The Night Vigilante

X. Grace

X- Grace

            “She shouldn’t be here. You know better than this.”

            Lights burn bright against my lids, the rough texture of covers over me.

            This wasn’t my home.

            Coming to my sense, my eyes burn as I struggle to open them.

            “It wasn’t like I had a choice, I couldn’t leave her there in a puddle of her own blood.”

            The second I hear his voice, my body tenses, making me want to open my eyes faster just to really make sure that he was here.

            My mind spins.

            I could vaguely remember an unfamiliar figure and my open window-

            “You did have a choice.” It’s a woman’s voice, harsh and accusing. “You had a choice and you chose wrong, again.”

            He chose wrong again?

            Silence.

            My chest constricts when I shift slightly, my eyes opening slowly against the blinding light.

            I stare at the white ceiling above me the sound of a buzz near my ear.

            “Hey,” I hear him say, feeling a warm hand slide over my hand.

            Warm.

            Turning my head slightly, I stare at him, his blue eyes the color of dreaming sleep.

            I blink.

            “How are you feeling?” he asks me, his voice sounding slightly muffled.

            Trying to open my mouth, I feel nothing but the harsh grating of my raspy voice against my throat.

            “Water, Christine,” Cole murmurs, his eyes never leaving mine as he outstretches his hand.

            There is a shuffle of movement before a tall woman, her hair a flaming red-beautiful- comes to stand beside Cole, shoving the cup into his outstretched hand.

            She glowers at me, the look filled with so much hatred it’s enough to make me flinch.

            Noticing my discomfort, Cole turns his head slightly to face the beautiful woman.

            “You should wait outside Christine,” he murmurs lowly.

            She doesn’t take her eyes off of me and for some reason, hearing her name slip out of his lips made me want to clench my fists together.

            “sure,” she grits out, angrily balling together a bloodied towel. “You should spend some quality time with her. It’s not like she nearly killed us all.”

            She storms out of the room, throwing the towel hard onto the floor before slamming the door.

            I flinch and Cole heaves a heavy sigh, closing his eyes briefly.

            “I’m sorry about Christine, she’s just-“ he stops short, unable to even describe her.

            She was probably his girlfriend.