Rox stared at Kara with a depleting level of impatience. "Swallow it."
Kara looked at the little pill in her hand for the longest time. "It's bitter."
"You aren't supposed to taste it, Kara. For God's sake, you still have a bowl of soup to drink, and it's not going to get cold," he said sternly.
She sniffed. "You sound like a dad."
He stiffened. He rarely lost his temper, and this little girl wasn't going to make him lose it. "Don't you do drugs?"
Running her fingers through her auburn locks, she looked at him with dark, circled-rimmed eyes. "Why would I do drugs?"
"I don't know. All kids our age do it. Shit, you don't smoke, don't drug, do you even drink? What are you, a saint?" he scoffed.
She sighed. "I'm 17, bro. I can't drink."
His brow arched. "I thought you were sixteen?"
An exasperated sigh left her lungs as she leaned her head against the bedrest. "My mom forgets my age sometimes."
Staring at her intensely, he chose not to ask—they didn't have that type of relationship. "Take the pill, Kara, or I'm going to force it down your throat."
In one quick swoop, she tossed it down her throat and swallowed it.
Giving him a snippy smile, she asked, "Happy?"
He ignored her taunt. "Drink the soup."
"Quit bossing me around!" she snapped.
"Quit being such a baby!" he said with a level tone.
She ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, I didn't ask you to do this, okay? I'm fine. You can go do whatever shit you were supposed to do today."
He could feel his nails digging into his flesh from how much restraint he had to put up with her attitude. "Well, then you shouldn't have gotten sick and made me babysit."
Kara threw her pillow at his face. "Get out!"
In an inhuman burst of speed, he was suddenly in front of her. She froze as he lifted her onto his lap, the bowl of soup in hand.
"What fucking monster are you?" she whispered fearfully.
His eyes were so dark she felt like she was drowning in them as he spoke in the calmest voice she'd ever heard. "Open your mouth, Kara."
Without protest, she obeyed. He fed her spoonful after spoonful, his proximity and aura so intense that it terrified her.
As she took the last bite, goosebumps crept all over her skin. "You should shower," he said coldly, setting her down gently on the bed as though she were fragile.
Then, without another word, he stood and left, slamming the door behind him.