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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN | ❝Horrible Pasts & Arguments❞

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HER TANNED SKIN glowed ethereally under the shadow of the yellow light while the ends of her honey blonde locks were tinted with crimson liquid. My breath hitched at the large smear of blood across the fabric of her white satin and I willed myself to look at her face.

Her eyes were thunderous - the pits of brown burning like ambers as the yellow light reflected on her irises.

I swallowed a lump while tentatively taking a step backward – the frail movement catching Maria's eyes.

She smirked – menacingly.

"You're scared of me Krystal?" She pouted. Then her face morphed into that of pure rage. "That's funny because you're the one who did this to me."

I could hear the booming beats of my heart and I was pretty sure that it was only sound that flooded Maria's ears as well. I gritted my teeth while looking defiantly at her.

"I did whatever I had to do to save you," I said while moving back as much as my frozen feet could carry me.

"To save me?" Maria growled. "You turned me into a monster Krystal."

I flinched at her words but didn't cower away.

"Look. I get you what you're going through-"

"No, you don't!" She snarled at me – revealing the brilliant pair of large fangs that were stained with dark red blood.

"Mare-"

"I killed them." Her voice cracked as her demeanor shifted mildly. "I killed my friends, Krystal."

A sting pricked my heart when she looked up at me, a golden shimmer coating her lifeless brown eyes while her orange lip quivered.

"Maria..." I trailed off as I felt myself shattering into uncountable pieces.

The girl in front of me looked so broken and shattered, the dangerous glint now gone from her eyes. And as much as I would like to deny what happened, I knew the truth deep within my heart.

I did turn her into a monster.

"You're right," I said while biting the inside of my cheek hard – tasting the metallic tang of blood on the tip of my tongue. "I don't understand what you're going through."

Her eyes snapped towards me and an icy shiver ran down my spine when her lips twisted in a cruel smirk.

"Well. You can," she replied and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

I was about to ask how when my mind registered her implication and my eyes widened in horror.

"No."

"Yes." The word rolled off dangerously over her tongue.

She took a threatening step towards me and instinctively I backed away – the locker door ringing loudly from the impact of my back.

"I'm gonna turn you like me. And then we can live happily forever."

"No. Don't do this. Look-" She reached out towards me, her cold fingers wrapping harshly around my throat.

Immediately I felt the air escape my windpipe. I encircled my palms around her wrist – tugging on them, as I flailed around my legs.

"Just hold on a little Krys. Like always, there's pleasure after this pain too," she scoffed and I felt her nails digging into my flesh – causing a piercing pain to shoot through my body.

I scratched on her tanned skin, trying to peel her hands off me, but I realized that fighting against a vampire was like hitting a wall.

"Please...don't...do this...," I wheezed. "This...is...not you."

"Oh trust me, this is so me. You turned me into this, remember?" She sneered while I coughed – the walls of my lungs closing down.

I tried to kick her, as a last attempt for freedom, but she easily dodged me.

"This is exactly how my last moments before death were like," she whispered, bringing her mouth close to my ears. "Pure agony."

Tears bleared my vision as I felt the life slowly dissipating from my body. Black dots danced around the corners of my eyes and my limbs slumped down due to the lack of oxygen.

This was happening.

I was finally dying.

I felt the last strain of air escape my lungs as my whole body collapsed.

The image of Maria smirking at me burned in my brain one last time before my eyes drooped shut - allowing the coldness and darkness to engulf me.

I gasped and my eyes flew open to meet the blank white ceiling of my room. My hands immediately shot up as I wrapped them around my neck – feeling the smooth and unscratched skin beneath my fingers. Drips of sweat rolled down my forehead and arm and I wiped them away hastily.

I let my gaze travel around my surroundings. My heart was still beating haphazardly as the scenery of the familiar white walls and the heap of bed sheets and pillows accumulating in the corner of the room swam in my vision.

That night sleep barely visited me. I kept switching positions and rolling from one side to another – trying to prevent the torment of the nightmares that were showered over me. But I couldn't find peace.

