Page 87 of Bound and Blitzed

The sky swirlsabove me as I try to keep my eyes open.

I don’t know how much time has passed. My body is cold to the bone. And the pain.

My God, the pain is so unbearable that sometimes, I don’t even feel it. It’s as if I’m numb.

It must be shock. That’s it. I’m in shock.

Exhaustion tugs at the edges of my vision and as much as I want to sink into the oblivion it provides, fear keeps me fighting to stay awake. But I must have slept through the night. Here, nestled against the trunk of a sugar maple, the darkness wrapped around me like a vice. I was terrified. Weary and tired and freezing.

And yet, when I opened my eyes, the blue sky greeted me. The storm has abated. I need to make a move. To draw attention to myself. To get some help. But just when I think I’ve gathered the strength to do so, I slip back into unconsciousness.

Then, I see him.

With his slate gray eyes and his short, brown hair. Broad shoulders, strong jawline, and irresistible smirk.

In my dreams, Avery is with me. His arms are around me, holding me up, supporting my weight, protecting me from the fear that squeezes my windpipe, from the pain that blazes like wildfire in my veins.

I love you, Lena.It’s as if I can hear his voice.

He said he wasn’t a rainbows-and-magic kind of man. But he’s more than that. He’s all I ever dreamed of and everything I was too scared to accept. To embrace. To fully surrender to.

And now, it’s too late. He’ll never know the depth of my feelings for him.

I should have told him when I had the chance. Instead, I pushed him away and in doing so, I let myself down.

Tears gather in the corners of my eyes. It’s almost too much to bear.

What if I never see him again? What if I never see Mamá, Papá, Ale, and Carla?

I have to make a move. I have to find help.

But my body betrays me. It doesn’t react to the commands in my mind. It doesn’t even flinch at the worries that spiral through my thoughts. Or the faces that appear in my dreams.

Valentina!I hear him again.

Smiling to myself, I manage to shimmy out from beside the tree. In the clearing of the path, I lay flat on my back and stare at the sky. It’s turning to dusk now—the blue is disappearing into golden yellow, burnt orange, then navy. And it’s mesmerizing. Beautiful.

Here in nature, I can take a deep breath. I suppose if this is it for me, it could be worse.

Valentina! Lena, please!

A pang cuts through my chest again as I hold on to his voice. Then, I focus on the memory of his face. I keep it at the forefront of my mind.

It looms above me. So real and lifelike, I could reach out to touch him. Cup his cheek, press his mouth to mine. But my arm doesn’t lift. Instead, I smile.

“Avery,” I breathe out.

“I got you, sweetheart. I’m here, Lena.” His voice is so close.

I’m hallucinating.

“Don’t move her. Check her neck. Her head.” A man’s voice.

Hands. Gentle and clinical.

Warmth. A blanket.

Water. A godsend.

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