Bitten

“She’s alright, she doesn’t need to go to the hospital,” Wes’ voice echoes the darkness.

“She hit her head and doesn’t wake up, of course, she needs to go to the hospital,” Mason is angry, someone is pushing my hair out of my face gently.

It cannot be Mason or Wes their voices sound distant and the hand is too small, Hannah.

“Shh,” she whimpers as she tries to console me. The smell of alcohol fills my nostrils.

“Hey get your kid away from her,” Wes says rather harshly and Hannah’s hand is pulled away from me.

“Don’t you dare touch her,” my eyes shoot open and I lock them on Wes but he did not have Hannah Mason did.

I pull my legs to the side of the couch, sit up, I stand slowly feeling a bit dizzy.

How did I get on the couch?

I look at Mason and the relief on his face is clear.

“You’re awake,” he smiles at me I can’t stop the smile that comes across my face as well.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Just like I said,” Wes growls and paces in front of us, “I need to go get some things for later tonight,” Wes’ face is strained as he tries to give me hints about what he is talking about but I have no clue.

“Okay,” I shrug he sighs and walks out the door.

The living room somehow feels so much smaller now. Mason stares at Hannah in his arms as she looks at me her eyes gleaming with delight.

“I guess its time for us to start going,” he says to me but does not take his eyes off of Hannah.

“Why? Is her mother waiting for you?”

I feel as if I can’t control what is meant to stay in my head and what is suppose to leave my mouth. He grimaces and shakes his head.

“No, her mother is not in the picture,” he bites the inside of his cheek and sighs defeated.

“May I ask why?”

Damn it brain shut up! He’s in so much pain already and my blurting out questions won’t help anything.

“You can...” he puts down Hannah, “Go play I’ll get you in a bit,” Hannah runs into my room and she is out of sight.

“May I,” his head nods towards the couch, “sit down?”

His eyes are full of sorrow I try to swallow the lump in my throat.

“Do you even have to ask, sit,” he does and I sit on the other end trying to give him some space.

“Well,” he sighs, “do you want the long version or the short version?” He forces a chuckle.

“Whichever one you want to tell me,” I say softly he nods and we sit in silence for a moment.

“I met Hannah’s mom back in high school. I was getting off my high from graduating from middle school when I stepped into my high school campus. I met her during my freshman year and we dated all through high school. In our senior year, I found out that she was pregnant. That was a horrible time for me. My parents kicked me out of the house and I ended up living at my friend’s parents' house. I wasn’t ready to be a father but I knew that it was my responsibility to step up and take care of the human I help create...” he takes a deep breath and stares at his hands, “when she was about eight months pregnant she vanished. I couldn’t find her anywhere. She would call to tell me she was fine but that was not enough for me I had to see her. After Hannah was born her mother called me telling me that she just had the baby and she was going to keep it and raise her on her own. I fought tooth and nail with her telling her that she is also my daughter and that I had a right to see her. She allowed me weekend visits and I grew very fond of her she is a piece of me. The weekdays were torture waiting for the weekend to arrive so that I could see her. There were weekends that she would leave out of town with her without telling and I had to wait yet another week to see her. That went on for three years when yesterday I get a call that she is planning on moving away with some rich guy that can give her more than I ever could she wanted a fresh start.”

“I’m sorry,” the words slip through and Mason smiles at me.

“She gave me an ultimatum if I wanted to stay with Hannah or her mother would keep her. Of course, I went off her...” he puts his head in his hands and stays quiet.

I look around not sure what I should do my hand shoots up to his shoulder and gently rub it, he lifts his head to my hand and rubs his cheek against my knuckles. I freeze and stare at him when he blinks and looks at me.

“Sorry I don’t know what went over me,” I keep my hand there not knowing what else to do.

“No, don’t worry about it,” he looks at me and sighs. “I should get Hannah ready so we can go.”

“Do you live far? I would love to visit,” he lets out a shaky breath.

“I’ll invite you when I get a place.”

“What does that mean?”

“Like I said I was kicked out of my parents’ house and lived with my friend...well we ended getting an apartment together-well more like he got an apartment and I paid whatever I could. He kicked me out yesterday when he found out that I brought a child into the picture.”

His eyes flicker to my bedroom where Hannah is giggling.

“That’s horrible.”

I can’t let them stay in the street, I can’t do that.

“Stay here with me I hate being lonely,” Hannah brings light into my dark life.

“No!” He shakes his head, “We’ll just be a nuisance and I don’t think your boyfriend would like that one bit,” I stare at him.

“Boyfriend?”

“Oh I’m so sorry husband,” Mason’s face scrunches up at the last word.

“What are you talking about?”

“Wes!” My mouth falls open and my eyes grow wide.

“He’s not my boyfriend and definitively not my husband. I just met the guy,” I scrunch up my nose.

“Really? You two seem to be together...Sorry for assuming.”

I sigh and start to laugh...hysterically.

The thought of being married to Wes seems ridiculous to me at the moment, he is handsome but other than that I am not sure if there is anything else and I doubt I will ever be able to accept the fact that he turned me into something that I only heard of in scary stories.

“So stay here. Until you at least get on your feet,” I suggest.

“Are you sure? You’ll tell me when I overstayed my welcome,” his eyes lock my gaze and I can’t look away from him.

I look deep into his eyes and I stop breathing and the silence falls around us and the beat of his heart starts filling my ears. I need to keep myself under control if I am going to have them here. I get off the couch and walk to my bedroom, I can feel his gaze follow me.

“Sure I’ll tell you, I have to run some errands right now so make yourself comfortable.”

I walk into my bedroom and Hannah is asleep on my bed. She looks exhausted, I leave her alone and walk to my closet and grab some jeans and a tight burgundy hoodie.

I go to the living room and Mason is still on the couch staring at the ceiling lost in thought. I don’t bother him I walk into the bathroom quietly and change quickly. I pull my hair into a tight ponytail and do not apply any makeup I don’t need it for what I am planning on doing today, lastly, I put on my sunglasses. I grab my keys from the counter, the jiggle of the keys catches Mason’s attention, he turns to look at me. There is something in his eyes that I can’t quite pinpoint but I give him a grin and he smiles back.

“There’s food in the fridge and you can get yourself aquatinted with this place.

“Thanks,” I walk out the door and lock it out of habit and walk down the hall.

It’s not long before I am on the street and jogging towards the building that I remember running out of, Wes’ home.

Making my way through the streets no one notices me, my body knew exactly where I am heading. I stand in front of the sliding entrance and pull the door to the side. Everything seems as it is in slow motion, Wes has a girl in his arms and it looks as if he is kissing her neck but the smell of blood hits me hard.

“No!” He turns to me with a hiss escaping his lips, the girl falls to the ground as Wes comes at me. I stay there rooted on my spot as the girl’s head bounces off the concrete floor.