We Go Down Together [ ENGLISH VERSION ]

9. For My Friends

Jade's eyes roam the letters of the book in her hands, but she reads nothing, her mind doesn't seem to record anything contained therein.

Her mind is far away, on a stubborn, rebellious girl with short, dark hair and blue eyes and a great tendency to be difficult.

Jade lets out an exaggerated sigh and closes the book.

Her nerves are on edge, and she has locked herself inside her house so she won't do something stupid.

Like going after Kit and throwing all her worries away.

Jade has never been able to deny it, she wants Kit, always has and always will, no matter in what life, or how long, her heart will always belong to that woman.

And to have to reject her like this hurts her, to hurt Kit hurts her so deeply....

It's a constant struggle against her heart and her brain, she knows she can't let Kit fall in love, since that seems to be the way that triggers tragedies to start happening.

But she also can't disappear from Kit's life, because if something happens, Jade wants to be around to protect her.

Jade's phone rings, pulling her out of her thoughts, her hands turning cold as she sees the name on the mobile phone screen.

"Agnar"

Jade takes a deep breath and answers.

- Hi - she says - What do you need?

- Turn on your TV - Agnar's deep, low voice resonates through the phone.

Jade takes the remote, pressing the button to turn on her TV.

The Tir Asleen newspaper is on the main channel.

The headline of the story makes Jade's blood run cold in her veins.

"Body is found in forest, killer fails in attempt to hide their evidence"

- Himani right?- Agnar says in a calm voice, which is not good - You didn't even went to the trouble of hiding the body Jade, you literally handed it over to the police, did you know that they only needed 20 minutes with sniffer dogs?

- Agnar, listen, I... - jade says.

- No Jade, you listen- he says firmly -I will be very helpful and I will make all evidence of your DNA disappear, including your saliva on her neck or your fingerprints, I am moving mountains to keep this as quiet as possible, but you, you have stepped out of line, and that is unacceptable, you know the policies when this kind of thing happens.

- I know! - Jade interrupts him - I know, Agnar, I made a mistake, I panicked, you know me, I haven't had a casualty in a long time, and I was upset that night.

- Another mistake Jade - Agnar says - And I'll have your girlfriend in another grave.

- Threaten Kit again- Jade growls - And I'll separate your head from your neck with my fangs myself, Agnar, you are stepping on extremely fragile thin ice here.

- Then I suggest you walk in line Jade- he says coldly,- you know I don't make empty threats, least of all to you.

He hangs up, leaving Jade boiling with hate, she throws the TV control against the wall, smashing it into a thousand pieces.

+++

Kit sets her whisky glass aside, sinking her hands into her face, she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

She is in a bar in the north of the city, filling her body with alcohol.

And as if her day wasn't already horrible, news has spread the town, they found the body of a prostitute mutilated and buried in the woods, probably the victim of whoever set that cabin on fire the week before.

The TV in the bar is on its highest volume, announcing that very same news.

- It's terrible isn't it?- someone says next to Kit - How is it possible that someone could do this? The poor girl was just working...

Kit lifts her head and looks at the woman beside her, she wears a leather jacket and her long dark hair is loose as a cascade around her, her hands full of rings.

She directs her beautiful green eyes at Kit, waiting for an answer.

- Yes- Kit says, -it's inhuman.

- I hope they find whoever did it and put him to rot in jail until he dies.

Kit nods and takes her glass back.

- My name is Ross-  the woman says, offering her hand to Kit.

Kit shakes her hand, saying:

- My name is Kit

The woman raises her eyebrows.

- Like the princess?

Kit frowns.

- Sorry?

- The princess, Kit Tanthalos, Sorcha's daughter- Ross says - She liberated the world from the Crone, ages ago.

- Oh - Kit says and smiles - Yes, apparently, I don't usually think about it that much.

- You look a bit like her, from the paintings there are of her still - Ross laughs - Maybe you're a doppelganger

Kit laughs and rolls her eyes.

- Of course - She jokes - I'm a reincarnation of her.

Ross laughs and turns her shot of tequila, turning fully to Kit.

- So... who broke your heart? - she asks.

Kit raises her eyebrows, Ross points to the glass of whisky in Kit's hands.

- Oh - she faces the glass and frowns, she is silent for a minute before sighing and closing her eyes - It's a long story.

Ross leans on the bar, resting her chin on her hand and looking at Kit.

- I have time- she says and smiles when Kit hesitates - The bar is the place to share your cries Kit, that's why we came here - she orders another shot of tequila - I for one got into a fight with my boss and lost my job, what a shitty day.

Kit sighs and looks at Ross.

- There's this girl... Jade - she says, confiding in Ross - She... I don't know, there's something about her that's just so... Irresistible, she's so amazing and beautiful and interesting - A smile breaks out on Kit's face - And she's been giving me these mixed signals, she seems interested in me, but ... - Kit looks away - she constantly rejects me, pushes me away, I don't know why, she doesn't give me any explanation ...

Ross takes a deep breath

- Maybe she's afraid- she says.

Kit frowns.

- Afraid? of what?

- Of you- Ross says, -Of what you might become to her. Sometimes people are afraid to open up to things and people in their lives because in the past they've been hurt so badly that all they expect now is to be hurt.

Kit takes a second to process this new information, and suddenly it all makes sense, maybe this really is the truth.

Kit bites the tip of her fingernail.

- What do I do?- she asks, vulnerable.

Ross takes a money bill from her pocket and hands it to the barista, she takes a napkin and writes something.

- Go up to her- Ross says, -and tell her the truth, that you like her and you want a chance, and that you won't hurt her- She slips the paper into Kit's jacket pocket - Call me when you need a pep talk.

And with that, Ross smiles and walks away, leaving Kit with a piece of paper with her number and a great hope in her heart.