Relief flooded within me when the thin streak of sunlight escaped past the gap of the blinds in my room. I turned my head sideways and a groan escaped my lips when my eyes zoomed in on the bedside clock – the time reading 7:00 am.

I sighed in relief.

This was reality. Not that.

Sitting up, I leaned back on the wooden frame of my bed and wrapped my arms around my knees, drawing them closer to my body. I still felt the fragments of pain burning in my throat. I rested my head in the croon of my elbow – trying to withhold the tears.

The darkness wrapped itself around me like a blanket that was hard to remove and I bit the inside of my cheek from screaming in anguish. I didn't know what to think.

Everything seemed like a puddle inside my brain. A part of me worried about Maria while another worried about what would she think of me when we would finally be able to talk.

I groaned. I couldn't think straight. My brain was a complete mess to even form a single coherent thought.

I lifted my head and ran a hand over my mouth – cringing at the horrible morning breath. Carter was right. I was in desperate need of a shower.

I looked at my closed door, wondering if he was awake or not. I couldn't ignore what he said last night about Nathianel – causing a new round of disturbance to flood within me.

What else could so important that he came for it himself?

Something about the whole situation didn't sit right with me and this thought scared me shitless.

Sighing I pulled myself up from the bed, dragging my feet lazily over the wooden floor. The skin of my ankle was a lighter shade of purple and the pain had subsided a lot, thanks to the painkiller.

I didn't bother checking my reflection in the mirror when I peeled off my clothes and turned on the shower. The cold water ran down my skin harshly and I flinched at its aggression.

Everything felt numb and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't ignore the dread swirling within me – trying to take over every sense organ of mine. I swallowed. I threaded my fingers through the thick strands of hair, messaging the shampoo thoroughly over my scalp, as I tried to distract myself from the venomous thoughts.

I needed to stay calm. No matter how hard it was.

When I walked out of my room, the sweet smell of pancakes and syrup wafted through my nose. I arched an eyebrow in surprise.

My eyes enlarged and my mouth hung open when I saw Carter flipping off the pancake mid-air – something I could never do in all my years of existence. He was still wearing yesterday's clothes but somehow managed to look fresher than me. His black hair was tousled atop his head, making the dark strands tint a light shade of brown as the sunlight washed over them.

"Staring is not only rude but also creepy," he informed - his back still facing me. However, I could hear the playfulness dripping in his tone.

I rolled my eyes. Of course, he heard me.

"You startled me with your cooking, that's it," I said while walking over to the kitchen.

I sat down on one of the maroon stools aligned before the table and stretched my injured leg slightly.

"What to do? Didn't want to interrupt your beauty sleep," he retorted without looking at me, and I scoffed internally at the irony of his words. "Besides I was hungry, and it would be rude of me to eat alone, so..." he trailed off while placing the pancake on the plate - the ring on his finger shining when the sunlight caught the metal.

"Where did you get the food from?" I asked while resting my forearms on the table – its coldness seeping through the thin fabric of my full-sleeved camisole.

"What does your common sense say, Hazel?" he asked while piling a stack on the white plate.

I pulled my lips into a thin line. There hadn't been anybody in this apartment for a week. So, there was no way he would be able to have any food. My eyes suddenly caught the glowing screen of his phone that displayed a google map of my locality - my apartment's name visible under a red dot.

I rolled my eyes.

"Would it have hurt you to answer a question simply for once?" I asked while fishing my phone out of my jeans' pocket.

"Would have caused me agony," he drawled dramatically and I shook my head in annoyance.

A stream of notifications flowed on my lock screen as I turned it on. However, my eyes only caught on specific three messages.

Chris: Hey! Good morning.

Chris: Just FYI, Maria's okay now.

Chris: Also, how are you holding up?

I smiled softly at the sweet gesture. For the first time this morning, I felt a
little positive. Felt that, someone, had my back.

Carter placed the plate of pancakes in front of me, his fingers lightly brushing mine.

"Your boyfriend?" he asked while leaning forward – the grey kitchen cloth on his shoulder now grazing the white surface of the table.

