unhinged ↠ 𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

twenty two

Kitioma Hadlee

          "Wh-what?" I murmur, his touch feeling so foreign on my face.

"Who. Did. This. To. You. Don't make me ask again." I gulp, my lower lip trembling. My eyes press shut and Tom's touch leaves my face. "Don't- don't cry. Don't."

My breathing picks up and I back up slowly. "No one. No one did." Tom can't know who did it, because he'll do something to him, I know it. I can't let him go, I need him.

"Oh yeah? Then who were you talking to a moment ago?"

"No one," I say again. Tom grabs my wrist, keeping me from moving backwards. "Tom, stop."

"No, you need to stop," He murmurs, his voice low as he examines the wounds on my face. "You need too..." He sees my pained face and glances down at his wrist wrapped around my own. "Kiki..." His grip tightens and a whimper escapes my lips at the harsh pain shooting up my wrist. "You better not have done what I thought you did..." My bottom lip trembles, as do my hands, as he flips my wrist over.

Jagged cuts. Red, some of them fresh, others not.

I bite my lip and start whispering heatedly, "I didn't know what else to do, I just wanted it to stop, I thought if I-"

Tom pulls me into his chest, his hand on my head. "Stop talking."

A tear leaks down my cheek, silent tears. "I didn't know what to do."

"Stop. Stop talking."

My body shudders as I silently sob into Tom's chest, and he says nothing, holding me to him. "We shouldn't be doing this," I finally say, reluctantly pulling out of his arms. "And...and this- this isn't you. You wouldn't hug me while I cry. You would...I dunno, kick me or something."

"Don't say that."

"It's true!" I say through more tears. "It's true, you have no sympathy for me or for other people, except for maybe Izzy! You're just a heartless monster who doesn't do anything but aim for what he wants. You're probably only doing this so I can fall in love with you and then you take my blood to destroy the world or some shit. Well you can have it, Tom. I don't give a flying fuck anymore about the world," I hold up my wand, but Tom quickly grabs it.

"No."

I sniffle, wiping my eyes on my robe hem. "W-what? What do you mean no? It's what you want, isn't it?"

"I don't like seeing you like this."

A choke sob escapes my lips. "Like what? Being hit by her boyfriend?" It takes me a moment to realize what I just said, and when I do, I clap a hand over my mouth and Tom's eyes narrow.

"I should have known it was him," He mutters harshly, but I grab him by the arm.

"Tom, no, I was joking, he's not doing anything, he's being perfectly fine," My words are frantic, followed by fearful tears. My voice lowers to a whisper. "I was so scared over these past weeks that you would hurt him..."

"Yeah, well, I can't kill someone without any proof. And now I have it. So let go of my fucking arm and let me murder him," Tom tries to pry my arm off of his but I desperately shake my head.

"No, please, Tom, don't hurt him, not like Sam! I can't loose someone else, not again."

Tom eyes me slowly, then tosses my wand to the ground. "Here's your problem, Kitioma. You get attached to easily. You think you love him, don't you?"

"I do," I whisper frantically. "I love him."

Tom shakes his head, sighing. "I was conceived under a love potion. I can't feel love. But I do know one thing, and a boyfriend beating his girlfriend isn't love."