Authors Note: Thanks to those who reviewed. :) So nice. Very late update! Yayyyy! Fuck this, to be honest, I swear everyone around me dies. My nana died this year and that was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. Plus, my fuck face of a father is being a fucking douche. So here is a months late update. Woooo. And I swear when I was typing this, my fingers JUST WOULDN'T STOP. I'm glad my writers block has been demolished. :D Also, if you guys have any suggestions, I'd be happy to read them, I would most likely use them at least some point and time during this story. You guys are the readers and what you want goes. Supply and demand. You demand, I supply you with what you want. I demand you to review, then you do what I want. See, we're ALL happy! Kay, enough of my babbling.
Warning: My language is bad, cursing wise, so if the language gets too out of hand, I'm sorry.. sort of. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, but I do own everything else. :)
Forever Scarlet
Chapter Four: I Thought I'd Be Dead By Now
"All that matters to me, will be the end."
-The Bride
I rolled over and buried my face in my pillows and screamed. That probably was the best sleep I've ever had. I smiled and faintly brushed my fingers against my lips. They still tingle just a little. I looked at my wrist and the bite markings were still there, I really hoped it wouldn't be a permanent mark. I sighed. It was still sore and red. I wonder if I'm supposed to feel this drained? I know what happened last night can never happen again. It just can't. I rolled over on my back, facing the ceiling. I looked over to my nightstand where my phone was currently residing. I grabbed it and checked my notifications. 10 Missed Calls, 4 New Text Messages, 10 New Voicemails. I sighed, they all came from one person. My ex boyfriend, the ego-centric, rich snob, self-centered, narcissist, jerk of a boyfriend, named Justin. I didn't even want to talk to him. Though, I read over one of the text messages which said: Meet me for dinner at Infamous at 6. I sighed, maybe he just has some of my stuff and wants to give it back to me.
I reluctantly got out of my bed and went into the bathroom to wash up and start my day. I looked in the mirror and grimaced. My hair was matted and I looked insane. My bed hair was worse than normal and I saw I had a head bandage on. I lightly touched it and regretted it instantly. So I grabbed my robe and shedded my clothes and stepped into the robe. I turned the sink water on and brushed my teeth, from there I started my bath, stepped in the shower, washed up, and put my clothes on to start my day.
I walked out of the steaming bathroom and dried my hair with the already damp towel. I turned my head to the door and looked at Duncan leaning on my door frame with his arms folded and looking quite amused. To say that he scared me would be an understatement.
"Duncan, what the hell are you doing in here? I locked my door!" I think..? I looked down and thought back to last night, but all I could think about was Duncan kissing me. I looked up and there he was right in front of me. What the fuck...? When did he get there? I started to feel my chest pounding and it felt like it was about to cave in on me, though, I hid it. He stepped closer to me and I just stood there looking dumbfounded. He stopped when he was mere inches from my face. He took his hand and softly caressed my cheek. I leaned into his touch slightly and snapped back. I mentally cursed myself for getting this way. He backed away and folded his hands behind his head and smirked at me like what he did was something that we do regularly. Though, some part of me wished it was. I groaned for letting myself think such thoughts. He looked at me with half lidded eyes and smirked at me and I felt a chill run down through my spine and I felt my wrist throb like it had a pulse. He looked sort of...sexy right now. I glared at him to cover up that I had been thinking of him like I had just been doing.
"No Princess, I don't think you did. Even if you did, I could always pick your lock with a credit card."
"It doesn't matter! What gave you audacity to walk in my room, you pervert!"
"Well you aren't naked...yet, anyway for that matter." He just smirked as if he accomplished something and I swear I felt stomach in knots. Plus, my heart started to beat faster and my breath hitched.
"Get out!" He just smirked and in one quick motion he sauntered out of my room. When he left I screamed in frustration and stomped into my bathroom and grabbed my anxiety pills. I felt my heart pumping violently and on top of that I felt my wrist throb again. I ran a shaky hand through my hair. I popped the little white pills into my mouth and sighed. I leaned against my bathroom counter and took in steady breaths. Breathe in...out. Breathe in...out. Breathe in...out. I kept repeating that into my head until I finally composed myself and the aching pounding in my heart faded away.
