Page 71 of The Fate Of Us

The green light blinds me as I speed through it, adrenalin pulsing through my hands,their grips on the wheel pinching my skin. I carefully scan each street sign as I fly past it, recalling the few times I’d explored them whilst I lived here… when my eyes catch on to the sign for Mulberry, my heart thawing out slightly as I gently turn down it.

The crowd outside the bar I could see grabbed my attention, knowing she was here…somewhere. The dull glow from the neon pink lights on the bar sign made it hard to spot her, but my eyes caught on to the same red dress that had caught my attention earlier tonight.

Found you, Firefly.

I pull the car over a few feet away, whipping open my door and barreling across thestreet to where she was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. Relief replaced the panic.

“Hey, hey, Addy?” I whisper to her, resting on my knees and cupping her face.

Her head lifted slowly, fiery eyes glazed over, but I saw the spark of realisation whenshe remembered it was me, that she’d called me. “Oh… hi.” she mulled, a lazy, dopey smile lifting the corners of her lips.

“Addy, what are you doing here?” I asked, quietly, knowing her head was likelyalready pounding.

“Oh…” she pondered, her head dipping back slightly, strands of auburn sticking toher face. “After the… premiere, Asher and I… we uh, came here for drinks…” I took my eyes off her for a moment, scanning the crowd that was gathered outside the bar, smoke engulfing most of them, trying to search for Asher in case he was still there. “He left… a few hours ago,”

The pink lights that clouded me quickly turned red, my mind aiming a target right onAsher’s forehead. How the hell could he leave her like this?

“He left you?” I asked, keeping my voice as calm as possible as I brushed the hairfrom her face, scanning those beautiful eyes for any sort of answer.

But she shook her head. “I told him I was leaving too, but… I didn’t, I sta- stayed.”

I watched as her eyes fluttered shut. That’d be enough questions for now, I’d find outthe rest of the story in the morning.

“Okay, Addy, let’s get you home.” I dropped my hands from her face to pull her up,grabbing her phone before I forgot it. Once she was on her feet, I scooped her up, the cool silk on her dress pooling around my arms, her shoeless feet dangling over me.

My heart did nothing but melt that panic as she nuzzled her head into my chest, sleeplikely trying to snatch her away. We got to my car a moment later, where I pulled open the passenger door, placed her down and buckled her in, before jogging over to my side and climbing in next to her.

I gave her a once over before I started the car, her lack of a clutch or purse spiking the panic that had settled.My eyes jumped to the sidewalk where she’d collapsed, but couldn’t see the sparkly thing she’d had at the premiere.

“Have you got your keys, Addy?” I asked, resting my palm on her forehead, hereyes still halfway closed.

All she did was lightly shake her head, before curling up in her seat, eyes clampingshut and hands tucking into her chest.

I hoped she wouldn’t be angry when she woke up in a bed that wasn’t hers tomorrowmorning, but instead would be one of my guest rooms.

I took off before sleep stole her away for good, not wanting to wake her when we gotto my apartment. The only sound that broke the silence was that of Addy’s sleepy whimpers, a few mumbles here and there. I turned to check on her at every stoplight we hit, the silk that covered her glowing from the lights of the sleepless city, her skin still shimmering.

Only then did it hit me how right this felt. Not in the sense of her being drunk andhelpless, but having her so close, calling me to save her, falling asleep in my presence. Sober Addy would have rather walked home from that bar than called me to rescue her, I knew that for sure. But I was happy she was here.

Safe. Unharmed. Resting in her constant firelight.

It took less time to reach the garage of my building, where I parked up andscooped Addy up in my arms again, carrying her to the elevator and up to my home.

I got her through the door and wasted no time in striding to one of the sparebedrooms. The dull glow from the moon clung to us as we made it to an open door, nudging it open and pacing over to the fluffed-up pillows and fresh sheets, before pulling them back and laying Addy in the centre.

I quickly ran to my laundry room to grab her some sweatpants and a t-shirt for whenshe woke up, leaving a glass of water, her phone, a packet of makeup wipes I'd found in the bathroom cabinet and a note by her bedside table, in case she did panic about where she was. I draped the white sheets over her, taking her effortless beauty in, brushing my hand across her forehead…

When she muttered something, as she shifted. “Nate?” she mumbled.

“Yeah?” I didn’t move an inch, or stop the brushing, hoping it’d call on that sleepinessagain.

“Why… why did you…” she shuffled again, this time curling up away from me,sighing into the covers beneath her. “I love you… and you just… left.” She took a breath before sighing out, “Why?”

I had to squeeze my eyes shut, trying my hardest not to wonder whether she meant to say 'love' and not 'loved'.

Was that saying true? The one that told us that what soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals. A part of me, one I couldn't figure out where I hid, craved for whoever had philosophised that to be right. Being loved by Addy was something I always craved… I just didn't realise until now how starved I was of her love.

Of us.

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