Page 112 of Savior

“I think he’s gone home—his true home, where we all hope to go in the end.”

“Even with blood on his hands?”

I sigh. “God knows the righteous when he sees them. And some of the fiercest warriors belong to God, to his army. Rich will run beside them, unafraid and without pain from here on out.”

Her eyes soften. “That’s a beautiful idea: that he’s free from pain and worry now.”

I tug her into me, putting my arm over her shoulder. “Mm, it is.”

It’s nearly dark now, and I stand and put my hand out to Sloane to lead her back inside.

“I’m going to stay out here awhile longer,” she says, and I nod.

She needs time to process today’s events, and I need time to cool my blood from everything that’s happened.

“I’ll start dinner, shall I?” I ask her, holding the outer storm door open with my back, my hand on the handle of the inner door.

“Yeah. Dinner sounds nice,” she replies, her eyes traveling through the darkness as if she can see Rich still running through the yard.

I head inside to see what I can throw together for dinner.

Loss is an impossible thing. It’s like something vital has been cut out of your heart, and it has to learn to beat without it. A new rhythm is created each time you lose someone. Each time that you have to mourn. Sloane knows this better than anyone. She needs time to get her heart to its new rhythm.

Dinner is herb-rubbed chicken,green beans, and potatoes from the massive stock of food the Riccis brought with us when we came.

Sloane is pushing her food around on the plate as tension builds between us, and I don’t know what will happen or which of us will snap first.

“You alright?” I finally ask once my food is nearly gone.

She’s barely eaten, but I expected it. She’s lost in her head.

“I am. It’ll just take time. Being so close to death always makes me uncomfortable.”

I lift my brows in understanding. “It’s not something everyone gets so close to, you know? I’m sorry you had to see it happen.”

“I think we should have been there, don’t you?” she asks.

“Well, not if it made you uncomfortable. You have the right to protect your peace, Sloane.”

Her eyes narrow. “No. For people you care about, you’re there for them.”

“I agree. But I wouldn’t judge someone for not wanting to be. It’s a chilling experience.”

She sighs in agreement. “That it is.”

I take our plates and clean up, turning back to look at where she still sits at the table, eyes far off.

For some ungodly reason, my mind wanders to the future. To when we leave this place and one another behind. To when she’s safe.

A sharp, piercing pain lances through my heart, causing me to gasp as I clutch at my chest. It’s an emotional jolt that leaves me reeling, breathless from its intensity.

Sloane looks at me, and something changes.

Something unspoken and raw passes between us, an unwitting awareness of what will happen.

That life is about to change as we both know it.

As if something otherworldly propels us together, I step for her as she stands and the chair skids back on the floor. Even the noise of its feet grating the wood doesn’t stop us.

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