KATE CONNOR.

ITALY.

꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎

"Damn it, Kate!" he groans as I press the alcohol-soaked cotton against his cheek. The sharp scent of antiseptic fills the air, mixing with the faint trail of dried blood still on his skin.

**"Can't you be more careful?!"**

"Stop whining so much, Eric," I grumble, irritated, even though my hands still tremble while cleaning the wounds my brother left on his face. "This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t had that brilliant idea to leave Violet alone in the first place."

I press a little harder — just enough to make him feel it for being such an idiot.

I switch the cotton ball for a fresh one, and although my brother blames all of this on Eric, when I really think about it…

*The truth is, I'm the one who caused this mess.*

The silence between us feels heavy, like a wet blanket on our shoulders. The ceiling light flickers slightly, giving the room a sickly tone. Outside, the wind brushes against the windows, whispering through the trees like i