She made a promise I could not accept. “I told you, I won’t let you die before me.”
“Faye!” I snarled, my teeth baring.
She loosened her hold and, with a single resigned breath, said, “Go ahead, then. Do it, Chester."
Everything blurred. I forcefully wrenched the dagger free. She muffled a groan; blood smeared my face. The metallic smell pulled my thoughts back to that rain-soaked night in senior year.
I could barely stand. I staggered, turned, and stumbled toward the door, numb and dazed.
Then she was there. With a single loud thud—the sound of one knee hitting the floor—she was suddenly by my side, moving quickly and steadily, catching me.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s okay. I’m here,” Faye whispered, stroking my cheek.
I watched the beads of blood trickle from her brow, each drop landing on my face.
Even with her own wound, her eyes were on me.
No worries for herself and only concern for me.
I saw it all again. During the countless nights my mother beat me until my skin split, she held me like this. She took the blows meant for me—bottles, stools, even a cleaver—using her back as a shield.
Amid my mother’s angry shouts, Faye would grin at me and say, “Don’t be afraid. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m with you.”
The memory hit me hard. We had once embraced in blood and kissed in a downpour.
When love reaches its limit, betrayal becomes even more grotesque.
I shoved him back. “Don’t you fucking touch me!”
I stepped away, the house still thick with the stench of blood.
For a while, we kept our distance.
Harvey remained hidden under Faye’s careful protection, leaving no trace behind.
But a young man like him was always restless, always impatient. He couldn't stay away forever.
Eventually, he came looking for me.
“You've been trying to find her lately? I’ll tell you right now that she’s with me,” Harvey said, his voice brimming with smug confidence.
He was dressed head-to-toe in custom clothes, every detail sharp, every gesture proud.
Then, the bastard even added, “You think castrating me would fix everything?”
He leaned closer with a triumphant grin plastered on his face. “As long as her love is with me, the more you hurt me, the more she’ll love me. They reattached my parts perfectly—no damage at all. If anything, it makes me perform even better. I should be thanking you for the assist.”