Page 84 of Citadel

“You were shot?”

He glances down at one of his biceps, which is evidently the source of all the blood. “Just barely grazed.”

“It looks terrible.”

“It’s just the blood. It didn’t hit anything vital. Not even a bone.”

“Well, we’re going to bandage it up good before we leave. And you’re going to keep it clean so you don’t get an infection.” I give him my fiercest look.

It makes him chuckle fondly. “Fair enough.”

Then I think of something else. “What about your brother?” I ask.

He lifts one shoulder in a slight gesture. “I let him go. He saw me. He ran anyway.” He lets out a raspy exhale. “He made his choice.”

“So you’re… you’re not…” My eyes are burning. My throat aches. I’m having trouble understanding what’s even happening here. “You’re not going after him anymore?”

“Not like before. If it works out, I’ll try to connect with him. Later on, I’m going to come back and check out that hotel they’re using and see if I can get the lay of the land and maybe talk to him. But I’m not going to give up everything to do it. He made his choice. You’re—” He breaks off the words, glancing over my shoulder at where Breanna is standing near our packs.

I look back too and see her grinning at us. “What? Oh, you want me to make myself scarce for a few minutes? I guess I can wander elsewhere for a little while. But don’t spend too much time on declarations of love. We’ve got a long trip.”

I giggle helplessly, and Cole gives a breathy laugh. When she’s disappeared into the trees, he takes my face in both his big hands. “Del, listen to me. I’ve been in love with you from the very beginning, but I never thought I was allowed to have you. Or have the kind of life I wanted. I… You were right about me. I cursed myself with my own guilt and responsibility, and so I’ve been living this doomed life. Always wanting more. Always wanting you. But I don’t want to live that way anymore.”

“You don’t have to live that way. You can still love Mark and do what you can for him, but you need to also live your own life.”

“That’s what I want.” His voice gets even gruffer as he continues. His eyes are filled with a tenderness I never thought I’d see there. “If you’ll do it with me. Live a life with me.”

I nod and smile and try not to cry. “That’s what I want too. I love you too. I kept telling myself not to hope for it because you couldn’t make me your priority, but it’s what I’ve wanted from the beginning too.”

He leans down to kiss my mouth very softly. “I love you, Del. You’ll always be my priority now.”

* * *

It takes a few days to get back to Monument. Fortunately we can follow the highway all the way back, so there’s no problem with getting lost or losing time in the wrong direction. Since we’re not in a hurry this time, we take a more comfortable pace, not starting until the sun has risen, taking plenty of breaks, and stopping by early afternoon to wash up in the river and roast over the campfire whatever Cole manages to hunt.

I’m still sore from pushing so hard to catch up with Breanna and from the wear and tear of travel. My shoes wouldn’t have made it all the way back had Cole not rigged a temporary fix. His gunshot wound isn’t pretty, but we keep it as clean as we can, and so far there’s no sign of infection.

None of that mars the joyful reality. Breanna is with me again.

And Cole is mine.

I go through the days of hiking in a blissful haze.

When I try to ask Breanna about her time with those men, she refuses to give me any details. She says it wasn’t great, but she would have survived, and we didn’t need to risk our lives to save hers.

I ignore that last part. I can see how grateful she is, and of course it was my job to save her. She doesn’t have anyone else.

It’s the middle of the day when we finally reach what remains of that old town on the edge of the highway, the one where Breanna was taken. Since we’re passing through, she checks the message drop. The message she left has been picked up, but nothing new has been left, so we move through the town and then onto the mountain trail that leads us home.

We come into view of Monument—with its messy wall, one remaining church steeple, and sprawling garden as the primary landmarks—a few hours later.

Breanna and I exchange glances. “Does it look smaller?” she asks.

“It does kind of.” I shrug. “But it’s home.”

“I’m glad to be back.” She smiles at me, her expression slightly bittersweet, like she’s experienced decades and thousands of miles in the couple of weeks we’ve been gone.

My chest aches as I smile back at her before she picks up her pace and moves ahead of me and Cole.

---