RAVIEL (24)

I must have fainted because I woke up in my room and not in Clark’s car. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the ceiling of my room and Claire.

She gasped when she saw me open my eyes. Her face was shadowed with deep worry and she looked like she was about to cry when I greeted her in a hoarse voice.

“Hi. How long have I been out?”

“Rave. Oh my God, you scared me half to death. What happened to you? The cold-faced man who drove you home refused to tell me anything. He just asked Glen and his friends to take you to your room, and then he left.”

“Claire, can you get me some water?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I talked too much.”

Claire hurriedly poured water into a glass. She helped me sit up, and it fucking hurt. Every joint in my body ached. I clenched my jaw to keep from screaming. Claire would be scared if I did. And I could feel blood seeping along my arm.

“We need a doctor. You’re in pain.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Claire looked at me with tears in her eyes. She was clearly panicked. It must have been the first time she saw someone with a bloody wound in front of her.

“Your arm is bleeding, Rave. And I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s okay. I just need you to get the first aid kit in the bathroom.”

Claire quickly went to the bathroom and returned with a first aid kit a moment later. Her face was blank. She had no idea that I was going to ask her to stitch up the wound on my arm.

“Now help me take off my shirt.”

“I actually wanted to take off your shirt since that cold man brought you home, but I was afraid you wouldn’t like me touching you while you were unconscious.”

“I’m fine. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

I’ve been through worse than this. Living and working in the underworld meant you had to be prepared to get hurt at any time, even die. My uncle always warned me to minimize damage, but no matter how careful I was, injuries were still inevitable.

“You’re running a fever and shivering. Do I need to increase the temperature of the air conditioner?”

“No. It’s a natural reaction to injury, Claire. I’ll take two ibuprofen after you help me.”

“Help? Help you for what?”

Her face twisted in horror at the thought of what might happen next. She gulped nervously at my swollen, bloody, pus-filled arm. I guess I was wrong. This was worse than I thought.

“I can’t stitch myself up, even if I wanted to. So, you’re going to help me do it.”

“I-I… I can’t. I’ve never done it before.”

“You can. I’ll guide you to stitch my wound. It’s not as hard as you think.”

“What if I hurt you? What if I make it worse?”

“You won’t. I trust you, Claire.”

Claire swallowed nervously. She pulled on her latex gloves shakily. Poor her. I didn’t plan on showing her this, but it happened. She was forced to see the evidence of my brutality out there. That was why she couldn't know what I did for a living. She had to be kept as far away from my dark, dirty world as possible. Seth could keep his family safe by keeping them out of his life. But Claire, I wasn't sure I could keep her away from me. She had become more than family to me. And I wanted her close to me.

“What happened to you, Rave? This cut is really deep. Were you involved in a fight?”

“No. I was just… a little unlucky today.”

“Tell me.”

Claire stared at me deeply.

“And don’t try to lie.”

I wanted to kiss her pursed lips so badly. She was so sweet and adorable.

“I’ll tell you the truth. I was on my way home, and I stopped by the flower shop to buy you some. But on the way, I met a thief. He attacked me with a knife when I tried to get my wallet back.”

“A thief?” Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Have you reported it to the police?”

I shook my head. “He didn’t get my wallet. I don’t need to report it to the police.”

“But he hurt you. Look, the cut is really deep.”

Claire frowned in disgust as she cleaned my arm with peroxide. She tried to look tough, but deep down she wanted to rip off the latex gloves and run out to my room.

“I think the cut has reopened because I moved around so much. When you’re done cleaning it, you can get the needle and thread from the box.”

“Are you seriously asking me to stitch up your wound?”

“Do you think I’m not serious? Come on, it’ll be fine. It’s like sewing up a hole in your shirt.”

“Are you kidding me? This isn’t the same as sewing up a hole in my shirt. What if you get an infection?”

“You can start by washing the needle with alcohol. This is fucking painful, Claire. And I need you to get this over with so I can take my medicine and get some sleep.”

I was starting to lose my patience. Claire was talking too much, and I wasn’t lying about the pain.

“Okay,” Claire sighed softly.

“Tell me what to do.”

“Get the needle and thread from the box. And start working like you’re sewing a dress.”

“Please, don’t talk about it like sewing a dress. This is flesh, not a thin sheet of cloth that I can stab at will. You need anesthesia.”

“I don’t need it. I can handle the pain.”