I felt the anger slithering under my veins. I wanted to deliver love to Hazel but I didn't want to make the same error twice. I didn't want to slash her again. I trusted my sinful side more than I trusted my real self. I was an imp in disguise. I was residing in the wrong world at the right time. Criticize me if you want but Hazel's blood was like water in my brain. I didn't really care about her life the way I used to. The blackness overwhelmed me. It made me cruel, more effective. On a real note, my love for her was still there and It was difficult to let go.

"We need to stop." I broke the kiss as she pulled me back in.

"Why?" She murmured, between kisses, refusing to let me go. "Kiss me."

"I don't want to harm you again." My words sounded selfish but my intentions were equitable. "Hazel, my love," I caressed her face gently as I tried to change her mind. "I want you too but... I can't control myself right now. I don't know what I'm capable of." I let out a deep sigh. "Look at your foot." I gestured. "If I'm going to make love to you, I want every part of you to enjoy it. As a real man, it's going to be hard for me to fulfill my needs when you're suffering."

"I'm not." The lie dissolved under her breath. "I'm okay."

"You're really a persistent person. Aren't you?" I uttered. "I'm sorry Hazel but, I can't." My rejection was more like a missile. Her reaction entertained the devil within me. "I'm the only person who can heal you but I have to figure everything out first. I don't want to take advantage of the moment. I know part of you is still mad at me and I don't blame you." I swallowed my saliva slowly as I tried to let the words out. "You don't have to do this." I tried to convince her. "We don't have to do this."

Hazel rolled her eyes, annoyingly. "Whatever."

"Here." I took my shirt off. "Put this on." She obeyed and followed my order immediately.

"Where are you going?" She asked, watching my every move. "Jack said..."

"I'm leaving." I cut her off. "Fuck Jack!" My tone was harsh. "Please, stop looking at me like that." My eyes judged her body language under the white sheets. "I'm not bringing you with me. It's dangerous. You have to stay with Jack. He's the only person I can trust. He's going to protect you." I tried to make things better between us.

"You bit me." She reminded me of my previous mistake. "You can't just leave and expect me to be okay. I need you, Jack needs you. You need to protect me, not Jack."

"Are you hearing yourself right now, Hazel?" I whispered under my breath. "I can't control myself anymore. I don't want to hurt you." I sighed. "It hurts. I want to go back in time and undo what I did but I can't and it's eating me alive to watch the love of my life suffering right in front of me." My jaw clenched, furiously. "And the worst part, I can't do anything about it."

Hazel took a deep breath as she hobbled in my direction. "Please... Don't leave..." Her fingertips flew down my cheek gently. "Stay..."

"But..." She elevated my temper with a dry kiss. "But I don't belong here."

Jack Walter. My best friend, my only blood, was screaming through the door. Hazel, open the door. What do you think you're doing?. These were his first words. Deep down, I felt like I was losing my brother. I was fighting for his attention and his invisible love. I wanted my best friend back. I wanted him to guide me, to stay by my side, and to protect my future wife as he promised.

I wanted him to forgive me but the calories of his anger were higher than his love for me.

"I got it." Hazel sat on the edge of the bed as I opened the door slowly, inviting him in. "Jack? I need to talk to you." I tried to catch his attention but it was useless.

He placed the food tray in the middle of the bed and ignored the hell out of me. "Hazel? Are you hurt? Did he try to attack you?"

"No," Hazel replied, glimpsing at me. "Jack, you need to stop acting like Hawk is not human. He's one of us. Talk to each other and I'm pretty sure that..."

"You should eat, Hazel..." Jack interrupted her. "You need your energy."

"But..." Hazel stammered. "Jack..."

"But nothing, Hazel!" Jack commanded. "You should eat and stop complaining." He headed next to the window and contemplated the view from outside. "The weather is really nice today. I'm probably going to the mall..."

Jack hates shopping.

He was really trying to catch my attention.

"You hate the mall." I broke the silence. There was a pause on his end. "What are you actually up to?"

"What I do with my life doesn't concern you anymore." His tone was thin and harsh. "Why don't you step aside and leave me the hell alone?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." I refused, begging his cold heart to forgive me. "I need my brother back." I was referring to him. "I miss him and I want him to guide me in the right direction, to forgive me and to remind me that I'm also human." I paused as I tried my best not to say the wrong things. Jack was really sensitive. He can be impatient sometimes. "I'm not a monster, Jack..."

"Then why did you hurt Hazel?" He questioned, disappointed. "Why did you try to kill me?"

"I'm sorry..." I apologized, without hesitation. "Brother, I'm really sorry." I patted his back. "Can we forget about this?"

"Forget?" He chuckled, sarcastically. "You want me to forget that you choked me." He finally made eye contact for a few seconds and avoided me by staring straight through the window. "You almost killed me, Hawk." He took a deep breath and continued. "I will never forgive you."

"Jack, I--"

"You're dead to me." He groaned, cutting me off completely. "I consider you more like an enemy than a brother." His words broke my heart. My brother, my best friend since day one, hated me. "Why didn't you just die last night? Maybe... Just maybe... Life would be easier."