I walked slowly down the stairs, not all that excited to come face to face with Duncan. I made my way to the kitchen and saw Duncan drinking something out of a mug and paid no attention to me entering the room. I silently thanked whom ever and grabbed a toaster strudel. When the toaster oven popped I smeared the icing and ate my favorite breakfast.
I looked at the clock and it read 4:30pm. I yelled and Duncan looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Who the bit your ass today?"
"It's 4:30 in the afternoon! I slept that long! That's preposterous!" I heard Duncan scoff and I saw him roll his eyes. I just realized, I have to get ready. I have to meet Justin. Oh my God, Justin. I dropped the forgotten toaster strudel and made a beeline for my room. I have so much to do. I have to find an outfit. I have to do my hair. I yelled once again in frustration. I scrounged through my closet finding nothing to wear, but some black cocktail dress I wore at my cousin's wedding. I grabbed that and slipped it on and finding the matching shoes. I quickly slipped them on and quickly ran into the bathroom to do my hair. I ran my fingers through it to attempt to comb through it, but it was a lost cause. From there I went back to my closet and rummaged through my purses to find a nice black clutch purse, but I quickly gave up and settled for a hand wallet. I snatched my car keys off my nightstand along with my phone and literally, ran out the door to my car.
I sat in my car gripping the steering wheel, collecting my thoughts, and calming down. I don't know why I'm so on edge recently, but ever since Duncan came I feel like my heart was punching me on full force and my stomach felt like it was in knots. I haven't even used my anxiety pills in a little over six months and suddenly I'm a little on edge everyday since he was there on my doorstep. Especially yesterday when I saw Duncan, somehow the only thing I could remember in detail was him kissing me; and that was a whole another story in its own. I did my mini-mantra, breathe in...out. Breathe in...out. I did that for about three minutes. Once I composed myself, I started my engine and accelerated to Infamous. Obliviously, not noticing the figure in the woods in a black shirt staring dead at me.
I reached the famous, popular, and extravagant restaurant in forty-five minutes. I would have been here earlier if it wasn't for rush hour and today being a Friday, traffic was a living hell. I pulled up to the front of the restaurant and exited my car and as soon as one foot was out, the valet came and took my keys and parked my car. I smiled at the teen that looked to be no older than seventeen. I sighed and walked slowly to the front desk where a very timid-like guy was attending, but when he saw me approach him, he perked up and seemed more calm and content even. When he spotted me he smiled and I must admit that he was rather attractive. He had black hair that seemed unruly, but at the same time it was well kept. He had the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen, but if you stared long enough you could tell that he had the same odd tint of red in his eyes just like Duncan. I was starting to wonder if it was a new trend to have two eye colors. But when I stared at him to get a better look of him, I noticed he had an Adams Apple and I looked up to his face and he was still smiling. I shook my head and scolded myself for staring too long.
"How may I help you Miss?" But I couldn't focus on a thing he said, I felt as though I seen him before. However every time I tried to think all I got was a blurry memory. Instead of saying yes, I just nodded my head and played dumb a little. All the while, being overly upset at myself for acting this way. He just continued to smile at me as if saying 'Go ahead.' and I once again, shook my head like an idiot.
"Yes, I'm meeting a friend here. Justin McAdams?" He looked down at his roster and looked back up at me and that's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. He was the guy in the hospital they rushed in.
The paramedics came rushing in with a male that looked to be my age with black hair, alabaster skin, blood coating his whole lean frame, and his eyes seemed distraught and withdrawn, him faintly screaming in agony. They ran him into a room and the whole hospital was in chaos. I looked at the frantic doctors and nurses trying to see what is wrong with that poor man. When some of the nurses went in the E.R room just three doors down, they were screaming and yelling. Three ladies ran out getting more doctors to inspect this man. I wonder what was wrong with him.
I looked up at him and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and I just opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I just stood there, gaping at him like a fucking retard.
"Is something wrong, Miss?" He asked, concern lacing his tone.
