Page 253 of Nemesync
I cried and cried and cried between his arms, pushing him away, just shaking my head.
“It’s my fault, it’s my fault.”
I couldn’t stop screaming and crying.
But he just cradled me in his arms, my head on his chest, murmuring, “Milaya, it’ll be okay, I’m here, holding you, nothing will happen to you.”
I nestled into his chest and closed my eyes. And I did let him hold me, until I fell asleep from the crying, hearing his soft words that he never stopped whispering, feeling his kisses he never stopped planting everywhere he could.
I managed to fall back asleep, but the face of my best friend was etched in my mind, even with my eyes closed.
With the city glow coming from under the door, I woke up to find myself nestled in Elijah’s protective arms.
His eyes were open and fixed on me.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his fingers brushing lightly against my cheek.
I managed a small smile; the last one I had left.
I wasn’t alone anymore; they were all in my head.
It was too late now; they were out.
“Better,” I lied, closing my eyes, the image of Luna’s face still haunting me. “With you here, I feel better.”
His response was a tender kiss on my forehead.
I felt like I had lost everything—my sanity, all my energy.
It took the image of my dead best friend telling me it was my fault, and I couldn’t find the will to survive again.
It was my fault. She was right.
I had finally given up.
43
ELIJAH
In the living room, Niko was settled on the sofa, clad in his suit. We had a lot on our plate and couldn’t afford any delays.
The morning light poured through the windows, creating a soft glow on Zanae’s face. She looked stunning, sitting there and gazing out at the sky, almost ethereal.
I took a sip of my coffee and glanced over at Niko. “You practically live here, Niko. Why don’t you just move in?” I teased.
Niko chuckled. “Oh, I can’t be depriving you of your privacy, Elijah. What if one day I accidentally see something I shouldn’t?”
I let out a small laugh, but looked back at my love who didn’t laugh. Zanae, lost in her thoughts, seemed distant, elsewhere.
She has had horrible nightmares since that night, waking up screaming ‘my fault’ every time. She had experienced them before, but the ones she was having now were more intense, more violent.
Yesterday was the worst.
She had cried and screamed so hard that I thought she would never wake up. I had to kiss her, give her back her own breath and I was so scared.
She was staring out the window, lost in the cityscape, and there was a look on her face as if she was searching for something beyond the boundaries of the city, beyond the sky.
Nikolai put his hand on her arm, gently pulling her back to us. “Hey, Little Z, we have something important to do today. If you need anything, call us, no hesitation. Are you going to be okay?”