"You don't mean that." I squeezed my teeth against each other as I tried to control my temper. "Jack... You... don't... mean... it..." I broke down my words as tears greeted my eyes, slowly. "Why would you say that to me? Jack? What's wrong with you?"

"You want my forgiveness?" He solidified me straight in the eyes. "Fix this." He pointed at Hazel's foot and tried to walk away.

"I need your help, Jack..." I pleaded. "I know I fucked up and this is why I need you to stay by me. You're the only person who understands the pain behind my true identity. You and I both know that I didn't choose this stupid life. I wanted to be normal just like everyone else." I paused. "I want a future, a family," I spoke the truth. "Please, don't give up on me."

Jack Walter.

Forgive my sins, brother. I'm sorry for breaking your trust.

"What do you want me to do?" Jack requested, sincerely. "I'm not giving up on you. I just disliked what you did to Hazel."

"Are we good?" I asked, hoping that he would say yes. "Are we?"

"No." He said, sternly. "You asked me to help you and that's what I'm going to do."

"I understand." I gave up. "I'll respect your decision." As soon as my words entered his ears. He headed straight to the door. Maybe he was right, I didn't deserve his forgiveness. I was the worst person on the planet and that was the sad truth.

"Hazel." He commenced. "Stop playing with your food. You're not twelve." His tone was harsh but also friendly. "If you want anything just call me. I'll be in the guest room."

"Okay, Boss," Hazel replied, sarcastically. "Anything else?" Ignoring Hazel's pettiness, he closed the door after him. "I'm not a kid for God's sake." She mumbled under her breath.

Hazel was old enough according to her birth certificate but too young to act her age. Sometimes, she might be immature, petty, and disrespectful. She doesn't know how to control her anger or her emotions. She thinks that she knows everything but little does she know, the essence of her intelligence is far from progress.

"Sometimes, you act like one." I intruded, dragging my opinion inside her thoughts. "Stop playing with your food and eat." I examined her actions, attentively. "I'm leaving. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Hazel tried to get up, her knees were too weak to follow through. "You can't just leave."

"Of course, I can," I enforced my power. "And I will."

"Why are you only thinking about yourself right now?" She assumed. "What about my foot?"

"Hazel?"I sighed, desperately. "Listen to me, everything is going to be just fine. I'll find a way to heal you but first, you need to trust me. You need to let go of the negative thoughts inside your head and let things flow normally."

"Where the hell are you going?" She frowned. "That's the real question."

"I'm going to visit my dad." I enveloped her mind with the truth. "He was also human and he deserved a happy life."I looked down, counting the good memories. "Your family destroyed him."

"Why are we talking about the past?"Hazel played the victim. "I thought we were over this."

"We are." I nodded. "I just need time to figure things out. I need to be alone for a couple of days. I need to leave right now."

"Please..." She pleaded, placing the tray on the white carpet, below the bed. "Can you just stay? Maybe we can cuddle for a little bit..."

"Princess, listen to me, my love, I don't have a problem with that but you have to understand that I can't just sit there and watch you suffer." I sat on the edge of the bed as I placed a tiny hair behind her right ear, slowly. "You're in this position because of me. I'm the reason why."

"B--B--But..." She stammered.

"But nothing." I clarified. "Please understand me..."

"I do..." Her sweet tone enlarged my affection. "I just wanted to cuddle. That's all..."

"Come here..." She leaned in closer and rested her head on my chest. "I love you..." I kissed her forehead. "I will always love you..."

"I love you too..." She replied, confidently. "I just want to stay in your arms forever..." She wrapped her hands around my body as she squeezed the living hell out of me. "Are you going to suffocate me Milady?"

"Don't let go..."

"I won't..." I whispered in her ear. "I promise."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, babygirl."

"What's your biggest weakness?" Her question amused me. "And don't lie to me..."

"If I tell you, you're not going to believe me." A smile played on my face as I tried to evacuate the truth behind my words. "It's better if I don't tell you anything."

"Tell me... Is it me?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"."

Maybe for Hazel, that was the wrong answer but my words validated the truth. My tone interpreted the melancholy of my misery. My heart pleaded for a desperate taste of lightness. Was I wrong for saying that I was my own weakness? Maybe but that was the honest truth.

"Yourself?" She sadly neglected, refusing to accept the truth. "What are you saying right now?"

"Yes, myself..." I assured, theoretically. "I spend too much time inside my head, I become my own weakness. Sometimes, I'm just scared to lose you. I create these bad scenarios and it's hard for me to delete them and move on. I feel so empty, I feel like I'm drowning myself from thinking the worst."

"I'm here for you."

"I know but these headaches are getting worse every single day. Instead of being my peace, you just love to argue and I get tired sometimes."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just don't say anything... We'll g--"

"Hazel? Hawk?" Jack interrupted. "You have to see this."

"O' my God! Is that?" Speechless, Hazel found herself in a melody of darkness. "That's impossible."

I wish it was, my love but it was a bright sunny morning with thunders.