"You...hospital...bleeding...E.R...?" He looked at me and then he turned to a blank expression. He held his hand out to me and that's where I saw it, the same bite markings that was on my wrist was on his, but his seemed to me diminishing. I slapped his hand away and he looked hurt. "Don't touch me. Just show me where my friend is." He tilted his head and to the table in the back and I saw another set of bite marks on his neck and I nodded and curtly walked away.
I walked into the dining area where it was dimly lit and gave this whole gothic appeal to it. It was one of the many sites in Transylvania that has this type of theme. It's a italian restaurant and the pasta here is fantastic. I saw Justin in the back just as the man said and as I made my way to the table, my nerves started to get to me. When I finally reached the table, Justin stood up and pulled out my chair and I gave him a small smile in thanks and sat down. He sat down seconds later and flashed me one of his grins that I once fell in love with. Now, it just looks like a crooked, weird grin.
"Courtney, thanks for showing up. You never answered not one of my phone calls nor my text messages. I was starting to think I was being stood up." I gave him a half-hearted smile and crossed my legs. Something I do when I'm starting to feel uncomfortable.
"No, I was in the hospital yesterday. They said I was attacked by a wild animal, apparently. I don't remember much of what happened." I looked at Justin and he seemed indifferent, a great reminder of why I broke up with him. He's so self-center and cares for no one but himself. Selfish bastard.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Lies.
"I'm fine, I assure you." He gave me that heart throb smile and if I was still with him, I probably would have swooned over him like the whole female population was doing right now. I sighed and got straight to business, I really didn't want to be here longer than what I wanted to be. And to top it off, I slept until 4:30 this afternoon. 4:30! That's not normal, thats over fifteen hours of sleep, who the hell needs that much anyhow? I shook my head to clear my thoughts to clear my head to the real reason I'm here, with him. "So...what am I doing here, Justin?" I took a sip of the water that was already on the table and looked at him expectantly and he just smiled at me like he still had that effect on me like he did two months ago, before he cheated on me with the biggest slut in the fucking modeling industry.
"I wanted to give us a try, again," he said like he knew I was going to cave in. Well, I'm not. I refuse. I shook my head trying to be strong and not break down. I don't want him to know how much he hurt me and I didn't want him to know the effect he had on me. I'm just now getting over him and I don't need him to reopen old wounds.
"No." I said deathly calm and to be honest, it scared me a little. It didn't sound like me at all. Normally, I would be yelling at him and making a scene right here, but instead I just stayed calm. For the first time since our separation, I feel like I don't need him like I used to. Then my mind trailed back to Duncan, again. Probably for the tenth time today. I wonder what he's doing...? I once again shook my head to one, stop thinking about that barbaric, repulsive man; and two, get back to business. "I'm done. I don't want you anymore. So go back crawling to your slut." I said as I grabbed my clutch and walked away, but not before he grabbed my wrist, the same one that had the bite markings. I gritted my teeth trying to suck in the pain that it was causing. I felt as though my wrist was being set on fire and I was just letting it burn me. I looked at Justin and he knitted his eyebrows in confusion.
"A-Are you...okay? Courtney?" He asked before he looked down and saw the bite mark and looked at me. "W-W-What's this?" I have never heard Justin speak to me like that ever. I looked at him and snatched my hand away. Not before glaring at him profusely.
"I said it was nothing. We're done here, goodbye. Have a nice life." I know that last line was a bit clichéd, but I didn't know what else to say to him. I turned away and once again his hand caught my wrist, but not so rough like the last time. I looked at his hands then up at his face. He seemed truly saddened and I immediately felt bad and wanted to comfort him. He looked at me and then sighed.
"Please, I made a mistake. It was in one of those in-the-heat-of-the-moment things. I swear I don't feel anything towards Heather. I even picked this out for you." He let go of my wrist slowly as if making sure I wasn't going to bolt out the door. Once he was sure, he let go of me completely and then he reached down in his pocket and pulled out a black suede box. I dropped my clutch and stared at him with wild eyes. I shook my head in disbelief. I slowly brought my hand to my mouth and covered my gaped mouth. "I was going to propose the day after. I know I can be a self-centered jerk, but I really do care for you." He opened the little box that many women hope and dream for the rest of their lives with wishes that what this little box has inside will be the beginning of their fairytale ending. "So, I was wondering if you would take me back." He said looking up at me and I met his eyes. My whole being wanted me to say yes. Screaming at me telling me that I'm not fully over him and that I still love him somewhere. I looked at him once more.
