Talia's POV 
My wounds have begun to slowly hill. Although I've sworn to Kael that I'd never step foot out of the door till I'm fully healed, and even at that, he would know exactly where I was. So far, there has not been any need to. 
I saw how much I scared him when he saw me almost half dead, and I definitely am not willing to re-enact. 
I don't know how to describe our dynamic, but we complemented each other. Some days, I liked it, some days, I didn't. Not because it was bad though, mainly because it ducked to imagine the void, and memories I'd leave in Kael's heart when we really do have to say goodbye. And I have a feeling that it will be soon. 
Maybe not just Kael, maybe me too. He could make it all so easy by not being so nice and interested in me. Reasonably, that would also make my life two times more miserable, but at least I won't have to feel the guilt of walking out on him. 
Maybe it's not even just him I'm bothered about. Me too. Despite his rough and gruff exterior, Kael really is a softie, a big softie. On times when he allows himself slip, he's extra caring, extra loving and really really attentive. 
It's so bad that sometimes when I'm supposed to be relishing the moment, enjoying it and getting sunk in his love and attention, I'm withdrawn and a little cold, and on bad days, even taking his mood down with mine. 
   “Hey.” I didn't notice he had been standing by the door all the while as my face was buried in my hands, staring at nothing in particular. I looked up at him and saw he was with warm milk and two cups. 
  “I did not notice you.” I said finally when I realized I was stalling too much and he had begun to look worried. Shifting a little to my left, I made space for him on the bed and patted it for him to sit. 
  “You were so busy in your head.” He started. His eyes were on me and I could feel it, but I was not going to look back at him. 
  “Yeah. Bad habit.” I replied, dismissively. It would be a lie if I said I did not expect him to continue the interrogation. The room was quiet, so the cricket chips sounded amplified. I doubt if it's just the cricket making all these noises, but they're all Kael always curses on evenings when we are out of what to talk about, and he goes “those damn crickets”. It somehow always cracked me up every time he said it. Like the crickets were somehow to be blamed for our lack of what to talk about. It was slowly growing on me, just a few days ago, I caught myself saying it in my head. I wish I could blame them for what was happening to me, I really wanted someone to blame 
  “There's more than that.” He sounded so convincing I couldn't even dispute. “There's more you don't want to talk about.” He repeated. 
  “How sure are you?” I asked him playfully. Silently praying he would just follow where I was headed with the conversation. 
  “As sure as I am about you wanting to leave?” That definitely was playful, but there was some venom hidden in there, and I caught it. 
  “Ouch.” I said first. I was out of words, at the same time I didn't want to embarrass him. He had just begun softening and being humane, I did not want to be the one to drive him back into his shell. “Don't always bring that up in every conversation.” 
  “Or else what?” In all these, I knew he wasn't pissed, but I also knew it was a matter of minutes before the last of his patience burned out. Kael's a lycan, known to be really fierce and tough, and also very little patience. 
  “Nothing. I just think it makes us both uncomfortable, and it becomes weird so fast.” I wanted to hold my lips! But it felt like they had a mind of their own. Even Kael looked shocked. We both were not expecting that. But I was already neck deep in, there's no backing out. 
  “Thank you for being honest.” He said, and that was genuine. 
  “It's whatever, really.” Once again, my lips were moving fast that I could control. 
Thankfully, he wasn't hurt by it and he just kept mute. 
  “In all your thinking, Talia, have you considered just trying to get along with me and see how far that takes you?” He shot me a very dead look. “Hold that thought, before you wriggle out of it, have you also ever considered doing what's best for both of us? ‘Cause I'm trying and it seems like all I do is keep making you uncomfortable” Kael was pained. He really did not even have to tell me to hold the thought, there was no thought. 
There was that silence, our friend. The very uncomfortable, ominous silence that came in the middle of every hard conversation. 
  “Don't you think I'm feeling every bit of the heat you are?!” His tone was steadily getting meaner, his voice was also rising. “Don't you think I wish it was different too? Do you think I'm enjoying your harsh reminder that I'm not a great person to live with which why Id wind up old and gray all on my own, away from people and civilisation? Could you sometimes please cut me some slack? You know the thing I said about you telling me whenever you feel like going out to clear your head or catch the sun? Please feel free not to. Help me unlearn how to care about you so much so I don't feel hurt by anything you do.” 
The tears were streaming down in heavy currents down my face, but Kael was not stopping. 
  “Kael,” I called it, was getting too much for me. 
  “Don't fucking call me!” He barked at me. “You're free. We both know that. I'm not holding you here. Any damn time you think you've had enough, use the damn door. And take every piece of you out with you. It would hurt more to see reminders of you after you've gone. Let that be the last thing you do for me. Help me forget you.” 
He stood up, taking one glass in the tray he brought, and he started to walk out of the room.