• CHAPTER 88 - FORGET ABOUT IT

    He promised he'd be safe. I figured we were distracted enough from the contract business...

    My knees started shaking, "K-Kai?"

    Kai shut the front door behind him, smearing some blood on the door in doing so and he never tore his eyes off of me. We couldn't stop staring at each other; it was obvious that Kai didn't want me to find out what he had been up to. Why was he covered in blood? Was he out killing people? Did somebody try to kill him?

    "Arisa--," he tried to start.

    "Kai!" Matsuda came into the hallway and approached Kai. "What did you do?"

    Matsuda tried to observe Kai and Kai ended up pressing his hand against his left side. I couldn't see what was going on; my eyes were only plastered to his face. The sight of blood on his face was making me nauseous and Kira came in and supported me before I could even think about fainting. Takeuchi took one quick glance at Kai and he left after his eyes widened in shock. I would have followed him, had I been able to move.

    "Let's go into the kitchen," Matsuda told Kai in a disapproving tone.

    Kira kept one arm around my shoulders as Matsuda helped Kai into the kitchen. I spotted the blood that Kai smeared on the door from his hand and the small drops of blood that trailed behind him. How did he get hurt so bad?

    "Arisa, let's--,"

    "No," I shrugged out of Kira's grasp.

    I approached the kitchen and Kai was sitting at the table, leaning against it. He had his right hand running through his hair and he looked down with frustration on his face. His left hand was still pressed against his left side and it only concerned me furthermore. Matsuda ordered Kai to remove his shirt and Kai did obediently. Instead of me gaping in awe at the perfect structure, I was gaping in disbelief. There was so much blood all over him! And it was all fresh! Most of his gashes weren't completely healed yet. I hesitantly peeked at his left side from a distance and there was so much blood oozing from that particular spot.

    Matsuda must have read my mind because he forcibly removed Kai's hand from his side. I covered my mouth and nearly vomited at what I saw; there was a knife--most likely a machete--lodged into his left side and handle was broken off. It was lodged in so far that I could hardly see it. Kai glanced over his shoulder at me and then at Kira.

    "Kira, get Arisa out of here," Kai demanded.

    Kira gently grabbed my arm but I only pulled away from him and ran up to Kai, "Kai, what happened?!"

    "Arisa, I need you to go away," he demanded once more.

    "I'm not going away, Kai; tell me what happened!"

    Matsuda examined the knife lodged in Kai's side and frowned. He reached two of his fingers about a fourth of an inch into Kai's side and grabbed the top of the broken knife where the handle once was and tugged a little. Kai coughed and a small stream of blood oozed out of his mouth. My heart stop beating at seeing that and Kai wiped the blood off of his mouth and his chin.

    "Those goddamn Vampires get pissed when you try to make an offer," Kai grumbled.

    I froze where I was and stared at Kai; he tried to make an offer?! What was he thinking?! Matsuda tugged on the knife a little more and Kai hissed profanity.

    "Of all retarded things for them to do, they cover a goddamn knife in acid," Kai breathed a mocking laugh. "How childish."

    "It's lodged in there pretty good," Matsuda frowned.

    I didn't understand how Matsuda wasn't angry with Kai; I was infuriated! he almost got himself killed! He'll probably just shrug it off and say it's just a few scratches; he's probably right because he can't be killed unless they aim for his head. Still, it could have been much easier than it appears.

    "Arisa, leave," Kai hissed again.

    Matsuda tugged on the knife again and Kai coughed up more blood. His wounds were almost healed already except for where the knife was lodged in. I backed up obediently but I didn't make it to the doorway of the kitchen before I fainted from the blood. Luckily, Kira arrived in time and caught me and he placed me on the ground. He rested his cool hand on my forehead and I sighed.

    "Take it easy," Kira whispered.

    "Oh, God, Kira, look at him," I sighed.

    I hesitantly glanced over at Kai and Matsuda again and immediately wished I hadn't. Matsuda's right index and thumb fingers were all the way in Kai's wound and he started pulling the remainder of the knife out slowly. I wanted to look away and get sick but I couldn't tear my eyes away from them. My stomach was curdling and churning and I started breathing deeply, still not tearing my eyes off of them. Matsuda pulled on the knife a little harder and I could have sworn I heard Kai's teeth grit together.

    "s**t," Kai hissed under his breath as soon as Matsuda yanked the whole knife out.

    I could feel the bile creeping up my throat but I was strong enough to suppress it when Matsuda dropped the knife onto the table and the wound bled worse. Matsuda observed the wound again as though it were no problem. Of course it was no problem to anybody else in the house because damn near everybody was over a hundred years old; they've been around that stuff.

