Chapter 9

[Part 24]

"Hurry Selphie!" Vincent said heartily as he chuckled at the young woman that stood soaked at his front door. Taking her hands off her hips, she stomped into the house after smacking Vincent for teasing her earlier.

"I do not look like a wet dog, so shut your mouth!" she said squinting her eyes and pouting her lips. Seeing that Vincent still chuckled at the sight of her tangled hair hanging messily around her face, she squealed, "Eek! You stupid boy!" She jumped on his back as she smacked the top of his head. "You're so mean!"

"Aw, come on, Selph, I was just kidding!" he said while laughing uncontrollably.

"You think I'm ugly!" the young woman argued as she slightly jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. She was caught off guard as he grasped her elbow pulling her towards him.

Looking straight into her eyes, he said softly, "I think you're beautiful."

The house fell silent under the light tapping sound of rain that purred through the shabby walls. Vincent held Selphie's arms as his gaze pierced into her with such intensity she trembled with disorientation. She began to feel lightheaded from holding her breath as she shivered from the chills running down her spine. Her unstill movement caused Vincent to snap back into reality.

He blinked as he released the young woman from his hold. You idiot! What were you thinking? "Um...I should...go check up on him. See if he's ok..."

With a slight nod, Selphie sent him out of the room as she sunk into a nearby chair. She leaned on the arms for support as she lowered her body slowly onto the beat cushioning. Placing a hand over her chest, she felt her heart racing a mile a minute as her eyes shifted unsteadily. Get a grip girl, she thought. He's just trying to get out of being knocked aside the head. However, a constant tugging in her mind left her dazedly lightheaded.

Within seconds, Selphie heard someone stumble in the back of the house as she stood up with alarming curiosity. "Vincent?" There was no answer. A bad thought crept into her mind as she pushed it aside and went to check up on Vincent. "Vincent, is something..."

She was slightly taken as she stepped toward the dismayed young man. "...Wrong?" She managed to finish her question in a hoarse whisper that was barely audible in the pouring rain. Vincent turned around with a serious expression plaguing his face as he stomped his way to the front door. "Wait! Where are you going?"

He stopped with his head down low. "He's gone."

Selphie finally looked back on the couch that the teenager had supposedly been resting on and was disbelieved to see it was empty. She felt as though her lungs had deflated and was crumpled like a ball of paper. Her wide eyes stared at the empty bed refusing to accept that he was gone.

"Where...W-where'd he go?" she could hardly breath and struggled to remain calm as she began to slightly hyperventilate. She shook it off as she took in a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. Her body however chose to disobey her commands to keep a cool composure as she shakily sunk to the floor.

Vincent continued to stare at the couch in deep thought. With narrowed eyebrows, he rubbed between his eyes as he shook his head with frustration. "I don't know. He shouldn't even be awake yet." He paused to check his watch. "Not for another few hours anyway."

He walked over to the couch and bent down and sat on it as he ran his hands through his thick hair. "Damn it!" He exclaimed as he knocked over a pile of blitz ball magazines onto the floor. "He's a fcking zombie out there! The hell is he doing walking his as out of here like that!"

Selphie rocked back and forth unsure of what to think. "We have to find him."

"Course we do!" he yelled pulling at his hair. "He's a fcking dead kid if he doesn't get a transfusion in the next few hours! He's a freaking lucky bastard if he could make it through that door without knocking himself over!" He waved his arm towards the front door as he kicked a wastebasket sitting next to the couch. He stopped, resting his hand on his waist as he massaged his forehead.

Selphie sat on the floor still, her mind as blank as a slate. Her honey-colored eyes were clouded with visions that raced through her mind as she expressionlessly peered into space. Visions of the Red Wolves, of Trion, of her past began to flood before her eyes as she felt hope draining through her skin into droplets of sweat. She squeezed her eyes shut shaking her head in anger before they burst open with fiery.

"He can't...he can't...he can't do this to me!" her voice climbing unbearable volume. A shriek tore through Vincent's thoughts as she began to pound the ground with heavy fists. Her hands spread out as she dug into the carpet in an insane attempt to rip out the thick threading of the ground.

"Selphie? Selphie stop!" Vincent ran to her side and bent down to take hold of her arms. She screamed again, even more loudly that it began to disturb the young man. He pulled on her arm, but she dug deep into the carpet that she cried in pain when blood began to gush from her forefinger. She pulled back her hand, causing the nail to rip from is skin with a sickening sound like peeling off sticky tape.

She fell back into Vincent's arms as he restrained her tightly to keep her from causing any more bodily harm to herself. She breathed heavily, making a thick lock of bangs to blow off her face. She appeared to gain some type of control, making Vincent loosen his grip. She gritted her teeth as she sunk them into Vincent's arm.

The young man screamed in agony as he felt sharp pain sinking through the skin of his arm. Selphie didn't let go until she tasted the disgusting liquid flowing from the gashes on his arm. She freed herself from his hold wiping her mouth. Her wet hair clung onto her face and in the dim room it made her appear uncontrollably insane.

"Are you fcking crazy?" he spat at her as he applied pressure onto his injury. "The hell is wrong with you!"

Her gaze was lost yet intense. Something's not right. Vincent had never seen such disturbance in anyone before. She's panicking, but why is she going crazy?

"He is my problem," she told him flatly. Suddenly her eyes clouded with lifeless color. "He won't get away. I'll hunt him down. He is mine. Mine!"

Vincent got up and grabbed her arms shaking her violently in hopes she would come out of her trance. "What are you talking about?" He got no answer. "Selphie snap out of it! Why are you after that kid?"

She began to laugh. Her laughs were more like hiccups. "He's mine! Nobody else, nobody but me—

Selphie screamed as her face was slapped hard. She eyed him with shock putting a shaky hand on her stinging cheek. The young man still kept her arms locked with his hands as he frowned heavily.

