I didn't think that the metal shackles that bound me to the bed were necessary. I felt so drained, both physically and emotionally that the extra precautions almost seemed like they were there to taunt me.
There was a light shining across me, though it was directed to hover above my body, casting a dim glow on the air above my face, which illuminated the dust floating around.
"You should have been a bit smarter, Kitten." Seth's voice was everywhere, resounding off the walls of my head as if he were speaking directly inside my mind, though I knew that wasn't possible. I felt mentally exhausted, as if there were a massive weight pressing down on my thoughts, fuzzing them while Seth broke through the barriers.
"You shouldn't have gotten involved with any of them, you know," he continued. "You should have just stayed with me. And do you know why that is?" He paused, but I wasn't able to speak. I felt like my lips were glued shut. "Because in the end, I knew I would get you back. All you did was tear yourself up some more before you were with me again."
I ran my tongue against my lips, attempting to moisten them as I found my voice, inclining my head towards the sound of his voice through the darkness. "Just tell me what happened," I whispered, my voice cracking numerous times. I didn't care though. All I sought were answers before I was dragged off with Seth to whatever dark corner of this world he'd continue my torment in.
And so, after a few more snide comments, Seth agreed to explain exactly what I had been tricked into, and I didn't interrupt him once...
---
Things were simple really. After Elijah found out about everything between us, he roughed me up. I knew you were there. I could see you sitting there with some boy, who later I found out to be Shane. I didn't like the way he held you, as if he were protecting you. It was disconcerting.
It was ironic though, really. I was there getting beat within an inch of my life by your brother and the only thought on my mind was that I was jealous. To me, that meant a lot. It proved my love for you to myself, even though I had already been fully aware of it.
See, my intent had never been to hurt you, Alice. You were so strong and beautiful, and you never walked out on me. Not even after everything began, you were always still there, fighting through it. I thought it was because you loved me. I thought that somehow we would move past all the bad and have kids and get married and then grow old together. I had all of these fantasies for us.
Even after what happened with Elijah and you just disappeared, though I knew you must be with him or Shane, I still loved you, and I had a new cravefor you. I wanted you desperately, and I was determined then to at least make more of an effort to get better. I was up for offering to go to rehab even if I had to. I felt absolutely helpless without you.
I knew it wouldn't be easy though, especially with Elijah hanging around. I started getting around more, learning more about his line of work that I knew so little about and forming a few alliances and deals with local gangs to help me out and keep an eye on what was going on.
I found out that Elijah had headed back to where he had been before, some little town out in the middle of nowhere, while you stayed with Shane who was a close family-friend. I heard that you had started up a new job and that you would be away from him at times, but I knew that I couldn't just show up and beg your forgiveness. Shane was still hovering, and I had a feeling other people were too, plus I doubted you'd be so willing to just come right back to me.
A few more weeks passed and I was getting restless. I was just about to maybe show up at Shane's door and I don't know, probably get thrown in jail, when my sister, Vanessa, you know her, showed up and said we should go out and talk about what had happened.