"Your sister," I replied while firing a quick text to her - thanking her for checking up on me.

"Oh."

I put down the phone beside me as I looked up at him. His face was close to mine as his eyes scanned my face intensely – the blue in his pupils gleaming like rings of ocean waves as the morning light hit them softly. His teeth held his plump bottom lip as he furrowed his thick brows in concentration.

"Now you look creepy," I muttered begrudgingly as I took out a knife from the cutlery.

"You okay?" he asked - his voice surprisingly soft.

I quickly jerked my head up, taken aback by his sudden question.

"Uhm. Yeah..." I trailed off uncertainly, wondering if I should tell him about the nightmare or not.

"If something's bothering you, letting it out will be the best. It's going to be our dirty secret. I promise." He gestured with his fingers to zip lips - its corners tugging upwards.

A faint smile formed on my lips and I dragged my fingers across the dry scalp covered by my hair. It wasn't like the nightmare was anything scandalous. Besides, how bad could it be if I told him?

I sighed - my shoulders deflating slightly.

"I had a nightmare last night. Bit rough," I admitted.

Immediately I felt the smile slip off his lips as his eyes hardened. I glanced warily at the way his clutch tightened around the base of his knife. He swallowed - his Adam's apple bobbing down as he averted his gaze hurriedly, a flash of vulnerability catching my eye.

"Oh." He turned around to fetch his plate of food. Walking over, he seated himself beside me, our bodies close enough that I could smell Maria's apricot shampoo from his hair. "Want to talk about it?" His words were impassive - as if he really didn't want to know.

I swallowed. Reminiscing the horrible nightmare was the last thing that I wanted to do now. Besides, I had a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate it either.

I shook my head as I poured the maple syrup on my pancakes. Slicing a piece of the soft layer, I brought it to my lips.

An awkward moan escaped my mouth at its heavenly taste.

I closed my eyes as I devoured the slice in my mouth, the taste slowly melting on my tongue. Even though I sounded a lot judgemental, I never really could imagine Carter being the guy who could cook; let alone something so delicious.

"You like it?" I turned my head sideways to find him already looking at me - his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise while a soft smile played at his lips.

I glimpsed at his still untouched plate.

"Yeah. As much as I hate to admit it, you're good." I shrugged casually - trying not to give him the satisfaction. "Were you a professional?"

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see him shaking his head. "Nah. More like a pastime. Couldn't really think beyond that." He shrugged while devouring a slice of his own.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"

He threw me a lazy glance. "Wasn't allowed to. What successful career could you make out of cooking?"

I gaped at him - my knife limp in my fingers. "Are you serious? Who the fuck told you that?"

He didn't answer and instead kept his eyes fixed on his plate - his fingers toying with the piece of cutlery in his hand. Anger boiled within me as I realized who it was.

And before I could control myself, the words seemed to tumble out of my mouth, "Well, it's good thing that you killed him. He deserved it anyway, after everything he put you guys through."

Instant regret and shame washed over me as I felt him stiffening beside me.

Shit.

"I'm sorry," I spoke tentatively - not daring to look at him. " I sounded like an insensitive moron."

The silence around us felt thick and heavy causing my stomach to twist.

What the fuck was I thinking? Who says stuff like that?

A thick crunching of metal resonated in the crystal void around the room and my eyes immediately snapped towards its source. I felt the icy tendrils wrap around my body as my eyes traced the remnants of the knife on the table. Slowly, I trailed my eyes upwards, tracing the way his jaw muscle prominently ticked underneath his fair skin, the way his veins protruded from his arms, and the way his long lashes created shadows on his high cheekbones.

Vulnerability and distress radiated off him and I found his state similar to a bomb.

Fragile yet disastrous.

"How do you know about him?" The world 'him' rolled off with distaste from his tongue - as if he had tasted something disgusting.

"I...uh..." I contemplated whether I should tell him about Christina or not.

"Cam told you, didn't he?" His voice was cold.