She looked into Vincent's eyes. He looked at her his eyes furrowed with concern and regret. Her mind began to flood back into her head as reality brought her to come to.

"Vince..." she breathed out. Her vision blurred as the lines and colors on the young man's face wavered in her eyes.

He let out a breath of relief as his lips cracked into a smile. "Selph, are you all right?"

She could feel a thin stream of warmth trace the curves of her cheek as her lower lip quivered. Cold sweat snuck down her back as she shuddered against Vincent's shoulder. He wrapped his arms fully around her running his hand up and down her back.

"Shh, everything's gonna be ok," he whispered quietly into her ear.

She blinked one last tear. "No." She felt him stir in confusion. She sighed as she backed from him. "We have to find him."

With that, she stood up but was stopped by the tug at her hand. "Hold on."

"No! We have to find him now!"

"You're after him. I want to know why," he stood up and leveled his eyes with her. She staggered a bit under his upholding stare.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she challenged him confidently.

Vincent licked his lips and exhaled sharply. "Stop playing. I'm not stupid, I know you're after that kid and I want to know why."

"I already told you, I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" she released herself from his grasp as she walked towards the front door. "You said it yourself, he's going to die if he doesn't get that transfusion right?"

"I'm not going anywhere, not," he said grabbing her arm again, "until you answer me."

She bit her lip nervously. "Leave it alone Vince."

"Why?" she didn't answer. "Selphie, what are you hiding from me? Quit lying, I see right through you—

"You don't see sht! All you see is some btch who can't fcking even take care of herself! Vince, just leave it alone," she pleaded with angry eyes.

"I owe that kid big time, and if you're planning on doing something to him, I can't let you do that," he replied sternly.

"Then get out of my way."

They locked eyes as time slipped by. The quiet beating of the rain filled in the silence that held them together. "I'll only ask you one more time—

"Don't," she interrupted. "Get out of my way."

"Why is he so important to you?" he asked. Selphie gave an exasperated sigh as she shoved him roughly. "Why is finding him so important that it's making you insane?"

She punched him hard in the gut. "Because he's all I got!"

Vincent wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pushed her until she slammed into wall. "Got for what?"

"To get out of here!" she screamed unconsciously. She stopped as she realized what she said.

"What, so that's it? You think he's going to get you out of here?" he said dejectedly. "You don't even care if there are people who might want you to stay?"

"Please," she uttered angrily. "Nobody cares."

"I care!" he shouted. "I care, but you're too blind to see it!"

"You don't even know me! How the hell can you care for a piece of trash like me?" she argued back.

Suddenly time came to a halt. Vincent roughly pushed his lips against hers as he kissed her deeply. Selphie stood frozen with her eyes wide. She was too shocked to realize what was happening. She slowly shut her eyelids as she responded to Vincent's kiss. Feeling her lips moving against his, he softened the kiss.

Selphie shuddered as her body tingled with excitement. Butterflies stung her stomach as she tangled her fingers with Vincent's. The kiss was warm and too delicate for words. She never felt anything like it. She felt happiness flood into her veins pumping through every curve of her body filling her with warmth. Her mind was lost in pure ecstasy as she felt Vincent run his fingers through her hair. Her skin prickled at the tickling feathers of her hair.

Vincent on the other hand was struggling. Everything in his mind screamed him to stop; yet he couldn't. He knew he was making a big mistake, but he couldn't pull himself away from the young woman. I'm sorry Dove... he silently apologized. He couldn't bear that it hurt him badly to be kissing another woman, even after her death. He always thought it'd feel wrong to kiss another because he knew who possessed his heart. Then why does this feel so right...?

The kiss began to slowly stop. Their lips began to part away from each other as Vincent brushed his against Selphie's cheek. He held her close as she buried her cheek into the curve of his neck. She sighed with content with her eyes closed. When she opened them, her eyes traveled the room and landed on a gray pouch filled with surgical supplies. Her mind gasped when she realized that the teenager had slipped her mind.

She frowned sorrowfully knowing what she must do. Her eyes wavered as another tear fell from her auburn colored eyes. Stop falling, she told herself. She sniffled her last tear as she ordered herself, Stop falling. She pried herself from Vincent as she stared at him.

"What's the matter?" Vincent asked caringly.

You're not good enough for him. With that, Selphie shoved him hard in the chest. He stumbled back and nearly fell over the chairs as he tried to regain his balance. She walked towards the door and didn't look back.

"Selphie! Selphie wait!" Vincent called out. He straightened himself as he reached for her. She left him with a cold shoulder. "Someone finally cares for you, and what do you do? Push me away! Why don't you admit it?"

"Admit what?" Selphie asked whirling around to him.

"That you finally found someone to care about," Vincent replied.

"No I won't," she said turning away from him. She didn't want him to see her pain. She needed to be strong and confident against him.

"Why not?" he asked. "You can't even do that for me?"

She froze as she fought within herself. "I hate you!" The tears poured out from her closed eyelids. If only you knew how much it hurt to say that to you.

Vincent felt his heart stop. He felt like she had just knocked him in the face with a large sledgehammer and stabbed him in the chest with a stake. All he was able to do was stand there and look at the woman who hates him.

She took a deep breath. "I...hate...you."

She slammed through the front door leaving it to swing back and forth in the rain. Vincent didn't budge as he watched Selphie disappear into the curtain of pouring rain.

Selphie ran through the streets of Trion with the rain pounding sharply against her face. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest as she struggled to breathe. She felt oddly lightheaded and couldn't seem to concentrate on where she was going. She went wherever her legs took her regardless of her lack of attention. I'm sorry Vincent I had to, she apologized to him in her mind. Cause I've already fallen.