"Justin," he perked up a bit, probably knowing he was about to get his way. "I can't marry you, but I will like to start over. Preferably as boyfriend and girlfriend." He looked disappointed and a little shocked that I didn't accept him and that he didn't get his way. Just one of his many flaws. He nodded and opened his arms knowing that I would hug him; he was right, I caved in. I hugged him, missing the way his body felt against mine. I inhaled his scent. He smelled like expensive cologne and cheap cigars. I pulled back and smiled a little. I felt the throbbing pain in my wrist burn fiercely and I once again tried to ignore it. I looked up at Justin and pulled away.
"Listen, how about we go to a Starbucks or something." He nodded and began to walk. When he realized I wasn't walking, he looked back at me and cocked his perfect eyebrow.
"What?"
"I have to go to the ladies room. I'll meet you outside."
"Okay." I sighed and made a dash for the ladies room and went straight for the sink. I turn the water on to cold and set my wrist under it to hopefully ease the pain. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky and it only made the burn irresistible. I grimaced and wished for the burn to subside, I slowly moved my hand to touch it, but I didn't feel anything. I slowly started to panic and punched my wrist and I again felt nothing. I looked at the hideous marking and it turned red and I saw my veins starting to look darker and like they were about to pop. I felt breathing growing erratically and I started my mantra. Breathe in...out. Breathe in...out. I repeated that in my mind for about five minutes. As I was about to exit the bathroom, I heard screaming coming from outside. Alarmed, I ran out the bathroom and to where the commotion was. I looked around the dim restaurant and saw that the commotion wasn't inside for it was outside. I ran through the crowed and squeezed my way through people and not really caring that I was getting glares. I had a feeling that something bad happened and I never thought it would come to this. When I reached the front of the crowd to see what the commotion was about I saw Justin laying on the concrete motionless. I gasped and I didn't hear all the people around me. They just became like whispers and I ran to him, but a police officer put his hand on my chest. I glared at him.
"I'm his girlfriend! Let me see him!" He nodded and let me past him and as soon as I came a foot away I screamed. I felt everyone stare at me, but I paid them no mind. I dropped to my knees and shakily reached to caress his face that was covered in blood and he looked like he was about to be someone's dinner, his right leg was backwards, and his elbow was sticking out of its flesh. I felt my breathing get ragged and I tried to calm myself, but it seemed as if the only thing that I could was cry and scream. I looked at all the people staring on.
"Someone call an ambulance! NOW! Stop standing there! HELP!" I yelled at everyone. I felt the police officer that stopped me, put his hand on my shoulder and he looked down at me and looked remorseful.
"We did ma'am. We don't even know if he's going to make it when they arrive. I'm so sorry ma'am." I shook my head vigorously.
"SHUT UP! He's not going to die! Just. SHUT. UP!" I yelled. I refused to believe that he was going to die. I looked at him, he was breathing ever so slightly. I started getting light headed and hyperventilating. I looked around, but the world seemed to be spinning. However, that didn't stop my screaming and sobs. I did however catch eyes with the guy from the desk with blood all over him. What the hell? The world continued to spin faster and faster. Soon I felt my head crash meet the concrete. The last thing I heard was the police officer screaming, the onlookers gasping, the copper taste in my mouth, and the guy from the desk running into the woods. But before I slipped into total unconsciousness, the last thing I saw was Duncan...
Sinking his teeth into my flesh.
Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead.
-Anonymous
For some reason, I'm in love with that quote and I thought it would be perfect for the end of the chapter. :) I love quotes, they relate to soooo many things in life.
Yeah, dramatic chapter, I know, no need to tell me. I betcha you didn't see THAT one coming! :D Ohhh, devious much? I think so. Haha, so this is by far the longest chapter yet. Like I said earlier, I just kept typing at first I was going to leave it as a cliffhanger where Justin pulled out the ring and leaving it where Courtney was about to give her answer. This is going to be so epic. :)
So, review if you wish. If that's what helps you sleep at night. Just knowing that one person is reading this is enough for me. :)