Page 182 of Meet Me at the Metro

Theo moans as I pull his body closer. The ring of bright red seeping through his shirt gives me an indication of where he’s been shot this time. I cover the bleeding wound in his lower abdomen hastily, applying pressure.

“Help! Someone help, please!” I wail over the commotion all around. “He’s shot! He’s hurt!”

My jaw trembles as I behold him, the claws of unconsciousness slowly dragging him away for me.

“Come on, Theo! Theo, please!”I shake him until his heavy lids flutter open again. The second they do, his eyes settle on mine, and I cry with relief. “Stay awake, alright? Okay, Theo?Alright?”

The thunder of feet grows louder as a multitude of officers rush to the stage, but I don’t let them divert my attention away from Theo. Even as Kimberley’s shrill cry fills the air when they tackle her to the ground. Even during the eruption of uproar when they crowd around John’s unconscious body on the stage and piece together who he is. Even as they rush our way and work on calling an ambulance to the scene.

Theo’s eyes blink rapidly, growing heavier alongside his labored breaths, but I keep shaking him awake—keep talking and patting at his high cheekbones to keep him from slipping into sleep.

“I-I-I’m sorry, Nora.”

The sound of his voice—so faded and weak—has me crying harder. “What are you sorry for? You have nothing to be sorry about, okay? Don’t say that.”

“I promised you I’d”—he winces as he speaks, his face scrunching beneath the pain—“I’d keep you safe.”

“Stop, Theo. Nosorrys,okay? Just focus on me. You’re going to be alright. Y-you—”

“I love you,”he breathes, face growing a sickly pale.

I hate the finality laced in his words.

“I love you more. Focus on me, Teddy. Keep awake, okay?”

He cracks a faint, weak smile as he hones in on the features of my face, fulfilling my simple request.

“H-have you thought about it?”he asks, his voice far away.“About staying?”

“Yes,” I confess, a strangled laugh escaping my throat between my sobs. I stroke his dark, golden hair away from his clammy forehead and work on keeping him conscious. “Of course, I have.”

“Will you?”

“Yes. I’ll stay, okay? I’ll stay, so you have to do the same, alright? You’ve got to promise to stay with me. Stay with me, Theo.”

“Okay,”he mumbles sleepily, eyes threatening to close.“N-Nora. Promise me…”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t leave me.”

“I’m not leaving you. I’m staying right here. Okay...alright?”

So much love strings the two of us together, and I can't bring myself to imagine its existence. I can’t bear the thought of losing him—I can’t consider the pain it would cause me. So I make a promise immediately, offering him everything I can to keep him fighting.

“I’ll stay, Teddy.”

44

HOMEBOUND

E L L I E

Istand rigid and unmoving, bracing myself for the surge of emotions threatening to swallow me as the image of his body, limp in my arms, comes crashing to the forefront of my mind.

Three months.

It’s been three months, but somehow, the memory of that night feels as fresh in my mind as yesterday. I didn’t enjoy thinking about it for too long—I didn’t appreciate how it sometimes consumed every inch of me when I did, so I often forced it away. I was tired of acknowledging the echo of that night, fed up with listening to those sirens blaring in my head and replaying the desperation laced in hisdeep, gruff voice.

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