Page 130 of Devoted

Zeke wasn’t…

He couldn’t be.

He couldn’t have left me.

He wouldn’t.

‘No one can survive having their neck snapped. This is your fault for following him. If you hadn’t, he wouldn’t have died.’

“No, no, no.” I dropped to my knees, my hands over my ears. “It’s not real. Not real.Not real.”

It was a nightmare. It had to be. Zeke couldn’t be dead. If I kept my eyes closed, I’d wake up. If I didn’t look at his crumpled body, it wouldn’t be true.

My stomach flipped as I fought the urge to vomit.No. No. He can’t have left me.

“Sam.” Hands tugged at my arms. “I’m so fucking sorry, he’ll be okay though.”

I could barely hear the words over the screaming alarm. Was this why it was going off? Because there were serial killers living in the house?

My eyes flew open. Lilac eyes, inches from mine.

I scrambled to my feet in terror. “Stay away from me.”

The twin, I wasn’t sure which, held up his palms. I saw the bloodstains there and flinched. Was he the one who’d killed Zeke?

Zeke.

My Zeke.

Nothing else mattered as I started to run. Not the murderer in front of me. The other body. The screeching alarm. The people yelling at me.

I just had to get to Zeke.

I dropped to my knees as I reached him, a sob breaking from my throat.

“Please,” I begged, frantically searching out a pulse. “Please, Zeke. Don’t leave me. You can’t.”

There was no pulse.

Just the unnatural angle of his neck.

And his open, unfocused eyes.

“Please.” My voice cracked as I traced the beautiful lines of his face. “Please, wake up. Please, Zeke.”

But there was nothing.

Cradling his head, I collapsed on his body. Over and over, I murmured the same plea. “Please, give him back. Please. Let him wake up.”

I don’t know who I was begging. Everyone. Anyone. Anyone who would listen. I’d never been religious until this moment.

Now though, I’d worship whichever deity would give me this, I didn’t give a fuck what price they asked of me.

I’d pay it to get Zeke back. For this all to be a nightmare. For me to wake up in his arms. For him to kiss my tears away and reassure me it wasn’t real. That he wasn’t going anywhere.

Dimly, I was aware that people were trying to speak to me. Trying desperately to get my attention. I ignored them all.

I didn’t care about them. I didn’t care about anything other than Zeke.

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