Page 31 of Don't Let Me Go
“Forever,” Marcus repeats, pressing his forehead to mine. Our lips find each other in the darkness. He tastes of ash and tears, but I don’t care. Whatever comes next, at least we are together. And in this terrible, terrifying moment, that feels like victory.
Then more of the ceiling collapses.
Marcus and I huddle closer, each of us attempting to shield the other from the onslaught of stone and violence. It’s getting harder to breathe. The air is pungent. It burns my eyes and stings my lungs. I bury my face against Marcus as he buries himself against me. I can feel our bodies growing numb with fear and exhaustion. We’re both straining to breathe, struggling to stay conscious. But it’s a losing battle.
We’ve run out of time.
Beaten and battered by the storm, I no longer have the strength to open my eyes. My limbs grow heavy with soot and fatigue, so much so that I can barely feel Marcus in my arms. One by one, my senses abandon me until only my ears are left to tie me to this life.
I hear the mountain rage in the distance. I hear the sky fall. I hear the city dying. And through it all, like the clearest bell, I hear Marcus, his voice repeating the same desperate refrain over and over and over again.
Don’t let me go...
Don’t let me go...
Don’t let me go...
Orlando, Florida
(The Present)
Chapter 12
Jackson
I’m drenched in sweat when I return from my morning run. It’s barely nine but last night’s storm has left the air so hot and thick, it’s like moving through soup. It’s not the kind of day you’d want to be outside if you can avoid it. Which is why I’m surprised to see Riley in my driveway. He’s pacing nervously next to his Prius, his face twisted with worry. But when he sees me, his entire expression melts into palpable relief.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask as I make my way over to him. I wish I were wearing a shirt to wipe some of the sweat off my face, but I settle for the back of my hand. “Did I forget we had plans?”
Riley looks down at his scuffed-up Chucks like he’s suddenly too shy to meet my eyes. “No. Sorry. I didn’t mean to ambush you. I tried calling but...”
“Oh. Yeah. I don’t bring my phone when I run.”
“Right. Of course. Makes sense.”
He’s still not looking at me, and the tension radiating out of him is starting to make me tense. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He nods unconvincingly. “Yeah. I—sorry—I don’t know why I’m here. I mean, I knowwhyI’m here. But now I feelreallystupid.”
“What’s going on?”
Riley shakes his head and lets out a sardonic snort, like even he can’t believe what he’s about to say. “I sort of—I sort of had anightmare. Last night. A reallyintensenightmare. About us. Or people who looked like us. I mean, itwasus, but it also wasn’t. You know what I mean?”
“Not really...”
Riley sighs. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, we were in Italy in my dream. But we were in ancient Roman times. And there was this huge volcano that erupted. And you and I...”
“You and I what?”
“Wedied.”
“Oh.” That’s definitely a weird thing for someone to dream about. But I still don’t see why he’s so upset.
“I know. Iknow,” he says, shaking his head again. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t even know why I’m telling you except?.?.?.?except it felt so real, Jackson. I felt usdying.” Despite the hot-soup air, Riley shivers. “And then, when I woke up—I don’t know. I knew it was a dream, but part of me still felt like I was in danger. And thatyouwere in danger. And I—” He finally forces himself to look at me, and his green eyes are full of concern. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I’m not quite sure what to say.
Part of me wants to laugh. No one’s ever rushed over to my house to check if I’ve died overnight in a volcano eruption before. But the other part of me is oddly flattered. It’s touching how worked up Riley is. I can tell he’s worried about me. And despite knowing how bonkers he would sound, he still came over and risked making a fool of himself to see if I was okay.
