Page 17 of Those That Are Lost

“Do you have a plan for the long term?” Henry asks, which one of us I’m not sure.

Neither of us answer. Our eyes catching and then darting away again.

I clear my throat. “Not long term but we could head to a more populated island for a while and see how it goes.” I don’t think we’re far from one particular island I’ve been avoiding because of who lives there but they might just offer us protection should we need it. So I hope, anyway.

We talk a little more, throwing around different ideas. Having Henry in the room keeps the tension between me and Red at ease and I am grateful for his presence. It allows for us to talk without it getting too heavy, or for other things to take over. More physical things.

Red relaxes more as the evening gets late. I see more of thefemale I know emerging. The one with a quick wit and quiet confidence that’s at the root of her immense strength and resilience.

It'sa few hours later and we’d all fallen asleep. The room is dark, the night still pitch black. It could be morning though with how much later the sun is starting to rise.

I hear the whimpering noise again, the one that had woken me. It's coming from the bed. Sitting up on my elbows, I look over to Red’s sleeping form from my position on the floor. She’s tossing and turning, the bed covers thrashing as she whips from side to side.

I’m beside her in an instant, perched on the mattress.

I gently place my hands on her upper arms, trying to still her.

She lets out a pained noise, her face scrunching as she tries desperately to pull away from me.

“No… Don’t… You can’t die.” I barely make out the garbled words but my chest cinches.

“Red, sweetheart. You’re okay,” I soothe, trying to stroke her arm instead of pinning her down. Hot acid pools in my stomach at seeing her tortured. I don’t know if she’s being tormented by the car accident that killed her father or by the time we spent chained in Adicious’s basement.

After several minutes, her breathing calms and she stops moving, settling down into the covers once more. Her eyelids flutter. Expecting her to wake, I go to move back to my own makeshift bed.

As I stand, her hand clasps mine. Looking down, the scar that turned her weaving around her wrist, stands pale against her already fair skin.

“Please, stay.” Her words make me freeze. Is she lucidenough to know what she’s asking? Does she really want me in this bed with her?

I remain like a statue until she gently tugs me. The pull is like a switch flicking and I immediately lift the covers so I can pull her into me as I lay down on the soft mattress. She comes willingly, placing her head into the crook of my shoulder and wrapping one of her legs over my thigh.

It's natural, instinctual, more right than the sun rising in the east every day. I hug her to my body and she clings on, not leaving an inch of space between us.

I have a nagging voice saying that this isn’t real, that this is because she was clearly having a nightmare and needs comfort. It won’t last beyond tonight. I push it away, however, enjoying the moment for what it is. Me and her.

Right where we should be.

CHAPTER 10

AURORA

“Aurora!” My name whips round on the wind.

Looking down into the valley from the cliff edge, I assess the drop. I woke up in Ty’s arms and needed to get out. Needed to run. So that’s what I did, taking one of my preferred running routes.

The turn in the weather meant I couldn’t get up all the way up this particular mountain, the first snow having settled on the peak already. I’d stopped on the path on my way back down to catch my breath when the ledge, metres from it, beckoned me to give it a close look.

Look at the jagged rocks to the left, those would surely work.

“Red.” I hear his voice once more on the icy gales.

He’d be fine without you.

The voice inside my head makes me want to scream. Now that Ty’s back, and alive, shouldn't I be happy? Shouldn’t it have left?

Taking a few steps to the left, the rocks look more jagged, more likely to obliterate any bodies that fall onto them.

A wraith of shadow shoots up my front and has me stumbling back, heart leapingout of my chest.