Page 110 of Leah

Her eyes widened, and she spared no time crawling into the bed next to me. I wrapped my unbroken arm around her and pulled her against my side. She nestled her head between my neck and shoulder, breathing me in, crying into my neck as she gripped my shitty little hospital gown in the palm of her hand.

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I was so scared.”

“I’m okay.”

“But I didn’t know that. I’m so angry with myself. For wasting so much time.”

“Then don’t waste any more of it.”

“I was so scared. I can’t lose you. I can’t lose you, never again.”

I looked down at her. “Then be with me.”

Her face turned up to me. “Do you think we can do it? Be together after everything?”

“I think we deserve the chance to try.”

I kissed her forehead, but she moved her face up more and planted her wet lips against mine. Her breaths were ragged against my mouth, and she stayed like that for a long time, staring at me.

She finally got it.

She realized what was in front of her like I realized what was in front of me.

“Glad to know my near death woke you up,” I muttered to her, my lips flinching up. “If I’d known that, I might have tried killing myself a long time ago.”

She didn’t smile, and more tears fell. “We’ll make this work.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m never going to leave you, no matter what.”

“Yeah.”

She kissed me again and buried her face in my chest. She soaked me with her tears as I stroked her back. My eyes hurt and my heart ached. I was still in a state of disbelief. Her arrival was so abrupt and unexpected, and I was in limbo with my emotions since the crash.

I was practically numb.

Minutes and minutes passed, and slowly her sniffs died off and she stopped crying hard. I stared up at the muted television, watching the news go through the events of the plane crash.

Then, all at once, it happened.

A list of the survivors appeared on-screen, and among them… Julie.

My body let go. I sagged into the bed and squeezed Leah to me.

Tears fell from my eyes, and I sobbed.

Everything’s going to be okay.

So why did I still hurt so much?

Thirty-Four

Leah

After Carter was discharged from the hospital, we stayed at an extravagant hotel with the most beautiful view of New York City.

Carter had been quiet the last couple days, retreating into himself as the media frenzy went on. Rome said that he needed to be in a quiet place, far from the noise because Carter…well, he seemed traumatized.

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