Page 39 of Alphas Like Us

“Don’t.” I shake my head repeatedly. I can’t listen to him admit that I’m wiser, older and stronger. “Don’t.” My head whips. “OLIVEIRA!” I yell at Oscar to hurry the fuck up, and cameramen scream questions at me about whether Maximoff isalive.

I tune out the chorus ofaliveanddead.

Maximoff stares right into me and chokes out, “I love you, you knowthat?”

We’re both crying. “Stop.” I clutch his sharp jaw. I’m a stubborn idiot too. Because I refuse to sayI love youback in agoodbye.

Maximoff takes a shorter breath. “Tell Jane I love her…” He swallows a knot in his throat. “Tell my parents they’re thegreatest…”

“Maximoff—”

“I love you,” herepeats.

“Stop. Stop.” I can’t do an ending with the one person I’ve loved enough to want to last forever. I can’t. I haven’t even told him that I can see forever. I haven’t said all that needs to be saidyet.

“Take care of my sisters…mybrother—”

“Look at me.” I hold his face as his breath shortens. “You’ll be here tomorrow and the next day.Thisisn’t it, wolf scout. You’re not ending here. And I’mconfident…” I nod over and over, his eyes flooding. “You will see your sisters grow up to be old women and you’ll see your brother become an old man—and I’ll be right by yourside.”

He blinks and tears fall down his sharp cheekbone. “Youwill?”

“Yeah,” I nod. “You’re stuck with me, wolf scout. I’ll annoy the shit out of you every single morning for decades. Longer, and our kids will take your side because you’regoodandlovable.”

He breathes deeper. “We have kids?” His iron-willed eyes drift to imagine this future,our future. “Howmany?”

A rock lodges. “As many as you want,” I say, never lying to him. “And when I agitate you and I really hit a nerve, you’ll joke about how you wish you died in this carcrash.”

His lip wants to lift. “Romantic.” He coughs, then grits through pain. “Fuck.”

His skin is starting to discolor, and as I look out in the rain, Oscar is running towards me with an umbrella and thekit.

“…Farrow,” Maximoffchokes.

“Shh,” Iwhisper.

“...I don’t want to die…” His neckstrains.

My chest is on fire. “That’s good, wolf scout.” I nod. “Because I’m not writing down your will rightnow.”

Maximoff stares upward. “Thanks…like you write anythingdown…”

I grab all the medical supplies Oscar collected. He snaps open the umbrella and shields rain from us while Iwork.

I tear open antiseptic and cleanse the site. Then I take out the needle catheter from the kit. Quickly, I run my finger over the top of the third rib and the second intercostal space, midclavicular line on the rightside.

My hands areshaking.

In all my life, my hands have nevershook.

“Take a second, Redford,” Oscar tellsme.

I breathe out.Relax,Farrow.

My handssteady.

No more hesitating, I insert the needle catheter, and a rush of air expels like the burst of aballoon.

Maximoff inhales deeper, and his right lung finally has movement. I keep the catheter in place and remove the needle. He’s more stable. And now, all I can do is wait for theambulance.