"No," I immediately spoke up - not wanting to create more drama between them than there already was. "Christina did," I revealed while looking away.

For a moment he looked astonished, then a blanket of hurt masked his face. "Why would she-"

I interrupted him before things got worse. "Look, before you say something, I just want you to know that I think he deserved it. You didn't do anything wrong, Carter. Well not as much as he did to you."

Carter gave me an appalled look, his eyes holding a raging storm beneath those pupils. He ran a hand over his mouth. "So now my sister is going around the town spilling all our family secrets? Just great."

I looked up at him in horror. "No, she isn't. She only told me because she trusts me."

My heartbeats were frantic and I suddenly regretted the idea of letting him know her name. At least with Cameron, he wouldn't have reacted like this.

"Trust you? She barely knows you," he scoffed and I felt the rage build up within me. "Besides it was my secret. And I don't trust you."

He abruptly stood up - the stool falling down with a thud at his force. I felt a weird hurt burn within me at his words.

I clenched my jaw. "Well, it's a good thing I don't trust you either."

"Good. As you shouldn't." His voice betrayed any emotion.

I swallowed the ball of frustration that rose up my throat. "What do you want me to do, Carter?" I gritted.

He looked distressed as he ran his fingers through his hair frustratingly. He sunk his teeth into his soft plump lips. 

We stared at each other - none of us ready to break the eye contact.

Then he spoke up - his voice low and calmly dangerous, "How would you feel if you were in my position and Maria did this to you?"

I felt my mouth go dry, because, despite all this anger, a reasonable part of my brain informed me that Carter's reaction was justified.

But then a good response surged within me. "Definitely wouldn't yell on the person she told the secret to."

For a moment I thought I saw a hint of guilt flash within the pool of his blue eyes. But then they hardened once again - making me think whether I imagined it or not. 

"So you want me to yell at my sister?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"No," I said hurriedly and then closed my eyes - trying to calm the heat that spread through my body. "I want you to act mature and not make a huge deal of this matter."

He laughed, but it lacked any humor. "You see Krystal, you're a hypocrite. We both know how you would react and it'll probably be worse than me."

"You know nothing about me," I chewed out the words - gripping the table beside my hand - fighting the urge to punch something as adrenaline rushed heavily within me.

"No, I don't." He smiled. "But you're so damn predictable."

My jaw shuddered and I realized that it had been a long time since I fought with someone.

"You know why? Because like it or not Krystal, but you're a lot like me." His eyes gleamed vindictively as a vicious smirk curved his lips.

Rage and frustration coursed within my veins but before I could speak up, the sound of someone's phone going off resonated around us. 

Both Carter's and my gaze switched to the black object ringing on the tabletop. He leaned over and bend down to pick his phone up - his face contorting as Cameron's name flashed over the screen.

Regardless of the tumult of fury, he accepted the call and brought the phone to his ears. His expression clouded further but he kept his mouth - except for uttering a few 'okays'.

Ending the call, he slipped his phone into his jeans' pocket. He closed his eyes momentarily, inhaling sharply through his nose.

The aura around us suddenly felt calmer than it was a moment earlier. Carter opened his eyes to look at me, some of the earlier tension now released from his eyes as his grip on the table visibly loosened.

"Cam wants us to meet us in the Holly Heads. Right now. Says it's urgent."

I merely bobbed my head, my mind still reeling from the adrenaline rush.

"I'll go wait downstairs," he announced impassively before walking past me - his shoulders brushing against mine as he slipped through the door.

And for the first time I wondered, if I dragged us back to square one because of my one fucking mistake.

a/n: Heyy there, lovely people! I know it's been a while and I'm so sorry for the late and trashy update. I've rewritten this chapter five times and then this version somewhat seemed presentable to me. But, please feel free to point out errors or cringy parts that you feel should be omitted. 

Also, let me know if you think whether Carter has overreacted or not? ---->

For me, personally, though, I think it was justified considering how huge the secret was and who revealed that. I mean I would be pissed as hell as well. But still, I would love to know your thoughts!♥

Lots of love for staying with me and supporting me!♥