Kate looks down, watching helplessly as Richie starts trembling on the floor. Shit. She has used the venom on numerous vampires over the years and every one of them reacted to it right away, their bodies shutting down, immobilising them. It's extremely hurtful to their system, rendering most of them unconscious from the agonising torture. But of course it affects Richie differently, probably because of Santanico. He's not paralysed; in fact he's shaking violently, moaning with pain.
After everything he and Seth have put her through, she should be jumping with joy at the sight of Richie suffering... but it's not happiness, or even satisfaction, she feels at the sight of a tortured Richie on the floor.
Every instinct she possesses is telling her to run, get away from here as fast as she can. At any moment Seth will burst through that door, making this night even worse, and while she may be able to handle one Gecko on her own, she knows it's almost impossible for her to beat them when they're a team. In her experience, the brothers are significantly more cruel and cunning when they're working together and yet, she finds herself unable to leave.
Resigned, Kate bends down and places her hand on his forehead. Although he looks feverish, his temple is ice-cold. He meets her gaze, the deep blue pools of his eyes drowning in anguish.
She quickly gets up, grabs a pillow and comforter from the bed before returning to Richie. Holding his head up, she struggles to slide the pillow underneath him so he's a bit more comfortable. His hand fists her towel, reluctant to let her go when she tries to get up.
"Kate..." he murmurs. "Don't... leave... please." His voice is hoarse, raw, desperate.
"I have to change," she replies, pulling away. Picking up a pair of tank-top and shorts, she walks to the bathroom. Once inside she expels a long breath, staring at her own reflection in the mirror, her brain still screaming at her to run before it's too late. She can't leave now but once he's okay she can take off, Kate reminds herself. It takes hours for the venom to disintegrate but it's already proven to behave unpredictably with Richie. Maybe he'll be fine within minutes. And then a new thought occurs to her, filling her with unexpected dread. What if he's not? What if the venom is more toxic to his system and ends up hurting him worse?
She throws the towel aside, gets dressed. Her hand is on the doorknob when she pauses momentarily. Her nerves are shot to hell, overwhelmed with guilt, anger and confusion. Taking a deep breath, she exits the bathroom.
Richie is still on the floor, curled up on one side, no longer shaking. Instead he's watching her, making her feel even more anxious than she already does. Ignoring his piercing stare, she walks towards him and picks up the comforter from the floor, throwing it over his body. She sits down next to him, leaning back against the bed frame, and closes her eyes.
It's not too long before he starts shaking again vigorously, jolting her awake. Unsure of what to do, she scoots down and tries to comfort him but his movements are too quick, too abrupt, until eventually the episode passes and he's calm once again. Throwing her arms around his chest, she hugs him tightly.
"I'm... sorry," he whispers against her neck.
"Just try to sleep."
"No. You'll... leave."
Her stomach coils into painful knots, her chest tightening. Silent for several minutes, she finally responds. "I won't."
"Promise... me."
She begins stroking his hair. "I promise."
He relaxes against her, like a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulder, and soon falls asleep in her arms.
When Kate wakes up next she finds herself face to face with Richie. His eyes are wide open, peering at her closely as they lie next to one another, sharing the same pillow. "What time is it?"
"I'd tell you but I can't move." Paralysis seems to have finally kicked in. "You still snore," Richie continues, his tone filled with amusement.
Embarrassed, she sits up. "Fuck you."
"Not today. But soon, I promise."
She glares at him, irritated by the sheer arrogance in his voice. He may be incapable of moving but his mouth seems to be working just fine. "You're an ass."
"Tell me something I don't know, Sweetheart."
"Don't call me that."
"Then what do you want me to call you?"
"Nothing." She turns around, sitting with her back to him. "I just want you to get out of my life."
"I can't do that, Kate. I walked away once and it almost killed me. Seth. You. It was a mistake and I don't intend to make it again."
"You, you, you. It's always about you. No one else matters because it's always about Richie. You're the most selfish person I know!"
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Feeling agitated, she moves over to sit on the bed.
"You promised you wouldn't leave," he reminds her.
"Unlike you, I keep my word. I'm not going anywhere, but that doesn't mean I have to look at you." She glances at the clock; it's almost one in the morning. It's been a long night and she's exhausted. Pulling the sheets over her, she lies down on the mattress.
"Who was he?"
At first she contemplates staying mum but eventually her curiosity wins out. "What are you talking about?"
"Who was the guy you lost your virginity to?"
"How's that any of your business?"
"Hey, I'm just trying to kill time with some conversation. It's either this, or me lying awake and listening to you snore."
"Shut up!"
He chuckles.
She knows he's goading her, teasing her deliberately, and she really shouldn't respond but both brothers have always been really good at provoking her temper.
"So, who was he?"
Thinking back to the guy she met at the coffee shop she worked at two years ago, Kate finally answers. "Aaron."
"Sounds like a loser."
"He wasn't a loser. He was nice, sweet. Pretty much perfect."
"There's no such thing as perfect."
"Maybe not but he was the closest thing to it."
"Where's Prince Charming now?"
She doesn't respond.
"Don't leave me in suspense, Kate. I'm just dying to find out if this crappy romance has a happy ending or not."
"It doesn't."
There's a brief pause before he speaks again. "What happened?" he asks softly, almost hesitant.
"I left him before he could leave me."
Tension fills the air, thick and palpable.
"Did you love him?" Richie prods.
"No. I don't think I have it in me to love people anymore."
"Yeah. Sure."
His condescending tone sets her blood boiling and it takes all of her willpower not to throw something at him. "Fuck you, Richie!"
"You don't like hearing the truth? Too fucking bad. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. You're amazing, and beautiful, and you see the best in everyone. You make people want to be better. That hasn't changed. It never will."
"That girl's been dead for a long time, Richie."
"Don't give me that bullshit. If that was really true, you would have left me here alone. But you didn't."
"I'm really regretting that decision now."
He chuckles.
"Maybe this is all a ploy on my part," she adds. "When you're sleeping, I'll put a stake through your heart."
"If that'll make you feel better, I'll give you the fucking stake myself."
"I don't believe you."
He ignores her words. "These last few years, it's been miserable. Before you, Seth and I were fine. All we needed was each other. And then you came along and it just... it changed everything. For me, for him. I thought once you left things would go back to the way they used to be, but it never did. It hasn't been the same, not even close. Everything feels hollow, empty, when you're not with us."
Her heart soars, and a small part of her aches to believe him - but she can't, not when fear lurks in every corner of her soul. After everything that's happened, she can't trust Richie. Not at all.
Suddenly there's a loud banging on the door, startling her.
"I know Richie's in there, Kate. Open up or I'm going to kick this door in," Seth threatens from the hallway.
"He's not kidding about the door," Richie drawls. "I've seen him do it many, many times."
"Shut up!" Great, just great. Exactly what I need, Kate mutters to herself as she contemplates her next move.
