A/N: I'm an idiot. I was reading my previous chapters (because even I need to remind myself of what's going on) and realised Ch 11's title/song should have been switched with Ch 7's. Ugh. And it's so difficult to edit a published story! I waited so long for the edits of the last chapter to appear but... oh well.
The perfectionist in me is squirming in pain (as usual) but the lazy in me won (as usual).
First half of the story is in Kim's POV, second is from Liam's... I think it is obvious enough to see the difference. I put a divider anyway.
*
Scar Tissue
I pushed open the heavy white door. It as a nice room, or at least as nice as a hospital room could be.
Liam lay on the bed, propped up against a pillow. He was looking straight at the door, as though he was expecting me. I coolly walked past his bed, to the bouquets of flowers he'd gotten, that were placed on the table and windowsill.
"If the wounds don't kill you, these flowers will," I said dryly, noting the rotting smell emanating from a bunch of roses. "I thought you'd have gone to Karl's hospital first?"
"I wasn't that desperate yet," he replied, slightly smiling. I hmmed in agreement
"I called Benjy, and we made it into an alley mugging," he explained. "No big deal."
"I thought so." I rested against the wall, folding my arms. He seemed amused at my response.
"Oh? So, you also knew I wouldn't call the police?"
"Of course. Unless you wanted to go to jail on some other felony." Now I smiled, narrowing my eyes.
He cocked an eyebrow as realization set in. "Ah. So that was the ace up your sleeve? Bit risky, isn't it?"
I shrugged. "I think I know how to play the part of the distressed little girl very well," I said, settling down into the couch. "Poor me... seven months pregnant, away from family, so deeply in love..." I stretched my arms, and yawned. "Maybe I wasn't beautiful anymore, in this state. Maybe he never did sleep with another girl, but I swear I saw-" I bent forward, eyes wide open, my voice wavering, "-I saw so many things, I don't know if they were hallucinations, but I swear I saw him with another woman...I meant to move the girl away..."
He stared, agape at my act. I laughed.
"And if you did admit there was a girl in the room, then... well, it just puts you under an even worse light, doesn't it?"
"So you planned this from before..." he muttered.
"Not really, I just made it up after a while," I admitted, shrugging. He almost smiled, but seemed to catch himself.
We both stayed silent, not looking at each other.
"What do you want?" he said finally.
"I can't come to see you?" I asked incredulously. I got up, reaching for the flowers again. "Loads of other people did... Who's this...Hmm..." I examined the little get-well cards attached to the bouquets.
"I don't even know why there are so many, the retarded delivery people keep bringing them in," said Liam, exasperated. "Maybe three people except you actually visited me-"
"So was Melanie one of them?" I asked, showing him a card. He looked confused.
"Who's Melanie?"
"Oh you know. Your latest fucktoy. The hot piece of ass you were banging that day." Saying it out loud felt like I was spitting out venom. It felt good.
"Her name was Melanie?" He honestly looked flabbergasted.
I laughed at his reaction, despite myself. "Shame on you," I said, pressing the button to call the nurse.
"Kim..." he sounded weary, unsure, but was temporarily spared from explaining himself as the nurse entered.
"Please take these out," I said, motioning at the flowers. "I'd think you'd know that this could be an infection hazard."
She left to call the housekeeping. I turned back to Liam. "Yes?" I asked coldly. I stood by his bead, looming over him.
How long ago was it, that day when we met? Although the physical proof was there in my womb, it felt like years. He seemed untouchable then.
"Forgive me," he whispered.
"Do you forgive me?" I asked.
"What?"
"Do you forgive me for having emotions? Being selfish? Not being how you want?"
"That's stupid talk-you're everything I want- please let's forget-"
"But I can't forget," I replied, and my eyes welled up with tears. It was so difficult to talk. To stand. The pounding in my head never stopped. But I had to finish this, I had to-
I closed my eyes, and when I opened, I saw the wet teardrop stains on his bedsheet. He looked miserable.
"It happened. I let you think it was alright. I let you go through with it. It was my decision,Liam, whatever you say or think," I stressed. "So the only one I can blame is myself. And I cannot forgive myself, ever, for trusting you. You never promised me anything, so you broke nothing. You're fine, Liam."
His hand shot up, and caught my wrist tightly. The janitor came in, and started moving away the dead flowers. I didn't struggle. It made no difference to me, either way.
"Will you put flowers on my grave when I'm dead?" he asked, watching him take them away.
I stayed silent.
"I'd like you to visit. But I don't like flowers. Don't get those." He held on to my hand, rubbing it with his fingers, inside my palm. The janitor left.
"Kim... Little rabbit. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was doing."
I snorted.
"Okay,
why
I was doing what I was doing," he corrected. "Tell me what I should do. Just... fix this."
I had enough. Now he comes sniveling back to me? "I thought you were my 'master'?" I asked vehemently. "You 'owned' me? That's what you were doing right? Testing 'devotion'? Fancy me, telling you what to do!"
"Nobody owns anyone," said Liam seriously.
"Someone's really changed their tune now," I said, snatching my hand away. "Nobody owns anyone! Setting yourself free, are you?"
"So you don't like how I am anymore, right?" he asked suddenly. Something had snapped in him as well - as though he couldn't keep up the pitiful facade anymore. "You want me to leave you? Is that what you want?"
That just irked me more.
I walked away from him to get my bag from the couch. I needed to leave this room, away from his stupid voice and retarded face. The dull ache in my brain was getting worse.
