Page 113 of Cinder
“You’re a good man, Lars Andersson.”
She presses her lips to mine and slides her arms around my waist.
It all happens so fast.
The bark of gunfire appears out of nowhere while I’m kissing my girl. One minute her mouth is moving gently against mine, the next I feel her jerk against me, and her lips go soft. Our eyes meet and I see the life drain out of hers. Horror crashes through me when I see the red stain spread across her belly. She starts to sink to the ground. I try to hold her up, but my hands lose strength, and I can’t stop her from falling. That’s when I see the hole in the front of my shirt. At first it is just a hole, but then blood begins to spill out of it.
I’ve been shot.
And it’s the last thing I think before my world vanishes into darkness.
“Hey, baby.”The soothing voice pulls me out from the gray. Before I open my eyes, the pain greets me. A sharp stab in the belly.
I blink awake and look up into my mom’s face. She’s leaning over me while I struggle to make sense of what has happened.
I was with Alice.
We were kissing.
Then there was gunfire.
Thinking I’m still on the ground in the park my eyes dart to my mom. “We’ve got to get to safety. We’ve got to get everyone out of here.”
“Oh baby, we’re not in the park anymore. You’re in the hospital. You’re safe.”
Frowning, I close my eyes. Everything is muddled. I can’t think straight. I was at the park. And now I am here.
If I’m here, then where’s Alice?
My eyes flick open, and I try to sit up, but the sudden movement shoots rays of pain into my abdomen. “Where’s Alice? I’ve got to help Alice.”
My mom’s eyes soften. “Take it easy, sweetheart. You’ve just had surgery to remove the bullet.”
But I don’t care.
I want to see my girlfriend.
“Where is she?” I demand, forcing myself to sit up despite the pain ripping apart my insides. “I want to see her.”
Oh God. The baby.
Fear crawls along my skin. “Is she okay? Where are they?”
Mom looks sad. “She didn’t make it, son. Alice died.”
I stare at her.
No.
That was not how this was meant to play out.
I shake my head. She was just in my arms.
“No, this isn’t right.” I pull back the covers. I need to find Alice.
“Buddy, you need to take it easy,” Beast says, stepping forward. My best friend since we were kids, he towers over the hospital bed. “You’ve taken a bullet to the gut. You need to rest.”
“I want to see my fucking girlfriend.”
