Hidden Away

Forty: "It Should've Been You."

His eyes are the first thing I see through my painfully blurred vision. My side screams at me as blood pours out of it, but nothing is as painful — not my obviously bruising ribs, not my aching legs and sore arms, not this stab wound — as the hole he just carved in my heart using a dagger forged of betrayal at the same time as the one in my side.

The throbbing pain intensifies with every breath, and I want nothing more than to allow myself to drop to the ground, but that would be accepting defeat, and I can't do that. Not when so many people depend on me. If I let them take me — kill me, that'll be a win on their side. It would give them everything they need to control Bennett. I can't do that to him.

Tears well up in my eyes, adding to my impaired vision, and I can't tell what the source of them are.

Trust wisely; Betrayal comes in the purest of forms.

I'm an idiot. Foolish for thinking I had it all planned out. For thinking I knew him better than I did. For trusting he wouldn't do this to me.

My grip on the sword in my hand loosens as I press my hands into my side. But I don't let the sword fall. I would be making a mistake for doing that. And only I know how many I've made so far.

I look down at the blood seeping through my fingers. I need to get this dagger out of me because moving will only cause more damage and pain, but if I remove it here with nothing to stop the bleeding, I'll die. Watching all this blood come out through my fingers is nauseating.

Evan takes my chin in his hand and lifts it, forcing me to look at him. My breaths are heavy from the pain, and I try as hard as I can to make them even, but nothing I do helps. He doesn't say anything until I do. He simply admires my state of distress. I can make out a faint smirk on his lips through the tears.

"Why?" Is the only word that successfully makes it past my lips, my breath ragged. I can feel all my energy slipping away from me as the blood leaves my body.

"Now you understand," he says, voice void of any sort of emotion, incredibly different form our encounter before the battle began.

He doesn't need to explain for me to know what he's talking about. Because he's right. I do understand. I understand why he felt so different when I finally found him earlier. I understand why he would go missing without a trace for hours on end. I finally understand why he was so sure he would lose me. Why he was so sure we weren't going to win. Because he was with them. He has been a part of them from the beginning, and I am a complete and utter idiot for not seeing it. He was so sure we are going to lose because he isn't fighting for us. He knew he was going to lose me either with my death or with his betrayal. And he's right. Once again, he's right.

I hate him.

I hate him for playing me. For making me believe he loved me. For tricking me into falling for his trap. I didn't think me feelings for him would turn completely around this fast, but the anger from his betrayal has sped up the process. I feel nothing for him anymore.

His hand wraps itself around my arm, tugging on it. The motion sends a shock of pain through my body, forcing a cry out of my lips. "Come on," he demands, pulling me once again. I stumble over my feet, which I try my best to keep planted on the ground.

In one swift motion, my free, bloody hand rips the dagger out of my side and towards him, but my movements have become too slow. Evan turns, catching my wrist in his hold right as the tip sinks into his shoulder. He lets out a grunt, the dagger managing to make it about an inch deep. He pulls my hand away, taking the dagger out with it. Angrily, he takes both of the weapons in each of my hands, quickly tossing them to the ground behind him. But before I have a chance to move, he grabs my arm again.