Chapter 7

...

I cried, not out of fear or terror.

But because the way he shouted those words with reddened eyes truly pierced my heart.

He once cherished me to his very core, he was once willing to give up his lawsuit against Zachary for me.

It was I who turned him into this.

Who turned him into the monster before me...

"Carlisle..."

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He dejectedly lowered the ice pack slowly, bowing his head with a sneer.

After a long silence, he spoke.

"Look back at me, even if just once..."

"Is that not allowed...?"

I was stunned, not yet having processed these words when Carlisle reached out his hand to wrap around my neck, pulling me forward.

Then his lips pressed down on mine.

He bit and tore at my lips, like an unsatisfied accusation, like a powerless venting, like a helpless child seeking a shred of warmth in loneliness.

The hands instinctively braced against his chest eventually slipped down weakly.