Page 19 of Drawn Together

Oh shit! I quickly replied to his message.

What happened? Don’t be mad, I just popped into the theater next door to see part of the Nicholas Sparks movie! I’ll come out now.

I hadn’t even stood up before he sent me another message.

It doesn’t matter, just keep watching your movie, I’m already on my way home.

Fuck. I’d just pissed off my two best friends.

The ride home would’ve been silent if it weren’t for the fact that I played my music over the stereo. I felt guilty for having left Liam and Tami alone to watch another movie because of my ridiculous desire to be by myself with Sebastian. I didn’t understand what could’ve happened, as they’d seemed so engrossed in the film.

When we entered the lobby of my building, Norman handed me a medium-sized FedEx box. “You received a delivery, Miss Cortés.”

“Thanks, Norman,” I said as I took the package, wondering if it was the shoes I’d ordered online.

Sebastian called after me as I went straight to my room and tried to call Tami, but she didn’t pick up. Liam hadn’t either.

I set the box on my bed and got undressed, tying my bathrobearound myself and sitting on the edge of the bed in front of the package as I waited for the bathtub to fill.

I barely had time to see what was inside the box; my hands touched something sticky, and when I instinctively pulled them out, I saw they were covered in a red liquid. I screamed so loud that I’m sure the building across the street must’ve heard it.

I jumped from the bed, flipping the package over and spilling its contents onto my white comforter, bathing everything in blood. I brought my hands to my face, trying to cover my eyes.

Inside the box was a dead animal.

Before I had time to react, the bedroom door flew open, banging against the wall, causing me to scream again. Sebastian entered, gun drawn. He moved over to me and, after checking that there was no one in the room, he looked at the box on my bed, then at me.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, slipping his gun in his jeans and grabbing my face to examine my head and then my hands, both stained with blood.

I started shaking.

Sebastian, on the other hand, seemed to relax when he saw that there wasn’t a scratch on me.

“Try to calm down,” he said, cautiously approaching and wrapping me in his arms.

I didn’t even register the fact that the thing I’d wanted from the moment I’d met him was finally happening. All I could think about was the image of that dead animal on my bed and the blood stainingeverything. I began to sob uncontrollably. Sebastian placed a hand on my head as he took out his cell phone and made a call. He said something so quickly that I couldn’t even understand him. Then he took my hand and led me to the bathroom, where he sat me on the closedtoilet and picked up a towel. He proceeded to turn off the water, which was about to overflow, and wet the tip of the towel.

“I’m going to clean your face, all right?”

I didn’t answer; I just let him do it. I was so shocked that I didn’t even hear what he was whispering in his attempt to calm me. My entire body shook, tears rolling down my cheeks. When he’d finished cleaning my face, my white towel stained a strange pink color, he started wiping my hands, his strong fingers attempting to erase every trace of blood from my skin. But even though he did the best he could, my hands were still stained.

“Those sons of bitches,” he said to himself.

I looked up and stared at him. “What happened?” I didn’t even recognize my own voice.

“Wait here.” He stood up and left my bedroom.

I ignored him, getting up to look at myself in the mirror. My pale skin contrasted grotesquely with the reddish stains on my cheeks, eyelids, and even part of my lips.

I grabbed the soap and desperately started scrubbing my hands and face.

Nothing.

The blood wouldn’t come off, like a nightmare that wouldn’t end, that refused to leave me alone.

I heard the door open and saw Sebastian appear with a bottle in his hands. “It’s alcohol,” he said. I noticed that he also had a small sponge. “Let me clean you up.”

I let him softly rub the sponge over my cheeks, eyelids, and lips. When he finished, he moved on to my hands. His jaw tensed forcefully, but his hands were gentle as he carefully cleaned me up.