylan.

shirt and pulling it over his head with some

as she bent down to take off his socks next, though

position with her hands on his hips. He swayed a few times, and it was undeniably awkward trying to keep

to take off her pants, okay? Just so you can shower," she

away from me. I'm a monster, Katrina Kylan

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