Page 117 of Spark

As the car drove off, she turned toward the building, her legs feeling like jelly. She made her way up the stairs the quiet of the lofts unnerving as she moved slowly up. She pulled her keycard out, swiping it quickly before moving into her hallway.The silence around her was suffocating. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat as she moved to the door.

Somehow, she managed to get into the loft, her body collapsing onto her knees by the front door. Her eyes throbbed as she sat there, her mind blank. She didn’t know what to think or what to tell herself. She couldn’t reassure herself; she had no idea what she would say. Seeing him there, knowing he could have walked away but chose not to hurt more than she thought it should have. Aurelio had held her, had kissed her, yet he still went back inside.

She stood, knees threatening to give once more and wiped her face. There were no tears, but maybe, she thought, she had none left to spend. Sliding, the door closed, she made her way to the bed. The numbness of her body was translating into tiredness. Without taking off anything, Mia curled up and fell asleep.

A loud thud jolted Mia awake. She was still in bed, curled up under the covers. The darkness of the room told her it was still night. Reaching for her phone, she found the charger empty and had no idea where she had left it. The crash came again, louder this time, from the front door. Mia’s heart thudded in her chest as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark.

She slipped from the bed, her feet hitting the cold floor with a soft thud. Moving to the door, apprehension paused her steps as she reached the threshold. Just as she lifted her hand to the door, the crash came once more, like a tree falling in the hallway. Throwing caution to the wind, Mia slid the door open, and Aurelio fell into the loft. He was bloody and beat up, his eyes closed. Moving quickly and gasping, Mia pulled at him, lifting his arms, but he didn’t budge. His eyes fluttered open, and a smile broke across his face.

“Hello, beau…” he tried to say, his eyes closing briefly before popping open again.

“Aurelio!” she exclaimed, her arms wrapping around his chest. She maneuvered around him, helping him sit up against the wall next to the door. He looked at her through half-lidded eyes, one mostly swollen shut. His light brown eyes shone as he watched her move around him, that same smile still on his lips.

“I need to get you in the loft,” she said, her mind switching to emergency mode, her eyes dry for now. She couldn’t let her emotions take over; she had to focus on getting him inside.

“Mm, kay…” he murmured softly, attempting to stand. As he did, Mia noticed the bruises covering the left side of his body. His hand instinctively went to cover it. She placed her shoulders under his arm, helping him up as they moved to the doorway. Slowly, she assisted him to the couch, each step feeling like a mountain they had to climb. Aurelio dragged his feet, letting out soft grunts and groans as he moved. Finally, she managed to help him sit, running to turn on the light. The sudden brightness made Aurelio cover his eyes, then grimace as he did, his side still bleeding.

“What happened?” Mia cried, rushing back to him. She moved to lift his shirt to see what was going on, but Aurelio stopped her, placing his hand on hers. She looked into his eyes, his smile pained but real.

“I did it, beautiful,” he said slowly. “You are safe.” He sighed, his eyes closing for a moment.

“What? What did you do?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm, her emotions bubbling to the surface as tears fell.

“They are gone…all of them…” he said, his voice trailing off as he fought to stay awake.

“Aurelio,” she said, lifting a hand to his face, sweat and blood covering her fingers as she held him. “I don’t care about any of them; I care about you.”

“We… we can be… free…” he murmured, his head nestling into her palm. “You… you are free.”

Mia crouched before him, leaning forward until their foreheads touched.

“Aurelio,” she cried softly, closing her eyes as her tears fell. “Please stay with me.”

“Oh, beautiful…” he whispered, his eyes fluttering shut. She felt him go slack against her. Mia’s eyes shot open, panic racing through her as she scanned his face.

“Aurelio!” she yelled, shaking him. He groaned lightly, and Mia jumped to her feet.

“Where’s my fucking phone?” she yelled, running around the loft. She threw her bed apart, a soft thud echoing as the phone hit the floor. Grabbing it, she rushed back to him, dialing 911 while holding his hand, trying to find his pulse. He lay back on the couch, his face paling as she watched. She could feel the soft thump of his pulse in his wrist, her heart pounding louder and louder. A click, and then the operator answered.

Chapter Forty-Four

The paramedics arrived quickly, but to Mia, it felt like days were passing. Aurelio didn’t open his eyes again, despite her attempts to rouse him. She stood by his side the whole time, his hand gripping hers with a strength that reassured her he was alive and fighting. They lifted him onto the stretcher and told her she had to let go. He tightened his grip as if he could hear them, refusing to release her. She sighed, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

“I will be right behind you,” she whispered, easing her fingers from his. She watched as they navigated the stairs, down to the lobby and into the ambulance. One of the paramedics stayed with her, giving instructions about the hospital, but the words flowed around her without penetrating; her entire being was focused on the ambulance as it drove away.

“Ma’am?” the paramedic called as he moved to his truck, “Can you get there safely?”

“Yes,” Mia replied softly, her eyes still on the road, the ambulance now out of sight.

“Okay,” he said, getting into his truck and driving off, following the path of the ambulance. Mia stood there for amoment, the last hour feeling like a dream. She shook herself and ran to her car, keys in hand, though she had no idea when she had grabbed them. She inserted the key and turned it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Please!” she cried, her voice cracking. “Please.” She tapped the key and turned it again, the door unlocking. She scrambled behind the wheel and started the car.

The drive to the hospital took too long, the night fading into day as the sun began to rise. She sped through stop signs and around corners, her heart racing. The neon sign of the hospital finally came into view as she parked in front of the emergency entrance. Barefoot, she ran into the building, the car door still open. The desk was occupied by a friendly-looking man in nurse scrubs who smiled at her as she approached, her mind racing.

“Hi, what can I do for you?” he asked, seemingly unfazed by her frantic appearance.

“Hi, yes,” she breathed deeply, trying to calm her thundering heart. “My boyfriend was brought in by ambulance—Aurelio Valen.”

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