Chapter 11 - I CANNOT TRUST YOU
His words make me angry. Oh, now he cares about my well-being? After he broke my heart? How brazen!
"You don't have to scream at me. At least I did do something to try to get us to safety." After saying that, I notice how the gesture on Kaiden's face softens and he grimaces, as if hurt by my words. "So stop pretending like you're worried about me already and go do your worried theatrics somewhere else." I've never spoken to Kaiden like that in my life, or anyone for that matter, but I feel anger bubble up inside me when I see it. Maybe it's for the best because I must learn to resist his beautiful blue eyes.
I approach Kira, who is still on the floor staring in disbelief at the not-at-all-friendly interaction between Kaiden and me. It's inevitable, meanwhile, Kira's expression is like she's screaming "What's going on?" She keeps passing her gaze between Kaiden and me, and I don't blame her. I went from not being able to say more than three words without getting choked up, doing something embarrassing, or running away as my main recourse, to fighting with Kaiden like a real dog and cat fight.
When I'm closer to Kira, I help her off the ground. I don't see any scratches on her body apart from a slight one on her face, near her perfectly plucked and made-up eyebrow. She is no longer holding her ribs, but maybe the adrenaline of the moment is helping her manage the pain.
Kira thanks me as she leans against me to get up. I run her hand over my shoulder, like I did before this whole chase, and try not to put pressure on her ribs as I settle her body so she's leaning against mine and can walk without as much effort.
Besides, if I think about it in the most logical way, even though my brain keeps saying that she was involved and betrayed me too, Kira is not to blame for what her brother does. She's my best friend, for God's sake! How can I even doubt her? If Kira had known that Kaiden knew about my feelings, surely she would have told me right away? wouldn't she? Of course she would!
And on the other hand, Kaiden... he's like one of those beasts that tried to kill us. I saw him transform right in front of my eyes, his muscles and bones reconfiguring grotesquely. That image is etched in my mind: his body stretched and his teeth elongated, as if a monster was emerging from his skin. I can't erase from my memory the terror I felt at the sight of it. Although I'm not entirely sure if he tried to help us without ulterior motives, the simple fact that he went through that transformation leaves me frozen.
Every fiber of my mind screams at me not to trust him, that he is too great a risk. My intuition cries out for caution, warning me that beneath his facade of humanity could hide the same ferocity as those creatures that attacked us. Doubt and fear envelop me, and I cannot afford to let my guard down. I don't have the luxury of risking trusting someone who, ultimately, could be just as dangerous as the beasts who tried to kill us.
"Let me help you." Kaiden reaches over and tries to touch my shoulder when he sees that I'm trying to balance Kira's weight so we can move better. But when his hand is about to touch me, I push it away.
"Back away." I back up a few steps. "You'd better stay away from us." It's impossible not to remember how he transformed and how sharp his teeth were. Besides, he can turn back into a beast at any moment and finish what the others started.
"Yini! Why do you say such things?" Kira reprimands me. She seems even more surprised by my behavior than before, and I wonder how much more she can be surprised in a single day.
However, I pay no heed to her scolding. My hands twitch into fists, and my body trembles with rage as I direct my words at Kaiden. "You're one of those beasts!" I say with an accusatory tone, my eyes burning with pent-up fury. My voice echoes in the charged air, and my chest rises and falls with each heaving breath. I can't be fooled; I can't trust Kaiden so easily. Nothing assures me that he won't try to harm us like those terrifying beasts tried to do.
Kira, eyebrows furrowed, continues to try to calm the situation. "Ok... maybe we all need to calm down a bit and think things through better before we say them." She places a hand on my arm as a gesture of restraint, but I don't pay much attention.
"Stay out of it, Kira. Let her say whatever she wants to say," Kaiden says, at the same time his hands clench into fists on either side of his body. His jaw is tense and his eyes are fixed on mine, showing a mixture of frustration and concern. His erect and rigid posture only adds more tension to the atmosphere.
"Tell me, Kaiden, why should I trust you if you're one of those flea dogs?" My voice rises, and my tone becomes sharper. My eyes look at him with disdain, and my heart pounds, pounding in my chest as if it wants to escape.
"Yini!" Kira's indignant scream sounds too close to my ear. Her words jolt me, but despite the suddenness, I continue to hold her close so she doesn't fall. I feel the weight of her body against mine as she staggers, and her hands clutch my arm tightly, trying to regain her balance.
"What, you're defending him? He didn't even try to help you after we jumped out of the car! He's your stepbrother and he didn't even make sure you were okay! He's just like those dirty fleabags who don't care about our well-being," I say, my voice cracking, and my frustration reflected in my expression. I wonder why Kira is defending Kaiden.
Did Kira know all this time that Kaiden can transform into one of those beasts? Does Kira have knowledge about them? And yet she never said anything to me?
"Hey! Stop calling them that!" Kira complains, and her tone of voice is furious, almost like a snarl. I stare at her for her sudden change in voice, and Kira seems to have noticed her change because her hand goes to her mouth, as if trying to muffle her voice and return it to normal. "It's offensive," she continues to say as she disguises her tone of voice, trying to make it sound more normal.
"Kira, are you one of them too?"