CHAPTER 25 – Close to the truth
CHAPTER 25 – Close to the truth
KYLIE’s POV
The night air wrapped around me like a warm embrace, the ghostly feelings from moments ago still playing in my mind. I wanted desperately to be held, so I hugged myself as I waited for Elijah’s reply.
“So, let’s hear it then.”
He let out a heavy breath and looked at me intently before shaking his head.
“There are some truths you can’t take back once you’ve had them, Kylie.”
“Maybe you’re right. But I’m tired of being in the dark where it matters. Come on, Elijah. You still think it best to give me half -truths after what just happened?”
“And what exactly just happened?” he asked, and I looked at him somewhat astounded.
“Elijah? What are you trying to do?”
“Nothing.” he said, and shrugged, “I’m not doing anything, I’m just asking what you believe just happened?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to take control of my emotions. If I didn’t know any better, I would say Elijah was trying to gaslight me.
“we will come to that.” I said, after a pause, “We will come to that after you’ve told me what you are.”
“you really won’t let it drop until I tell you, will you?”
I shook my head, “no.”
“fine then. If you really must know. ” he said and heaved out a breath, “the reason why my measurements are different, and I heal so quickly… The reason why I am so quick is because I am a werewolf.”
“A werewolf? Did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes, Kylie. You heard me correctly.”
The silence that ensued after his words was deafening, and then I found myself laughing. I didn’t stop until I was hysterical and had Elijah looking at me like he was worried.
“Kylie?”
“Elijah, I’ve always taken you for a serious–minded person.” I said, and shook my head, “What is all this?”
He narrowed his eyes at me, “the truth. I thought you wanted it so bad.”
“I do. But you don’t plan on giving it to me, it’s why you’re making stuff up. Werewolf. For heaven’s sake.” I said and walked to the stool. At the very least, he had managed to make me feel less afraid.
“You don’t believe me,” he said, while he watched me, and I shook my head.
“No, I don’t. you clearly don’t want to tell me, so at the very least, would you tell me what that was ?” I said, gesturing toward the supply closet. Elijah turned toward it and shrugged.
“a bloody anatomical structure,” he said, and I raised a brow.
“one that attacked me.” I pointed it out and he shrugged again.
“Did it really though?” he asked, and I was about to lose my temper when he raised his hands in surrender, “Hear me out, just hear me out. It’s nighttime, your nerves were probably high.”
“How does that explain it grabbing my neck, and it telling me I had no business being here?”
“The wind is blowing hard tonight, it must have blown the bone structure in your direction, the whistling leaves must have been the words you heard,” he said the words so practically that I almost believed that they were true.
Almost.
Because I know what I heard, I felt what I felt. There was no way I made all that up just because I didn’t like being here at night.
Or did I?
“you’re playing with my head, Elijah. I don’t like it.”
“It’s not me, Kylie. It’s the night and wind,” he said calmly, and I shook my head.
“you’re so hell–bent on me believing lies, why?”
“I’m not hell–bent on anything. If anyone is hell–bent on believing something bizarre, I think it’s you, Kylie. Because, if you choose not to believe that it’s just an anatomical figure, then what exactly do you want to believe it is?”
“something possessed. A demon.” I said and he looked at me blankly, making me feel like maybe I was indeed overthinking
1/2
CHAPTER 25 – Ces to the broth
things
But I knew what I saw I knew what i had left
“A demon and a possessed something All fine and good, Kylie Please let me take you home now. Please let me take you far away from the demon‘ he said gently and I only narrowed my eyes at him. He was taking what I said lightly, he was handling it so calmly, and for that reason, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, I was wrong, and he was right.
Try as I might, there was no way to put away thoughts of the evening from my mind that night, and so the next day, I decided to talk to someone about it. Preferably someone wasn’t going to gaslight and tell me that it was all in my head.
So I paid a visit to a psychologist.
“How may I help you today, Ms. Wade 7 the man with the calm searching eyes behind framed glasses asked
I sighed deeply before i responded, “I was at the school’s lab yesterday, and had a strange encounter. A real one as well.” I said, and thought for a second, but when I mentioned it to someone I trusted, he made it seem as though I was overthinking it As though it was all in my head”
“But it wasn’t all in your head, was it?” he asked calmly and I shook my head.
“No. It wasn’t I know what I saw and felt.”
He sighed and leaned back in his chair before he continued, “Sometimes people will try to gaslight us, and give reasons for what and why. But deep down we always know. What is the voice deep down telling you, Ms. Wade?”
I thought for a moment, before I shrugged, “That I’m right. That it was all very real.”
“there you. We can doubt our thoughts sometimes, but you see that primal knowledge? The voice of instinct? It should never be ignored.”
“Never?” I asked, feeling a whole lot better from our little talk, and the man smiled.
“Never.”
I met up with Elijah at the stadium after my conversation with the psychologist. He was waiting on one of the benches and watched me with an unreadable expression as I approached him.
“good talk?” he asked, as I took my seat beside him.
“It was definitely worth my while,” I said and met his unwavering gaze.
“wanna talk about it?” he asked, and I thought for a moment.
“I don’t know why you’re hell–bent on gaslighting me. But that only tells me you’re hiding something.” his gaze didn’t waver at my accusation, and I wondered if that was assurance.
“If it helps, then you should know that anything I may ever hide from you would be for your own good.”
“That’s not going to work for me,” I said confidently.
“At the very least, you can trust that I’m not cheating,” he said, and I smiled in spite of it all.
“I know.” I said and tilted my head to the side, “But you should know that I’m on to you now.”
“I see.” he said and rubbed my cheek with the pad of his thumb, “you don’t need to do this, Kylie.”
“and you don’t need to give me half–truths and leave me in the dark.” I said coolly, “I guess we’re all doing things we don’t need to be doing. Now I don’t know what you’re so hell–bent on hiding from me, but I’m going to find out. Sooner or later, one way or the other, I’m going to find out.”
“And when you do?”
“I don’t know. Let’s just hope and pray it doesn’t break you and me.”
