The Bonds of Love (A Covenant Fanfiction)

Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

REID (P.o.V.)

Katia hasn't called.

Sure, I mean, it's only been a few hours since her last call, but I can't shake this feeling that something was wrong. Tyler hasn't talked to me at all. I don't really blame him. After all, I did kind of steal his girl. What kind of douchebag steals his best friend's girl? Reid Garwin, that's who.

Caleb and the others must've been thinking the same thing because he said: "Go. Check on her. We'll get back in my car."

I got into Tyler's van after ignoring Tyler's protests--("Sorry, Baby-Boy. Don't get your panties in a wad. I'll bring it back.") -- and pedaled it to the max. It took me a few hours to get from Ispwich to Ohio, but I Used a little, cheating the speed limit. I reached her apartment complex, raced upstairs, and pounded on her door.

"Katia?"

No answer. I pounded some more.

"Katia! Open up! KATIA!! Open! The! Damn! Door!" I roared.

Nothing. Something was definitely wrong.

I tried opening the door. Locked. Tried again. Jiggling it, pounding on the door again with my palm. A nearby neighbor shouted for me to shut the fuck up and stop making a racket. Screw this. Caleb can kill me later. I closed my eyes, concentrating, feeling it inside me. God, this felt good. Why'd I ever stop Using? The door blasted inwards, ripping off the hinges, slamming to the floor. I repaired it as easily while I stepped into the living room. She's not in here. . . not in her bedroom.... I stepped out into the hall, sighing, wondering where she could be. Something brushed against my leg and I looked down to see a tabby cat, purring a broken purr. This must be Rudy. I knelt down, scratching his ears.

"Hey, Rudy. Do you know where Katia is?"

Then I noticed the flood of water trickling down the wood floor as Rudy meowed in response. I saw a door half-way open at the end of the hallway, light shining out. I dashed into the bathroom. I noticed, as I neared closer, the bathtub was overflowing, water spilling over the sides. Then I saw her. Without hesitating, I pulled her out, laid her on the wet marble floor, and began pumping her chest, blowing air into her lungs.

"Come on! Come on, Katia!" I said, fiercely.

Goddammit, don't you leave me! Don't you dare! You can come back! You can do it! I thought.

I blew air into her lungs again. God knows how long she'd been under. I sat up, seething. I felt the Power inside curl me, raised my hands together creating a fireball, then I slammed it into her body. She jolted, light pulsing through her, before it faded. She choked, rolling over, coughing up water. What the hell did I just do? I never done anything like that before. I was desperate but -- I watched as Katia got the water out of her system, then rolled back over, onto her back, sighing a little, then her eyes fluttered closed. Well, at least she wasn't naked, which was kind of a shame. I picked her up, carried her to her bed, then I went and turned the water off, and drained it from the tub and Used to evaporate the water from the floor. I pulled out a chair next to her bed, and waited for Katia to wake up.

Caleb's gonna kill me. I'm a dead man.

I stared at the floor. It was either that or my feet. I heard a soft groan. I bolted to my feet, leaning over Katia's stirring form. Her eyes blinked a couple of times.

"Katia?" I asked gently.

"God?" she whispered. I chuckled weakly.

"No, it's Santa Claus. It's me. Reid, remember? Reid Garwin."

She blinked more, becoming more alert. "Oh, it's you."

I leaned back into the chair, running my hands through my blond hair, inhaling deeply.

Then I exploded. "Katia! What were you thinking?! Were you trying to kill yourself?! Are you that stupid?!"

She looked at me, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry, Reid. I just needed sleep."

"And you thought drowning yourself would help?!" I scoffed, glaring at her.

"I thought it would help me relax. I didn't mean to fall asleep... I swear." I sighed again. I looked at her.

She looked sad, small and fragile.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Katia. I just... Don't kill yourself. Please. Ever, ok? You're gonna live until you're 100 and that's final. You're gonna get married, and have kids..." I trailed off.

Silence. I watched as she stared up at the ceiling. "It's just... I love you, Katia, ok? When I see you, I want to hold you and protect you... I want to love you every day. When I'm not with you, I feel like... dying. You're beautiful, and I can't help but notice that every time I see you. I don't care that you wear hearing aids or you wear glasses or if you're burned. I love you for you being yourself. I love you."

That was the first speech I ever said to a girl I actually liked back. All those other girls I've been with...

There was no other girl compared to her. I, Reid Garwin, was in love with Katia Jiners.

Fuck.

I glanced over at her. She was still staring at the ceiling.

Then she spoke. "You wanna know how I got burned?" she asked. But it wasn't a question. It was a statement. I knew she was going to tell me her story.

"I was invited to my first party in Freshman Year. My mom was so excited. I didn't want to go at first, but then I figured: 'Why the hell not? It's just a party. Nothing bad's gonna happen'. I got a dress, high heels... It was fun at first. There was Truth or Dare... movies...dancing... games... food. This guy asked me to dance, and again, I figured, 'Why the hell not? He's just a guy'. I didn't think he would try anything. We danced... then he took me upstairs so "we could dance longer" because it was loud downstairs..."

I watched her. Without thinking, I got up and laid next to her, our bodies just barely touching. I could smell honey and lavender wafting from her...her scent. I kept watching her face, as she continued to speak, eyes still on the ceiling.

I noticed she was crying, tears slipping out. She gave a small muffled scream as she pressed her hand to her mouth.

"God, I was so fucking stupid! We started slow-dancing, then we were kissing... I told him to get off of me...But he wouldn't listen... He wouldn't listen..."

Bile rose in my throat. I wanted to kill this guy who had done this to her. Rip him apart slowly, then feed him alive to the wolves.

"Then-then it was over, and-- and-- he looked at me and smiled. Just smiled, like he was happy he raped me. He said that no one was gonna want me after this... He took out a wine bottle, and poured it all over my face... then the lighter...And.. he burned me."

"Katia... who did this to you?" We were looking at each other now.

"It-- it-- doesn't m--matter. Karma's gonna get to him sooner or later."

"Katia," I said firmly, looking into her eyes, placing my hands on her cheeks forcing her to keep looking at me.

"Who. Did. This. To. You? Tell me." Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.

"J...Jakson. It was Jakson," she whispered. That bastard. That motherfucking bastard! I would kill him later. I wiped Katia's tears away from her temples with my thumbs, kissed her forehead as gently as I could, pulling her close to me.

She whispered, just barely audible: "I'm glad you're here, Reid." Her arms wrapped around me, her head lying on my chest, as she sobbed quietly.

I held her all night.