I've been trying to work on improving the quality of the chapters like they were in the beginning. I will be going at my own pace from now on and not the pace my readers want. I love my readers and I enjoy reading the reviews. I just get stressed over trying to write a chapter a day and I have barely worked on my other stories. I also have a new story n the making. I might post it when I feel like I can without being rushed.

She laid on her back for the majority of the night. The healing powder didn't seem to be working or her. I fear that she will succumb to infection if she doesn't receive proper health care soon. She was running a fever all night.

"My back hurts so much."

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." I pushed her hair off her damp forehead.

"No. It's just as much my fault as it is yours. I need something besides that damn powder. I wouldn't be surprised if that bitch poisoned it."

"I'll go get you some water and fresh rags." I stood up and gave her one last glance before leaving the tent.

I speed walked to the kitchen where I could get more powder or something a little more potent. Siri came into sight at her table.

"Hey there, handsome. Tired of that whiny bitch finally?"

"Shut your whore mouth. Where's the stronger healing powder?" I wasn't about to let her talk shit to my face.

"What makes you think I'd give you anything for her?" She spat out the final word with true venom.

"Because you forget you're a washed up, envious slut."

She pulled back in shock from my words.

"Fine. Take the damn powder." She threw the pouches at me.

I caught them and walked to the sink for a cup of water. I grabbed three clean-ish rags and headed back to the tent.

"Hey, I have some more stuff." I dunked a rag in the cup and placed it on her forehead.

"Thank you, Vulpes. Did she give you any trouble?"

"Yes, but I shut her down before she could say anything else." I wet a rag and worked on removing the dried paste from her back.

"What did she say?" Her brow was drawn in curiosity.

"Asked if I was finally tired of you." I had finished wiping the paste from yesterday and mixed the pouches in the water to make a brown sludge.

She was quiet for a time. She shifted uncomfortably. Either from being on her stomach all night or from Siri, I'm not sure.

"I told her that she forgot she was a washed up, envious slut. Don't worry, I shut her up."

"You aren't tired of me, are you?"

I gently rubbed the sludge onto her deep cuts. "Of course I am. Why else would I ask you to marry me? I'm absolutely bored of you."

"Vulpes, I'm being serious." She looked over her shoulder to glare at me.

"I'd kill myself before that happened. I would like my last thought to be of you." I dipped the rag in the sludge again and proceeded with her back.

"Oh. You'd rather die than spend your whole life with me." She smirked. I was still trying to figure out if she was truly joking.

"I'd rather die than not love you." She wanted serious so why start joking?

"Well, that's not a very happy thought. But it's acceptable."

"What's gotten into you lately?"

"What do you mean?" She knew what I was talking about.

"You've been acting strange recently. You keep asking things like if I still love you or am I finding you tiresome. Why would you think such things?"

"I don't know. Every guy I've been with was a sack of shit and either cheated on me or thought it would be cool to try to get rid of me. I guess I just expected it."

"So you think I'm a sack of shit?" I placed the cup down after finishing seeing to her cuts.

"I never said that. I was just sort of used to getting treated like a shirt. Something you like at first but grow out of and give away."

"I'd never do something like that. You're back is done. You can sit up now."

She lifted herself off the ground and sat to face me. "My neck was hurting from looking over my shoulder. Anyway, I guess I'm just a typical 'no self esteem' girl."

"Why not? You're the most beautiful girl I've seen. And that's saying something because I have seen some really breathtaking women."

That didn't seem to help. In fact, it did the exact opposite. She threw her hands over her face and sobbed into her palms. "Oh my god, Vulpes! You're such an asshole. Why would you say that?"

I froze like a gecko in the line of fire. What had I done wrong? I was just trying to reassure her that she's beautiful.

I had no idea how to handle the situation at hand. I tried to lift her face to me since that usually helped but she only shook me off and pointed at the tent flap. I took the hint and left. I had no idea where to go while she was wallowing in self hatred so I just went to find Lucius. He was in the kitchen at the table.

"Hey, how's her back?"

"I think she has an infection. I'm making sure to replace the powder but I need something stronger for her cuts. They don't seem to be healing."

"I don't know what you can give her that's allowed in the Legion. How's your head though? Is it still all fucky?" He twirled his finger around his head.

"I'm fine, you dick. I don't know what I'll do about her though. She asked if I was getting tired of her."

"That's a minefield, friend. How'd you handle it?"

"I told her how I felt and she said she just has low self esteem or something."

"And?"

"I told her she was the most beautiful girl I've seen and how that's really saying something. I've seen a lot of beautiful women. I don't know what I did wrong."

Lucius stared at me as if waiting for me to come to some realization to what I did to make her cry. I didn't do anything.

"You seriously believe you didn't do anything to upset her?"

"No. She started to cry and kicked me out again. I didn't even do anything. She's hysterical!"

"No, you're just a dumbass when it comes to talking to a woman with a fragile mind."

"Just tell me what I did wrong."

"You said you've seen a lot of beautiful women, right?"

"Yes, but I said she was the most beautiful."

"But adding that you have seen a lot of beautiful women will place that little seed of doubt. She's going to assume you will get tempted and cheat on her if you see another beautiful woman. Her confidence seems like it's very sensitive and adding that just obliterated it."

"I'd be stupid to cheat her. She's amazing and beautiful. I told her I'd rather kill myself than not love her."

"Now why the hell do you come to me when you guys get into a fight and you say something stupid to her and tell me something to fix. You should be telling her these things. You always tell me the shit you shouldn't be wasting on me. It's like you're physically incapable of telling her the nicest shit ever."

"I don't know." I slammed my head on the table. My hair pooled around me to shield me from the world. "I'm so stupid."