Page 42 of Bleed for Me

It felt like I was signing my life away. There was no telling how long I’d be in here, or how long he’d drag this out. He could make my life hell, and if I did agree, he would practically own me.

He pulled me out of my thoughts with his gravelly voice, the sound making my stomach flip in a way I both loved and resented. “It should. I never break my promises.” The sincerity in his eyes told me how much he believed that, but he was also crazy. His disorders had a way of contorting reality. Even if I went forward and agreed, there was no telling what his mind would do to flip things in a scenario that would inevitably result in my death. But what choice did I really have? If Jordan hadn’t saved me tonight, I would have died. That much was clear.

“One favor?” I asked. “To pay you back for tonight.”

He tipped his chin in agreement. “And another for every time I have to save your ass.”

Blowing out a breath, I moved my gaze to his again. “Then you have a deal, Mr. Devil.”

TWELVE

ARCHER

My fingers flew over the keys, my eyes fixated on the screen before me. Writing had never been my strong suit, but I decided this was worth the attempt. I’d been coming in here for the last three days, finding a surprising solace in the words I conjured. It was easy to get lost in your imagination, and this was exactly what that was and more. Seven was in the music room by now, and Jordan would be in the gym or sketching something as he seemed to do a lot more of lately. It was the perfect opportunity for me to slip away.

The clicking of my fingers against the keyboard resounded throughout the room, glancing down at the word count, I realized I was already at twenty-thousand words. Halfway there. For some reason, that gave me a sense of pride, especially when I knew exactly what I was doing this for.

Her.

She might not approve of my tastes, but it was a gift, nonetheless. She enjoyed stories, getting swept away by an imaginative and unrealistic tale. I paid attention when I broughther to the library. Ilistened. She couldn’t deny me this even if she wanted to. I wouldn’t let her.

She was so oblivious to how gorgeous she was. Long tan legs, thighs that weren’t overly thick, but weren’t small either. The curve of her breasts and the glimpse of her cleavage told me they were full and would fit nicely in my hands. Her long, blonde hair that fell down her back in waves. The skirts she always wore hid her ass from view, but it was noticeable enough. She was fucking mesmerizing to look at, to even talk to. Her voice was as soft as silk and when she reacted to my touch, she was electric.

I couldn’t get enough. Not even if I tried. She’d already given me too much without even realizing it—without even having to give me hardly anything at all. She damned herself completely when she allowed me to touch her that day. When she melted into my arms and allowed my lips to travel down her neck. All she had to do to get me to leave her alone, was show me that she didn’t want me at all, but she did the opposite. And because of that, she wasmine. I’d never let her go now. Not ever.

My little fucking salvation.

The moment our eyes locked for the first time, she breathed life back into me. If Seven wanted to fuck her, I’d give him that, because he wasmine,too.

Reaching my desired word count for the day, I saved the file and turned off my computer. I had it locked with a pass code only I had access to. No one would bother my things; I went above and beyond to make sure of it.

Standing, I glanced around the empty room. Computers lined the back end with a desk near the front where a staff member would usually sit. This specific room wasn’t as heavily guarded since it wasn’t one many patients frequented. This was more of a room designed for hobbies, and not one for therapy.

I slipped out of the room and made my way down the hall, just in time for people to start scurrying alongside me asthey made their way toward the cafeteria. Their laughter and voices erupted through the narrow space, people unintentionally brushing against me as they walked, oblivious to who the fuck they just touched. Lucky for them, I wasn’t as quick to anger as Seven and Jordan were. It really depended on the day.

My lips twitched in amusement. Jordan hated human contact, hated people in general. He was a recluse who chose to stick to himself and rarely engaged with outsiders unless he felt it was necessary. If someone did something he didn’t like, he made it known. He had that in common with Seven. Jordan wouldn’t even let us get too close to him physically. I wasn’t sure if that was past trauma or simply a preference. Considering I knew his backstory, it was doubtful that it was the former. He had no problem getting close to people when they pissed him off enough and had no problem with them fighting back. He enjoyed the contact when it was a battle.

Sadistic motherfucker.

That was part of why I loved him, though. He was different, and if he cared about you, he made that known, too, in the only way he knew how. By allowing us in. If it weren’t for me and Seven bulldozing into his life the way we had, he’d probably sit at a table all alone for lunch as he’d done before, entranced with his sketchpad and the meal that lay before him. He’d never admit it, but I think he enjoyed our company as much as we did his.

After collecting my lunch, I made my way to the table they were seated at and slipped down in between Seven and Jordan, thankful that the twins hadn’t made their appearance known just yet. They grated on my nerves on the best of days. My eyes scoured the room, hoping to find Rosalie, but by the looks of it, she hadn’t entered yet, either.

Seven’s piercing gaze met mine, a seductive smirk curling the corners of his mouth. He’d been a lot moreinterestedin me lately, more so than usual. I had every reason to believe that itwas because of a certain blue eyed, blonde-haired girl that had captured my attention. It was his way of staking his claim, not that he ever needed to. While I was completely enraptured by her, Seven was my rock. If he made me choose, I’m not sure I’d be able to. She might have been new, and I barely knew a thing about her, but she’d already splintered her way into my being. My obsession with her was a fickle bitch. Realistically, I knew this was insane—that she was a girl I’d only just met, but acting on what I knew and what I felt were two very different things.

I returned the smile with a tilt of my lips before moving my gaze to my plate. Today’s meal consisted of pepperoni pizza straight out of the box and had been heated in the oven to perfection. Sarcasm intended. The food wasn’t all that great here.

“How was the music room?” I asked, not bothering to glance in his direction as I lifted the steaming pizza to my lips and took my first bite. His eyes were trained on me, begging for my attention. Seven wasn’t the clingy type, and I knew exactly what he was doing. He didn’t want me to see her, but I felt her as soon as she stepped into the room. That familiar magnetic pull that was impossible to resist. But for him, I wouldn’t look. Not yet anyways.

He was silent for a few moments, his gaze searing into the side of my face. “Fine,” he clipped dryly, clearly not happy with the lack of attention I was giving him.

After a few long seconds of silence, my eyes drifted to his again. “You good?” I asked.

His lips drew tight as he assessed me momentarily. “Are you?” he countered, his jaw thrumming with tension.

“Guys,” Jordan warned, cutting through our staring contest, but neither one of us paid him any mind. Seven and I didn’t fight often, in fact it had been a rarity until more recently.

“If you have something to say, then fucking say it, Seven.” Annoyance bubbled inside of me, stirring the anger that rested in the pit of my stomach. I was already getting frustrated with his shit. He was my best friend, and this was stupid and pointless.

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