Page 23 of Bleed for Me

“Jello shots.” I breathed out, trying my best to keep my voice steady. “Whiskey, vodka, wine coolers.”

“Can’t forget about the snacks.” Jordan smirked from beside me, a knowing look etched into his dark irises.

I shot him a scathing glare, but his smirk widened into a full-on grin. Fuck. He was hot, too. My gaze dropped to his lips and Archer withdrew his foot to kick me in the shin before returning it to my dick. I snapped my head over in his direction and he narrowed his eyes at me.

Ah. So, he does get jealous.

Then it dawned on me.Of course he gets jealous.After we left visitation yesterday, he couldn’t shut up about Rosalie’s boyfriend. He made fun of him the entire walk back to our rooms. That reminder had my nails biting into the skin of my palms.

I shifted in my seat, making his foot drop. My mood soured instantly. Archer raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything for obvious reasons. Instead, he returned his attention to his food and made no move to touch me again.

My gaze swept around the room as I continued eating, trying to find anything to keep my mind off the boy seated across from me. If he didn’t chill the fuck out, I’d have no choice but to kill the stupid bitch. Archer wasmineand if she got in the way, it would be her last mistake.

Music drifted around the room, the melody soothing me and helping the tension in my body dissolve. I came in here often to watch the choir patients. Just listening to them sing relaxed me. I occupied a chair on the far side of the room, focusing on the lyrics as they drifted through the air. My head thumped against the wall behind me, and I closed my eyes, allowing thesong to wash over my mind, dulling it of all the thoughts I’d had previously.

Mr. Dale took the front of the room, walking back and forth as they sang, his face tight with concentration. He was a short, bald man, but he gave me the fucking creeps. There was just something off about him.

As the song transitioned from a soothing melody to something pop, I rose. That was my cue to leave. I wasn’t in the mood for upbeat music.

I made my way back to my room, all my thoughts coming back to the forefront of my mind. Seeing my parents at visitation yesterday was a small reprieve from all this bullshit. I missed them more than anything. Before coming here, I played baseball. My parents went to all of my games—hell, I even had scholarships lined up. I’d always been fascinated by blood. The color, the smell, the way it looked as it bubbled from a cut and slid down flesh. When I got hit in the face with a baseball one day, blood gushed from my nose, trickling into my mouth. That was the first time I’d tasted it, the first time I’d licked it clean, and it left me wantingmore.

Archer knew I’d killed someone out of blindness for the bloodlust. He didn’t judge me, and instead, trusted me. I’d had him vulnerable on so many different occasions. He enjoyed it just as much as I did. He was my fucking rock, the person who grounded me, the person who made me feel more alive than I ever had before. For that reason alone, he was mine andonlymine.

Anger coursed through my veins, my hands drifting through my hair as I tugged. The small prickle of pain was a welcome reprieve from the thoughts warring inside of me. It was easy to obsess in this place. All we had most of the time were our thoughts. It also didn’t help that I was bipolar. My racing thoughts told me enough—I was on the brink of a manic episode.Fire ignited inside me, warming my blood. When I got like this, all I could think about was the blood lust. It didn’t matter that I’d already helped myself to a squirrel earlier.

My breathing increased, memories resurfacing.

Courtney giggled, leaning back on the palms of her hands as she stared up at me with that seductive glint in her eyes. Her auburn hair fell behind her shoulders, giving me the perfect view of her round, plump breasts. She was beautiful with Milky, white skin and gray eyes—as well as a thin figure.

I rounded the bedside, my dick already hard from the mere sight of her. My parents went out for their weekly date night, which meant I had the entire place to myself.

She dropped her hand between her legs, rubbing gentle circles against her clit. “You should cut me,” she suggested in a breathy voice.

I reeled back in surprise. “What?” I’d opened up to her before about my fascination with blood and how I’d tasted it once. I’d even started cutting myself just so I could taste it again.

Her smile widened and she slipped a second finger inside of herself. A moan bubbled up from her throat and she tipped her head back. “I know you want to. It would be so hot, don’t you think?”

“Fuck yes,” I growled.

I hurried out of the room, not bothering to get dressed again. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the rack before moving back into my room. She was still touching herself, her soft whimpers filling the room.

I placed my palm to her chest and pushed until she was lying flat on her back. Taking the sharp blade of the knife, I slashed it against her shoulder. A small cut, just to make sure this was what she really wanted. She gasped, her hands traveling up over the ridges of my muscles. I situated myselfbetween her legs and entered her with one thrust before lowering my mouth to the wound and licking the trail of blood that had begun to trickle down her shoulder.

Adrenaline pulsed through me at the mere taste of it, a groan expelling from my throat. Easing back, I slammed into her tight pussy, reveling in the way she fluttered around me.

“That feels so good, Seven,” she moaned, scraping her nails down my back.

Ecstasy.

That’s what it felt like. My head spun as the copper substance coated my lips and tongue, my eyes rolling like a new kink had been awakened inside of me. I needed more.

I wrapped my hand around her throat and eased back, only inflicting a bit of pressure, making sure not to hurt her. With my other hand, I took the knife and made another cut along the top of her breast. She gasped as my mouth closed around it and I sucked. My hips moved slowly, hitting deep inside of her body. The pleasure was almost too much. The taste of her blood mixed with fucking her was euphoric.

My head started to spin, dizziness clouding my thoughts and any sense of rationality. I took the knife again, spreading her legs further and settling them over my hips. I made several new cuts along her stomach, her whimpers fleeing from her lips. I licked every ounce of blood, but I could feel myself losing control. My body started shaking. It wasn’t enough.

“I’m starting to get dizzy.” She giggled. “Maybe we should table this.”

Even though I heard the words, they didn’t register. I cut a path along her waist, easing back even more so that only my tip was in.

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