    "I assume the tip of the knife was grounded in your spine," Matsuda assumed. "That's probably why you couldn't walk right."

    The thought of that wanted to make me sicker. I gripped Kira's shirt and groaned, "Take me upstairs, please,"

    Without a second thought, Kira scooped me off of the ground and hurried me upstairs. He lay me down on the bed in Kai's room and came back a second later with a glass of cold water. Drinking the water wasn't enough to calm me down.

    "I'll send Kai up in a while so you can talk with him," Kira brushed my bangs around.

    I only nodded and he left the bedroom and oh boy, would Kai be up for some "talking".

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    The heat was getting to me, although the air conditioning was on low and I removed my school shirt and sweatshirt and slid a camisole on, keeping my skirt on. I pressed the bottom of my condensating glass of water on my forehead to cool me off. It was a lot for me to take in to see Kai that bloody for once in a long time.

    I shot upwards as soon as I heard the bedroom door open and close and I only ended up seeing a shirtless Kai with dried blood still all over him. I set my glass down on the end table and noticed Kai holding a bowl of water with a washcloth and a towel.

    I got the hint, "Oh," I looked down. "Okay."

    I saddened at the fact that Kai's side had been bandaged; the acid spread on the knife was slowing down the healing. I climbed off of the bed and obediently took the bowl and washcloth and towel from Kai and followed him to the bed. He sat on the bed near the foot and sat cross-legged facing the door. I sat behind him and sighed deeply at the blood.

    Without saying anything, I wet the washcloth and started scrubbing away at the blood. The whole time I was scrubbing his back, it was still silent. Kai knew I was disappointed in him, he knew I was angry. I wasn't angry enough to reject helping him with his wounds.

    As soon as I dried off his back, I wrapped my arms around him from the back and pressed my left cheek against his back. Kai stiffened up a little but he soon relaxed and he sighed. We sat in silence like that for another long moment until I finally spoke up.

    "You promised you'd be safe," I whispered.

    Kai paused, "I didn't think they would get carried away,"

    "Yes you did, Kai, I know better than that," I argued. "You lied to me."

    Kai sighed in defeat and the silence dragged on. I held him a little tighter and closed my eyes, cherishing his existence. I released my arms from around him and moved over so I was in front of him and I started scrubbing the blood off of his torso and his arms.

    "I'm sorry," Kai mumbled while looking down.

    "Kai, I believed you when you said you'd be safe. I was finally being distracted from that contract ordeal and you arrive at the front door covered in blood."

    "I wasn't intending on you seeing that,"

    "Well, I did,"

    Kai paused for another moment and he sighed, "I tried to tell them to wait for the next girl like you...they didn't like that offer,"

    "Apparently!" I argued again. "Kai you're so stupid to try to make an offer with them!"

    "I thought--,"

    "You thought nothing, Kai! You've been trying to break off that deal for nine months now and look at where it's gotten you!"

    "I've been trying for this long because I love you, Arisa,"

    "I love you too, Kai, but face it; this contract is going to kill me! As much as I'd hate to admit it; I'm accepting the fact that I'm going to die young! I'm accepting the fact that I'm going to be killed by Vampires! I'm willing to know this and move on!" I stared at Kai. "Maybe it's time you learn too."

    Kai's teeth gritted together once more in frustration, "I'm not willing to accept that if I'm the one bringing you to your death,"

    I pressed my forehead against his and closed my eyes, "Kai, you need to understand that I won't be around for as long as you. It's either I'll die sometime soon or I'll grow old and die. Either way, I'll only life a sliver of your life and over the years, you'd learn to move on."

    He shook his head, "I won't,"

    "Don't give me that drama crap, Kai," I lectured, choking on frustration. "You have another six hundred years to live; don't tell me you can't find somebody else during that time."

    Kai leaned forward a little and pecked my lips and I leaned forward to lock our lips together again. He reposed his hands on my waist and my arms locked around his neck as our foreheads pressed together. If I could have one dying wish, it would be for Kai to move on. I'm just one girl in his life; I'm sure he could find a better girl to love.

    "You're such an idiot," I sighed with one tear slipping down my cheek.

    "I won't argue with that," he agreed.

    He cupped my face in his hands and I copied his actions with his face and he pulled me in for another kiss, another tear of mine flowing onto his thumb. He licked off another tear that managed to escape and he kissed my forehead. I couldn't tear my eyes off of the bandage that coiled around Kai's waist. He could have gotten killed, had they aimed for his head. I assume that's what happens to you when you try to save the one you love.