Page 75 of Not Your Hero

“You have to take care of her,” I urge as I nod to Emerson.

“I got this.” We head for the bed, and only then does Emerson let me go.

“On the bed,” I tell her. In a daze, she climbs on the bed, and I lay down next to her. Before I can say anything, she’s back to clinging to me. Ren gives me a nod and leaves the room as I hold onto Emerson.

“You shoved an arrow into your chest,” she cries.

“I’m sorry.”

“You can’t do that to me. Ever!”

“I’m sorry, Em.” There’s nothing more to say. Sleep is slowly tugging me under, and I let it.

I don’t dream of anything. I don’t think there’s anything for me to dream of. I have Emerson. My brother is dead. Everything is a complete mess. I lie in the darkness; that’s all there is.

“It’s been three days,” I hear Emerson yelling as I try to pry my eyes open.

“It happens. The doctors don’t know why,” I hear Ren say this time.

“For three days? That’s normal? There’s something wrong, Ren.”

“There’s nothing wrong, Emerson. I’m telling you this is what happens.”

“And they don’t know why?”

“No. He’s been to multiple specialists, and none of them know what’s happening.”

“This is stupid. He hasn’t eaten, he hasn’t drunk anything. He’s going to fucking dehydrate.”

“No, he isn’t. He’s had IV fluids. He’s fine,” Ren assures her. I feel the bed shift, and then I feel her hand on my chest, causing my heart to kick up a notch. I pry my eyes open and turn my head to see her staring at me.

“Hey,” I whisper.

“Oh my God,” she whispers. “I thought you were never going to wake up.”

“I’m awake now.”

“You’re awake now,” she repeats. I shift a little so I can reach her and pull her to me. I kiss her. I kiss her like my life depends on it. I kiss her hard, and when I finally let her breathe, she rests her forehead against mine, and everything seems right.

“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do.”

“Em, everything is okay. It’s going to be okay,” I tell her.

“Is it? I mean, they cleaned up all the bodies, and there were a lot of them, Gannix. And your brother … fuck. I’m so sorry,” she says as tears fill her eyes. I shake my head, and she sits up, and I do the same even though my body aches. I grab her face in my hands and force her to look at me.

“Emerson, don’t do that. He was going to kill you, and that wasn’t an option. There’s no fucking way I could have lived without you. Do you understand that?”

“I didn’t want to be without you either.”

“What? You didn’t?”

“No. I’ve never felt like I needed anyone the way I need you,” she tells me. My heart beats faster now I’ve heard her say that. She’s it. She’s all I ever wanted. She’s everything I wanted. I’ve watched her for so long, needing her, craving her, and now she’s here telling me she needs me too.

“Emerson, I love you. And I’ve never loved anyone or anything in my life.”

“What?” she gasps.

“I love you. I probably have since the first time I saw you. You’re the only thing that made me feel complete.”

---